MANY years ago I went for a test drive in the Hyundai Sonata at a time when it, and indeed the car's manufacturer, were relatively new to Britain's roads.

I almost bought one, but eventually I was swayed to buy a family saloon from a more-established rival.

That problem, persuading drivers to switch brand and to get away from 'the badge' mentality, has remained a prickly problem for Hyundai.

So much so that its campaign for this new, bigger and better Sonata encourages customers to judge the car for itself and not pre-judge it by its badge.

Bearing this in mind, I took to the roads searching for reaction to the sleek lines and performance of this eye-catcher, which hopes to woo the Ford, Peugeot, VW and Volvo saloon drivers and even the owners of more expensive brands offering similar comfort and capacity.

There were plenty of admiring glances as the silver hulk negotiated winding roads and cruised into higher speeds with ease. And then the defining moment came...

I pulled up at a roundabout and looked to my right to see a 4x4 driver negotiating the turn while at the same time casting a critical eye over the Sonata and straining to catch a sight of the badge. Yes, I thought, he loved the look of the car, but would he be prepared to switch badge?

Jim Campbell, Hyundai's marketing director, reckons its customers are less inclined towards the badge mentality. "They prefer instead to purchase products, including cars, that represent real value for their money, rather than ones designed to make a statement on their behalf about who they are as individuals."

Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?

There is nothing new in this marketing approach. You only have to see the similar ploy of Toyota with its Avensis TV advertisements to realise that wooing customers from other big guns in this market is as much a mental battle as a battle to build cars that offer as much, if not more.

This is the fifth generation of the Sonata and it is a far cry from the first generation model I found so tempting.

Some people might be put off by its size - it is longer, taller and roomier than the outgoing model - but there will be universal appreciation that it is now quicker, stronger and safer, and brimming with latest technologies.

Compared with VW's Passat, the Sonata is 35mm longer, 12mm wider and 3mm taller, and it has a 20mm longer wheelbase.

The supple, and sometimes lively, ride benefits from the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), fitted as standard and a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder all-aluminium engine.

The Sonata can feel positively cavernous. A five-a-side football team made up of six-footers could quite easily be accommodated. The full leather trim is standard, cosseting the occupants, and there are plenty of practical features to assist in making the journey that much more enjoyable.

I could find only two niggles - a really naff piece of thick shiny plastic piping that traversed the dashboard, and a black hole underneath the audio system that left the display looking unfinished. Otherwise, the interior had more or less everything you could wish for in a family saloon in this price bracket.

Hyundai have made the brave decision to go for one size fits all. The look is light grey leather, the engine size is 2.4 (manual or automatic). There is no alternative, with air conditioning coming as standard too.

For optimum comfort in the cockpit, the driver's seat has pump-action height adjustment, and in the automatic model the front centre armrest slides forward or back.

Coupled with the steering column adjustment, the ideal driving position can easily be found for drivers of almost any size.

A real bonus was the boot. Now, I was expecting a standard space, particularly as the lid was actually smaller than similar ones in this class, and certainly nothing like this whopper.

Hyundai says it can hold three sets of golf clubs. You could probably squeeze in the golfers themselves.

Dealer: Hatfields, York Business Park, Great North Way, Nether Poppleton (01904 600 600).

Fact file

Engine: 2,359cc four-cylinder DOHC CVVT 16 valve petrol unit

Maximum power: 160bhp (161PS) @ 5,800rpm

CO2 emissions: Manual 198g/km and Auto 210g/km

Trim: Full light grey leather

Colours: Ebony Black, Crystal Silver metallic, Thunder Grey mica, Deep Pearl Blue mica

Security: Shielded deadlocks all round

Insurance Group: 13D

Prices (on the road): Manual £16,495; Automatic £17,495

Updated: 16:11 Thursday, June 02, 2005