Get ‘Smaht’ with Hyundai’s revised Sonata
The Boston-centric Super Bowl commercial from Hyundai that debuted earlier this year featured some of the Hub’s top actors/entertainers when the automaker unveiled the all-new Sonata.
In its eighth generation, the mid-sized sedan has an Audi-like sloped rear — the coupe styling looks sporty, yet it’s the affordable pricing that gets hearts racing.
Don’t be fooled by the sleepy look of the frowning headlights: the Sonata is a dream. For a large-framed human, I enjoy pushing the seat back all of the way to maximize leg room and to see how the space behind the driver is. The Sonata was pretty impressive. I owned a 2017 Honda Accord Sport at one time, and it had the same quality — the rear space was quite roomy. The Sonata is going to force Accord and the Toyota Camry to bring their best to the table. Class, safety and convenience are in abundance here.
The interior of the Sonata was freshened significantly with the 2020 model, with a new touch screen protruding infotainment system at 10.25 inches as well as a 12.3-inch fully digital gauge cluster for the driver. Small duct work was noticeable as well in the dash but seemed to still work when pushed to capacity.
Our Hyper White hybrid tester came with some really nice additions (as most test cars do), but the Sonata really showed why it has been a mainstay of the Hyundai lineup for years.
Nice touch: A solar panel on the roof generates an additional two miles per day of electric usage. A 13.2-gallon tank also assisted with getting over 600 miles on a tank — now that is certainly dreamy.
We sampled the Smart Park system (or “Smaht Pahk,” as voiced by the locals in that ad) by exiting the vehicle and using the key fob to back the car into a parking space. This option is one of Hyundai’s best and is great to use in those tight-fitting spaces at the mall or grocery store or basically every street in Boston. I was really impressed by how well this worked as well as how easy it was to use. Also, on the Hyundai app, you can start the vehicle virtually and have your temperature controls preset.
The Hyundai Sonata is another great option in the mid-size market. With a great new exterior that is easy to spot, from the headlights to the taillights, the Sonata is all new and a serious option if you are looking for an upscale-appearing, mid-sized, economypriced sedan.