2020 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai has stepped into the mid-size Sedan market deeply with the return of 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The 2020 Sonata is blessed with all-new refreshed design styling and features. The new sedan is likely to hit dealerships in October this year. Sonata will be available in SE, SEL, SEL Plus, and Limited trim levels. The current Sonata base model is priced at $23,500, and the 2020 model should cost closely. The Sonata Sedan will compete with Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry.

The Sonata won't impress you with top of the line styling, nor will it woo you with its massive power figures. However, it does get you a more punchy motor under the hood that sets it apart from the segment.

The Hyundai Sonata is available in four trim levels starting with the SE which comes just under $25,000 with basic features like blind spot assist, rearview camera and a 7-inch touchscreen. The  SE and SEL  come with a 2.5-litre inline-four while the upper two trims are available with a 1.6-litre turbocharged powertrain. The upper trims come with a sportier exterior design and a feature-laden interior. 

If you include the Ultimate Package worth $3,850 then you can add a heated steering wheel, an Infinity premium stereo, wireless phone charging, an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, rear sunshades, rear parking sensors among other features.

Models	SE	SEL	SEL plus	Limited
MSRP	$23,600	$25,700	$27,650	$33,500
Engine	2.5L I-4	2.5L I-4	1.6L turbocharged	1.6L turbocharged
Features	Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection (FCA-Ped)	Adds/upgrades SE to SEL	Adds/upgrades SEL to SEL plus	Adds/upgrades SEL plus to Limited
	Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)	8-way power driver seat with power lumbar	10.25-inch colour touchscreen with navigation & traffic flow including incident data via HD Radio™, SiriusXM & Blue Link	Leather seating surfaces
	Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go	Heated front seats	Multiple device connection (up to two devices)	4-way power front passenger seats
	LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)	8-inch color touchscreen with HD Radio™, SiriusXM & Blue Link®	12.3-inch LCD cluster	Ventilated front seats
	LED taillights	Blue Link® Connected Car System	Hyundai Digital Key	Integrated Memory System for driver seat and side mirrors
	Chrome window surround mouldings	Proximity Key entry with push-button start	Bodycolor/satin chrome exterior door handles	Bose® premium audio with 12 speakers
	6-way adjustable driver seat			Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA)
	60/40 split fold-down rear seats			Color Heads-up Display (HUD)
	Android Auto™ & Apple CarPlay®			Blind View Monitor (BVM)
	Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel			Ambient lighting (64 colors)
	Bluetooth® hands-free with wireless audio streaming

We Recommend 

Apart from the standard features, there are many optional features so you can configure your Sonata the way you want. If you are ready to spend around $ 10,000 more than the base price, opt for the Limited 2.0T trim. It is fully packed with all the standard and optional features that the 2020 Hyundai Sonata has to offer.

You get two engines choices: a 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 181 pounds-feet of torque, or a 180-hp, turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder making 195 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines posses drivetrain that drives the front wheels via a new eight-speed automatic transmission, and Hyundai claims the 2.5-litre engine to return combined fuel economy of 33 mpg. In that case, it would be a 4-mpg increment over the outgoing Sonata’s base model that comes with the 2.4-liter drivetrain.

The power-on tap feels only adequate and leaves the driver wanting more oomph and punch as the looks might suggest. For normal day to day driving, it’s not an issue. For the enthusiasts, worry not. The fanatics at Hyundai are cooking up an N-line variant too which is rumoured to have close to 300 HP, which should be able to do the justice to its looks.

Both these engines come mated to an 8-speed conventional automatic transmission. It is superior to the faulty and irritating DCT which Hyundai used to offer back in the day. The torque converter system is smooth to shift, even holds on to the gear if and when required. That being said, with an abundance of ratios available, it sometimes goes on a hunt for gears and mixes up a bit. To tackle this situation, one can use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. 

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
MSRP	$23,600	$24,295	$23,870	$22,095
Engine	2.5L I4	2.5L I4	1.5L I4	1.5L I4
Transmission	8-speed automatic	8-Speed automatic	CVT	CVT
Horsepower	191 @ 6100	203 [email protected] rpm	192 [email protected] rpm	163hp @ 5700 rpm
Torque	181 @ 4000	184 [email protected] rpm	192 [email protected] rpm	184 lb.-ft. @ 2500 rpm

The base variant of Toyota Camry comes with a 2.5L engine which packs the most amount of grunt among the said competition with Camry and Accord coming in close at second and third position. Chevy Malibu lags behind the competitors by quite some margin with only 160 HP. The engine powering the Honda Accord is also a 1.5L unit but Honda has cleverly designed it in such a way that it produces a healthy 192 HP.

