The new, slightly lower and slightly larger (but only very slightly), Hyundai Sonata has been revealed to unveil a much more stylish and less conservative looking car than its predecessor. Taking a strong lead from the Le Fil Rouge concept car that the marque presented at last year’s motor show in Geneva, the new Hyundai 2020 Sonata features a more coupe-styled roofline with a broad and low sports car like nose and front-end. This provides a look and feel for the updated model, with a more contemporary next-generation style to boast about.
As well as its sports car like front-end presentation, another attractive and unique addition to the Sonata are the hidden LED daytime running lights. They start from the grill end of the headlamp installations, carry on up the bonnet sides and fade seamlessly into the chrome trim that ends at the windscreen. They provide a contemporary style feature when in use, yet they’re so well disguised within the trim that when they’re not in use, you’d never know they were there.
The interior features a wing-shaped dashboard incorporating a low, narrow instrument panel. A generously sized touchscreen sits pride of place above the slimline HVAC vents, and to add to the technology housed around the driver, there are both USB-A and USB-C inputs as well as a selection of capacitive-touch buttons taking care of the controls. Hyundai has also introduced a button-based gear selector into the cockpit, and incorporated a matching leather trim around the car that takes its lead from its luxurious upholstery. If you like your cars to have the latest tech and gadgetry, Hyundai has announced that they’re (as are many of their competitors) developing a digital key to allow their owners to unlock and start their car from a phone app. Given the timing of both announcements, don’t be surprised if this features as part of the new Sonata when it reaches full production.
Hyundai hasn’t made any announcements yet regarding the vehicle’s powertrain, into whether or not they’re likely to introduce any form of electric options, but what they have revealed so far, is the result of forward-thinking design to create a car quite removed from their previous, more sober looking saloon. We will have to wait until the car is in full production before judging how it competes with the performance of existing Hyundai models and of course, the saloon cars of their competition.
Confirmation has been given that the new Hyundai 2020 Sonata will be debuted at the New York Auto Show in April, so keep your ear to the ground for further updates and information around that time.
