Give credit to Hyundai, the largest automaker out of South Korea, for some curvy design concepts, an alluring pricing strategy for all models plus the most extensive warranty coverage in the automotive market. All of these points are apparent in the 2004 array of Hyundai products, which consist of hatchbacks, sedans and wagons plus a racy sports coupe.

Hyundai's flagship XG sedans show sedate styling in generous scale for the midsize class with power supplied by a V6 engine. Sonata, the value-packed midsize sedan in Hyundai's fleet, carves out room for five in a spacious compartment. Accent and Elantra are two different subcompacts that deliver economical power in spacious packages. Santa Fe, a compact sport-utility wagon with either four-cylinder or V6 engine aboard, uses the front-wheel-drive (FWD) platform of a sedan on a monocoque platform that cultivates a smooth ride quality.

And Hyundai's low-slung sports coupe goes by the name of Tiburon, as marked by muscular fender bulges flanking an extended hoodline and a hatchback roofline tapering to a stubby tail capped by a flying spoiler wing.

For 2004, best-selling Elantra shows fresh styling on the body and revamped cockpit colors and fabrics. Face and tail of XG350 and XG350L sedans also get a redo with enhancements in the five-seat cabin. Tiburon's entry-issue engine earns a CVVT (continuously variable valve timing) upgrade and the GT V6 edition rolls on new 17-inch wheels and tires.

The passenger compartment for Hyundia's four-door flagship features leather-lined seats and automatic everything in a cushy environment that mimics the finest luxury models in class. Exterior styling seems subtle but elegant with a series of flat horizontal and vertical surfaces united by crisp angled surfaces that form etched character lines across the hood and along each side as shoulders.

A revised grille and headlamp cluster, reformed air dam and new projector-style foglamps mark the 2004 models. Power for XG350 stems from Hyundai's dual-cam 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 194 hp.

There are two versions, XG350 and the luxury-laced XG350L. XG350 continues to offer an extensive list of standards including leather seating, five-speed Shiftronic automatic shifter and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Read our Review: Hyundai XG350

The midsize Sonata sedan shows bold and contemporary exterior styling with unusually smooth shapes contrasted against definitive creases and crisp edges. It looks elegant and dressy but also active and even aggressive -- and clearly different from typical sedans from other Asian automakers.

Sonata also puts more headroom in a cabin dressed with favored features for comfort and luxury, along with safety systems reaching to frontal and side-impact air bags. The series repeats in the 2004 class with three trims starting with a base Sonata and climbing to GLS and deluxe LX models, the latter two rolling on 16-inch alloy wheels and Michelin tires.

Sonata's optional 2.7-liter V6 engine hits 170 hp, while the base dual-cam 2.4-liter in-line-four musters 138 hp.                                                                                                               (CONTINUE...)