Acceleration

The engine struggle under heavy acceleration. Although not too loud, the engine tends to get noisy if you want to use it for more than just your commute. The base-level engine may not be as powerful, but the Limited and Limited 2.0T get a much better engine, so you can relish the revs and put some power down. At 7.9 seconds to reach 60 mph, it’s decently swift but won’t be the fastest off the line at a traffic signal.

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
0-60 MPH	7.9		7.6	8.5
Quater mile (sec)	15.9		15.9	16.0
Emission(Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	5.6	5.2	5.3	7.1
Curb Weight(lbs)	3120	3241	3131	3126

In the real world, all of the above-said sedans perform somewhat equally but its the Honda Accord which is the quickest off the mark and thanks to that CVT gearbox, the power delivery is totally unrestricted which helps it to cover a quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds. The Sonata slowly inches back in the game and also covers quarter-mile at the same time as its Japanese counterpart. Chevrolet Malibu, as expected, is the slowest off the line.

Ride and Handling

The steering on the Korean is agile and responsive, with quite a short turning radius and feedback. The sensitivity can be tailored to your need through drive mode selection; while the sport mode adds weight to the steering the assistance feels electronic and synthetic. Suspension in the Hyundai works like a charm, the absorb undulations on the road when they need to and stiffen up when you put the sedan into sport mode and speed through corners, the low sedan has minimal body roll, however, the front-wheel-drive is the only option for you.

There was an artificial heaviness in the sport mode. A front-wheel-drive is standard throughout the trims, and Sonata provides lively handling for an FWD car. The pedals are responsive to inputs and cornering is pretty smooth. Thanks to a nice suspension, mid-corner bumps are almost unnoticeable, along with negligible body-roll. The Sonata Hybrid boasts of a soft suspension which drastically reduces the discomfort while riding on rough pavement and bumps on the road. The sedan has responsive steering but you wouldn't get the feel of a sport-focused sedan.

Braking

With 12-inch brakes up front and 11.2-inch in the back, the brakes on the Hyundai chip away at the speed with amazing effectiveness, although it hasn’t been tested for the stopping distance in the panic brake test yet. The actual braking performance of the Sonata is satisfactory but some of its rivals have a more natural feel in their brakes. The brakes feel well-calibrated and adequate for a car of this segment. That said, the Sonata comes with one of the biggest anchors in the segment.

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
Brakes front [in.]	12	12	11.5	11.8
Brakes rear [in.]	11.8	11.1	11.1	11.3
Curb weight(lbs)	3120	3241	3131	3126
60-0 (ft)	121	123	120	113

Chevrolet Malibu is one of the lightest cars in its segment and it shows in its braking performance, coming to a halt in the shortest distance. The Honda and the Hyundai performed equally well whereas the Toyota came in last, being the heaviest. 

The Hyundai Sonata’s base engine puts up decent numbers in the mileage department. The best numbers are put up by the Eco trim, which gives 28 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. All Sonatas come standard with 3 drive modes: Eco, Comfort, and Sport. The Eco mode changes the transmission, throttle, and steering response to enhance the fuel economy.

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
MPG(city)	28	29	30	29
MPG(highway)	38	41	38	36
MPG(combined)	32	34	33	32
Fuel tank capacity	15.9	14.5	14.8	15.8

Toyota Camry is the king of the segment when it comes to fuel efficiency. The accord, on the other hand, is the most efficient pottering around the town, thanks to its CVT transmission. The Sonata is not the best in terms of fuel economy but can accommodate the most amount of fuel.

With the introduction of a fresh dashboard and centre console, the cabin looks lively and magnificent. The new dashboard has been lowered and can be seen wearing a 10-25 inch widescreen display( an 8-inch touchscreen is standard). Other standard equipment includes Apple Carplay, Android Auto, and dual Bluetooth pairing. The dual Bluetooth pairing facilitates in making calls as well as using car music at the same time.

Hyundai seems to have taken design cues from Tesla in designing the app-based Digital key, which facilitates the Driver to drive with the help of a smartphone. The Android device supported app allows you to remote-start the sedan and remote control the car while parking.

