You can place an order for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata starting today, but the new midsize sedan won't officially be shown until this month's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Nobody likes to buy a new car sight unseen.  So, if you’re thinking about the next-generation Hyundai Sonata, these pictures might make the decision a little easier.

Officially, the Korean maker says it will begin taking orders for the next-generation midsize sedan, starting today, though the 2011 Hyundai Sonata won’t even be revealed until the Frankfurt Motor Show, later this month.

For the moment, the company is keeping most details a secret, but here’s what we’ve so far learned: there’ll be a high-mileage version featuring the Theta II 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a 6-speed transmission.

These renderings of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata suggest the car will be more dynamic and upscale in appearance.

The ’11 Sonata will come with VDC, Hyundai’s term for stability control, as well as ABS and Traction Control.

The renderings shown here suggest that with styling changes, such as the wider grille and more upright headlamos, Hyundai hopes to impart a sense of strength and ruggedness, part of its ongoing campaign to banish the old image of cheap-and-cheerful Korean econoboxes.

The outgoing midsize sedan was launched in 2004 and has been the top-seller in the South Korean market.  It was, until recently, the most premium offering for Hyundai’s U.S. operations – until last year’s launch of the Genesis sedan, that is.  The automaker intends to move even more up-market with the 2010 American introduction of its premium-luxury Equus.