The model's roots in the US date back to 1989 when Hyundai introduced its second nameplate (after the Excel).

Since its introduction there the Sonata has had four redesigns. The most recent update was for the 2006 model year.

That model was, the automaker said, the first 'popular brand' mid-size sedan to include electronic stability control as standard and was also the first Hyundai built in the United States - in a green-field plant in Alabama.

An update is due for a debut at the 2008 Chicago motor show.

In Poland, the current-generation Hyundai Sonata sold 100 copies in the year-to-November 2007, a 39% increase from the same period of last year.