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Front(head/shoulder/leg)(in)	40/57.9/46.1	38.3/57.7/42.1	39.5/58.3/42.3	40.1/58.5/45.3
Rear(head/shoulder/leg)(in)	38.4/56.1/34.8	38.0/55.7/38.0	37.3/56.5/40.4	37.5/57.1/38.1

Interior Features

Hyundai has a certain reputation to uphold when it comes to the interiors of the cars. Since they are known for their tech-loaded interiors, the 2020 Sonata is no different either. Some of the key highlights of the Sonata's interiors are:

• Tilt and telescopic, leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel with cruise control
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Power tilt and slide sunroof
• 8-way power-adjustable driver seat with lumbar support
• 60/40 split-folding rear seats
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and Homelink
• LED interior ambient lighting
• Integrated memory system for driver seat and exterior folding rearview mirrors

Infotainment System

Hyundai has probably the most ergonomic and user-friendly interface in its Blue-Link infotainment in the segment. With no lag on either touch responsiveness or voice commands, the Sonata has conquered the final barrier most sedans face in this price point. It’s an impressive infotainment system, super slick with split-screen functionality. The upper trim levels are offered with a bigger 10.23-inch setup. The display is nice and crisp and is easily readable under direct sunlight too. 

Some other notable features across the range:

• 12.35-inch digital instrument cluster
• Bluetooth handsfree with wireless audio streaming
• Colour HUD
• Bose premium audio with 12 speakers
• Multiple devices connectivity

Cargo capacity

Sonata is roomy inside as well as at the back. With 16.3 cubic inches of boot space at the back, it can gobble up multiple suitcases and soft bags at once. To add on to this, the rear seats have a 60:40 split function which only increases the practicality of this mid-size sedan. 

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
Cargo capacity	16.3	14.1	16.7	15.8

The 2020 Sonata features carmaker’s new sensational Sporty design language, and distinguishing features include a gaping grille and a sloping, coupe-like roofline that goes inspired from the 2011 Sonata, which gets in a much slimmer and sportier Sedan ever. The 2020 Sonata’s roofline is also an inch lower, and wheel size comes in different sizes including a standard 16-inch rims and18- wheels.

The design gets illuminated with new lighting elements. Just like the outgoing Sonata, the 2020 model comes with Chrome strips running through the front fenders to the side mirrors followed by headlights. Hyundai also calls the new headlights as Hidden Lighting Lamps, where the LEDs provide chrome-look when switched off.

Models	Hyundai Sonata	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord	Chevrolet Malibu
Length(in)	192.9	192.1	192.2	193.8
Width(in)	73.2	72.4	73.3	73
Height(in)	56.9	56.9	57.1	57.6
Wheelbase(in)	111.8	111.2	111.4	111.4
trackwidth(in)	63.5/63.8	63/63.2	63.0/63.4	62.6/62.5
Curb weight(lb)	3120	3241	3131	3126

As the 2020 Sonata is an all-new model, the looks are totally revamped and have some of the most unique design elements which make the Sonata stand out of the crowd. Some of the highlights are:

•  LED headlamps with Swanky looking DRLs
• Swooping bonnet with no cutlines
• Boomerang taillamps with Full length LED strip
• 18-inch machine-cut alloy wheels with black inserts
• Sloping coupe-like roofline
• Shark fin antenna on the roof

There are plenty of standard active-safety features available on the 2020 Sonata. These include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. A lane-centring system for highway driving is optional. Also available is a blind-spot warning with supplemental camera views in the digital instrument panel, reverse automatic braking and a 360-degree camera system.

Safety Features

• Remort parking assistance
• Forward collision warning assistance with pedestrian detection
• Lane following assist
• Rear occupant alert
• Highway drive assist
• Blindspot monitoring
• Driver attention warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert system
• Lane-keeping assist
• Smart cruise control with stop and go

 Hyundai Sonata vs Toyota Camry

Camry is the safest bet for someone who is looking for a mid-size sedan. It’s reliable, well put together, efficient and well put together. Toyota is also powered by a 2.5L engine but it has more power and its quite evident out on an open road. The engine feels more eager to pull and it performs well. That being said, the base model of Toyota Camry is over-priced and the features list is quite lacking. The interiors feel a bit dated and the quality is nothing but average. The new Sonata seems to trump the Camry in almost every aspect and definitely a strong contender.

Hyundai Sonata vs Honda Accord

Honda Accord is the best selling mid-size sedan in the land of free. Its got everything right. It looks smashing, comfortable ergonomics, a small but powerful engine and lots of features coupled with the reliability of Honda. It’s an all-round package and is therefore still selling like hot cakes in the market strongly dominated by SUVs and crossovers. The new Sonata seems to be following the footsteps of Accord and this new 2020 model would definitely manage to give a cut-throat competition to the segment leader.

Hyundai Sonata vs Chevrolet Malibu

The Chevrolet Malibu is a no non-sense sedan with functional interiors and fun to drive chassis. However, it misses out on a lot of features which are considered to be basic in this super competitive segment. It lacks a sense of premium-ness and on top of that, the base engine is highly underpowered. The Sonata clearly has an upper hand in this battle and would totally obliterate the Chevy. Sonata is hands-down a better buy.