Hyundai holds its head high
XG 350 a player in the mid-size segment

A handful of years ago if you were shopping for a mid-size import sedan you'd have driven past a Hyundai dealership without giving it a glance. If you're shopping in this category today, you'll likely be doing yourself a disservice if you don't stop.

Hyundai's offering, the XG 350, isn't at the top of the chart in the mid-size segment, but it can certainly hold its head high in a field filled with some of the better sedans in the world. And increasingly so can its buyers, as the Hyundai name continues to gain acceptance among Canadians.

When Hyundai arrived here in the mid-1980s it faced what seemed to be an impossibly steep climb up the design and quality ladder to match its Asian, European and domestic rivals. In the decade since, it's hauled itself up onto an equal footing. And the numbers back this up, as Canadian consumers, among the most spoiled-for-choice in the world, along with being notoriously tight about spending money on vehicles, vote with their wallets.

Hyundai sold almost 35,000 vehicles in the first half of this year, up just about five per cent over last year. That's a few hundred units behind Nissan and ahead of Volkswagen, Mazda and a number of other well established makes. There shouldn't be any doubt remaining in anyone's mind that this South Korean "newcomer" to the Canadian scene has become an important player.

The first mid-size entry from Hyundai, then the XG 300 arrived for the 2001 model year. It got an upgraded 3.5-litre engine and a new name for 2002 and carried on with much the same specifications for 2003. For 2004 the XG 350 receives an exterior freshening and some additions to its well-stocked equipment list.

Typical of Hyundai products, from the tiny Accent on up, the flagship XG 350 comes with a lot of stuff for a reasonable price - in this case $32,995.

This buys you an attractively styled, 4-door sedan that packs more millimetres between its bumpers than either the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. In fact, its length is identical to that of the Toyota Avalon, but still noticeably shorter than domestics such as the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Regal or Ford Taurus. The XG 350's cargo capacity, at a decent 411 litres, tops the Accord, but is 50 to 70 litres less than the rest.

Styling changes to this vaguely Volvo S80-ish looking sedan, which gets a surprising number of looks from passers by, are fairly minor in nature. They include chrome accents on the grille, standard halogen projection foglamps integrated into the bumpers, a larger chrome accent on the waistline moulding and new combination rear lamps and chromed rear garnish with bigger reversing lamps. Other visual changes can be seen in new 12-spoke alloy wheels.

and proved quite supportive for the lower part of my body. Headroom is fine front and rear, with the rear seat roomy enough for two - the rear seatback splits 60/40 for added flexibility. Road and wind noise levels are low.

Standard equipment includes an effective automatic climate control system, sunroof, trip computer, keyless entry, security alarm and immobilizer system and power windows, locks and mirrors (outside heated). Power heated front seats include new-for-2004 memory on the driver's side, as do the mirrors. There's also a digital clock and a good sounding premium sound system.

This is a comprehensive package of equipment fitted to a very liveable and visually attractive interior.

To the XG 350's stiff structure is attached a double-A-arm front suspension with a multi-link system at the rear. Suspension tuners obviously had comfort as their priority, as springing is soft and damping forces mild. There's plenty of body roll as a result and the car understeers early in the game when pushed in a corner. Steering has a little dead spot on centre, but otherwise feel isn't bad. The XG 350 doesn't appear to have any handling vices, other than a slight "uneasiness" or "floatiness" at speed over highway undulations, but then neither is it particularly enjoyable to drive from an enthusiast's perspective.

The 3.5-litre, double overhead camshaft V6 - a Hyundai design it calls the Sigma - produces 194 hp at 5,500 rpm and 216 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 revs. It's smooth and responsive and works well with the 5-speed automatic that shifts up smoothly and delivers fairly responsive downshifts. This sophisticated, electronically controlled transmission can also be shifted manually by the driver, a "sporty" feature that seems somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the car. My stopwatch showed a zero to 100 km/h time of 8.6 seconds, which is pretty decent, and a safe and quick 80 to 120 km/h passing or merging time of 7.2 seconds.

The XG 350 comes with four disc brakes with anti-lock and Electronic Brake Distribution, as well as a traction and stability control systems. Crash safety is looked after by seatbelt pretensioners and front and side airbags.

The XG 350 isn't exceptional in any way, but it is a hard vehicle to find fault with, and it provides a lot for a reasonable amount of money.

Immediate competition:
Chrysler Sebring, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S40