The most important thing about the new Sonata is what it's not--boring. Hyundai has made a habit these days of studying the benchmark in a class of vehicle, and nearly duplicating the style and performance of that car for far less money. The midsize sedan MVP, at least in terms of sales, has traditionally been the Toyota Camry--not the most exciting pony in the barn. So Hyundai could have emulated the Toyota's milquetoast formula. Not so. The new Sonata looks upscale, like a cross between a Mercedes-Benz CLS and a Lexus ES 350. But more importantly, it's roomy, powerful and returns better EPA fuel-economy numbers than most of the midsize sedans in the class. Next time around, Hyundai might actually end up benchmarking itself.
The Sonata's careful Weight Watchers program combined with the six-speed transmissions and slippery 0.28 coefficient of drag means engineers were able to deliver exceptional EPA fuel-economy numbers. Manual Sonatas return 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, and automatic ones hit 22 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.
The Drive Sonatas are available in three trim levels, the base GLS that starts at $19,195, the sporty SE at $22,595 and the Limited at $25,295. We spent the majority of our day-long drive in the mountains east of San Diego with a GLS model. The might be the "base" equipment level, but it didn't feel that way. The interior materials, switches and knobs all feel fairly expensive, solidly crafted and look handsome. It's tough to say who offers the most luxurious and upscale interior in this class of car, but the Hyundai is certainly in the running for top honors. The front seats are very comfortable, but at times they felt as though they were perched too high--like we were sitting on top of the Sonata, not in it. The rear seat provides excellent head- and legroom. But a back-to-back seat test with the Accord revealed that the Honda has a more comfy rear seat, thanks to a more generous rake.
It seems as though Hyundai likes the suspension tune of the Honda Accord too. On the highway or in the mountains, the GLS strikes a nice balance between firmness and agility, just like the Accord. You will not mistake the Sonata for a sport sedan when you push it hard, as we did on the tight and twisty road up Mount Palomar, or for the exceedingly fluid and crisp-handling Mazda6. It is docile, obedient and good-natured--even with the stability control turned off. We noticed too, that the Sonata's electric power steering wasn't really noticeable. That's a compliment. Many electric steering systems today feel artificial and don't pickup the nuances of what the front tires are doing in a corner. The Sonata's steering was closer to a traditional system than most. We particularly liked the location of the shifter, skewed close to the driver instead of centered in the car, for quick, manually controlled shifts. The sportier SE trim, with its 18-inch wheels, firmer suspension, paddle shifters and quicker steering, does move the Sonata a few notches closer to Mazda territory.
Hyundai says the Sonata holds a distinct advantage in terms of power-to-weight ratio. Indeed, the 198-hp four-cylinder is the most powerful base engine in the class. The direct-injected engine is smooth and relatively quiet. But in the real world, the Sonata doesn't feel like it leaps and bounds quicker than the competition. The seats of our pants said it was about the same as, yes, a four-cylinder Accord but with a less coarse engine note. On mixed roads and with mixed driving styles (with plenty of hard acceleration) throughout the afternoon, we averaged just north of 29 mpg. Not too shabby.
The Bottom Line Does the Sonata reset the midsize-sedan benchmark? The marketplace and a true comparison test with all its rivals will determine that. But it does seem as though the Sonata's engineers and designers have cherry-picked the best traits of its rivals and improved on them. And with a turbo four-cylinder and hybrid models coming soon, the Sonata is certainly poised to take a big bite out of the most competitive car segment in the U.S.
The Specs Most auto executives get excited about how their new cars clinic in focus groups. John Krafcik, Hyundai USA's President and CEO is most proud of the fact that his new Sonata not only weighs less than most of the competition, but weighs less than the smaller, outgoing Sonata too. That's a difficult task with increasing levels of safety of luxury equipment. The Sonata is not only lighter, but its structure is more robust too, with a 25 percent improvement in torsional stiffness and a 19 percent improvement in bending. Bolted to that chassis are MacPherson struts up front and a multilink suspension at the rear. The sporty SE grade's spring rates are increased by 23 percent in the front and 8 percent in the rear, with damper rates 24 percent in front and 14 percent out back.
The 3200-pound Sonata is only an inch longer than the old model, yet it provides more interior volume than any midsize sedan and at 16.4 cubic feet, nearly matches the Mazda6's trunk space--the class's cargo-hauling leader.
The midsize-sedan powertrain formula has traditionally been to offer a standard four-cylinder engine--which make up the majority of sales--and a V6 for the handful of buyers that want more power. Hyundai will blaze a different path. The new Sonata won't offer a V6. Instead, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, with "well north of 250 hp" according to Krafcik, will become an option this fall.
For now, every Sonata will motor along with a 2.4-liter direct-injected Four paired either to a six-speed manual (on base GLS models only) or a six-speed automatic which will make up around 90 percent of sales. In either case, the Sonata produces 198 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. (Sporty SE models gain dual exhaust, 2 more hp and 2 more lb-ft of torque.) Amazingly, the 2.4-liter, which operates at a rather lofty 11.3:1 compression ratio, does not require premium fuel. The new six-speed automatic, also used in the Tucson crossover weighs about 26 pounds less than the old five-speed.
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