The South Korean Hyundai introduces a new design language and that is becoming increasingly clear. Because retro-futurism now also finds its way into the otherwise rather modestly designed Sonata. That middle class sedan (think Volkswagen Passat) suddenly looks a lot hipper after its facelift and gets tech à la BMW on board.
LED-streep
The design feature of Hyundai in the coming years? A horizontal continuous stripe of light on the muzzle. Admittedly, other brands also play with it, but no brand uses it as explicitly as Hyundai. Just look at the Kakel version Kona or at this Sonata. Under the light stripe, there is room for sporty bumper work on the sedan. It looks, let’s be honest, nice and futuristic and gives the impression that this is about a brand new generation. Don’t forget, however, that the current generation Sonata will already be available from 2019.
You notice that just a little harder on the flank. Where the graceful lines of the old Hyundai try to connect to the new more angular design. For that, some serious renovation work had to be done at the back. Bumper, trunk lid, light cluster and even the location of the Hyundai logo were changed. On the N-Line variant there is even room for four (real) rear silencers!
Curved display
On the inside, the refreshed Sonata gets an interesting first for Hyundai. For the first time, the brand is introducing a curved display on top of the dashboard that contains two 12.3-inch screens. No doubt that screen splendor will also come to European models in the coming years. Furthermore, the cabin looks relatively minimalistic with many horizontal lines to accentuate the feeling of space.
The refreshed Sonata will debut on March 30 at South Korea’s Seoul Mobility Show. Then there will also be more information about the powertrains under the hood. Think of four-cylinder with an output of up to 290 hp and optional four-wheel drive. You don’t have to hope for a European launch, however. Shame?
