AN UPMARKET SEDAN
Smooth and elegant exterior shape and richly appointed interior radiate style and class
It might seem that the entire buying public has abandoned cars in favour of crossovers and SUVs, but of course, that is not the case. There is still a solid following for the sedan, the coupe and the hatchback.
That Hyundai hasn’t lost interest in chasing its share of the automobile segment is very much evident in the new, eighth-generation Sonata, its nearly full-sized (4,900 millimetres long) family sedan. The 2020 Sonata showcases Hyundai’s “sensuous sportiness” design philosophy with a look that is sleek and indeed sensuous. Longer, lower, wider — ironically, a page from Detroit’s 1960s design philosophy — the four-door is clearly set to challenge the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.
As one of Hyundai’s first and most successful nameplates, the company’s design team wanted the Sonata to be special and memorable in all attributes, particularly styling, active safety and leading technology. Styling sees inspiration from the stunning Le Fil Rouge four-door-coupe concept shown at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the new Sonata profiling a similar coupe look, one that has worked so well for German automakers.
That said, the Sonata, which is arriving at dealerships now, is very much a family sedan, its powertrains competitive with those of its main rivals. Hyundai will add both a hybrid version and a performance-oriented N Line model with 290 horsepower.
For now, two engines are offered. The base Preferred is powered by a normally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder that turns out 191 hp and 181 pound-feet of torque. The other three models — Sport, Luxury and Ultimate — get the Smartstream
1.6-L turbocharged and direct-injected in-line four. This new engine trades horsepower for lowend grunt (and better fuel economy), with 180 hp at 5,500 rpm and 195 lb-ft of torque starting at 1,500 rpm. In both cases, the engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, one that uses shiftby-wire technology to eliminate the need for a physical gear lever. Four drive modes — Smart, Normal, Sport and Custom — make slight alterations to steering effort and engine/transmission mapping.
Our 500-kilometre route — first in a topline Ultimate model and then a Sport — was mostly interstate highway. The speed limit on a good portion of the journey was 70 miles per hour, or 112 km/h, with much of the American pre-Thanksgiving traffic moving along at 10 to 20 km/h over the limit. Not only was the 1.6-L turbo-four more than capable of keeping with the flow and easily accelerating when merging, it proved remarkably fuel efficient as well. Just before running into rush-hour traffic on the outskirts of the Big Easy, the indicated fuel economy was a parsimonious 5.8 L/100 km, and the final reading when pulling up the hotel was still a thrifty 6.1.
Hyundai notes the Sonata’s smoothly efficient shape results in a coefficient of drag of just 0.27, with a flat underfloor covering and a range of body enhancements, such as small fins across each tail light that help improve fuel efficiency. The cabin was sufficiently quiet for the most part, with minor wind noise sneaking in at higher speeds.
The Sonata’s interior, notably the Ultimate, has a rich ambience that matches the sedan’s exterior design. The slim, full-width dashboard is dominated by a customizable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and above the centre stack, a large, 10.25-inch high-definition touch screen provides easy interaction with the infotainment system. All Sonata models, except the Preferred, include five years of complementary BlueLink services. Audiophiles will appreciate the 12-speaker Bose Premium sound system.
Possibly the Sonata’s neatest feature is the available remote smart-parking assist, which helps slide the car into or out of tight parking spaces. As long as driver is within four metres of the car, the driver uses the smart key to slowly drive the sedan forward or backward.
There is one marketing decision that might have a long-term negative effect on Sonata sales: making the car front-wheel drive only. But Hyundai says its market research shows buyers shopping the segment don’t find AWD to be a big sales plus.
Hyundai is clearly moving upmarket, and the newest Sonata is the result of this intent. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but don’t expect it to differ much from that of the 2019 model, meaning it should range between $25,000 and $40,000, depending on the trim level.