Hyundai’s Sonata began life in 1985 as a car built solely for use within Korea. It came to North America for the first time in 1988 as a second-generation mid-size, with an Italian design by Giorgetto Giugario. Following a refreshening in 1991, Sonata replaced the Stellar as the core family sedan in the Hyundai line-up.

For 2020, Hyundai’s most enduring and most successful model begins its eighth generation following a complete redesign. According to Hyundai, the 2020 Sonata is unlike any of its predecessors, showcasing a new design philosophy, an all-new Smartstream G2.5 GDI engine and segment-first technology that can be personalized.

Hyundai’s signature product is the first sedan designed with Hyundai’s Sensuous Sportiness design language, creating a fully transformed vehicle empowered with a sporty four-door-coupe look that focuses on delivering emotional value using proportion, styling and technology. From the front, the 2020 Sonata is all-new, with cues that don’t immediately appear Hyundai-like.

In addition to its design change, new for 2020 Sonata are vehicle platform improvements in safety, efficiency and driving performance; Sonata’s Digital Key, a Hyundai first that allows the vehicle to be unlocked, started and driven without a physical key, via a smartphone; and hidden lighting lamps that turn chrome when off and lit when on. The new Sonata also uses an extensive application of advanced technologies to boost comfort, convenience and active safety. It is also the first model to premiere a new collaboration with Bose® to deliver an upscale audio experience.

Sonata’s new look blends two sharp character lines, and concave and convex forms are carefully orchestrated to provide a sexy, coupe-like character. A newly designed Digital Pulse Cascading Grille spans the front, finishing at the innermost points of new combination headlamps that feature a distinctive and innovative new lighting architecture. At the rear, a wide horizontal line extends across the center of the trunk, stretching to the edges of the car.

About 2 inches longer and an inch lower than last year, the new Sonata is more stable and confident, standing 192.9 inches long, 73.2 inches wide and 56.9 inches high on a 111.8-inch wheelbase.

From a power perspective, the light, (from 3120 lbs to 3336 depending on trim and engine), Sonata performs well with small-block engine choices. The base engine is a 2.5-liter 191-hp engine that shows a 6-hp gain over last year’s 185-hp 2.4-liter. Torque is up 3 lb-ft at 181 lb-ft, and fuel economy gains an estimated 4 mpg at 32mpg/combined, 28/city, 38/highway. On the SEL Plus and Limited trims, a 1.6 liter turbo is offered, that produces 180hp and 195 lb-ft. and fuel estimates of 31/combined, 27/city and 36/highway. Both engines are in FWD configuration and linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission. My tests in the 2.5 averaged 31.1mpg in mixed-use tests.

Performance was confident, and I was able to put down a zero to 60mph sprint in 8-seconds flat (hand-timed) seconds with a best quarter-mile of 16-flat (hand-timed).

While the engine was loud and produced in-cabin vibration and sound, the ride was smooth, the handling true and the overall experience was relatively luxurious.

Suspension is meant more for passengers than the driver, as some drivers like the feel of road nuances, and the Sonata ride was pampering, as the MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and the multi-link independent rear take most irregularities out of the road surfaces. Column-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering was attentive and predictable, with only slight understeer.

In the lush cabin, bathed in ambient mood lighting enhanced by a rich, modern instrument panel, and driver/passenger comforts and environmental and entertainment amenities, Sonata is generous except for tight rear headroom. The cabin provides 40 inches of front headroom with 37.8 in the second row; 46.1 inches of front leg room with 34.8 inches in row two; and shoulder room of 57.9 up front and 56.1 behind.

Hyundai has made safety features a priority with this new generation, and the 2020 Sonata earned a five-star top rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Hyundai's SmartSense package of driver-assistance features is standard, and includes forward-collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam assist, adaptive cruise control, and a driver-attention warning that can sense drowsy or distracted driving. The new Sonata maximizes occupant safety throughout, from a comprehensive nine-airbag set-up to a range of active and passive safety technologies.

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata is available in several packages from entry-level to packed. The midsize sedan starts at $23,600 in SE trim, $25,700 for the SEL, $27,650 for SEL Plus and $33,500 for the top-of-the-line Limited trim. My test SEL was nicely accessorized, and added the Convenience Package for $1200, furnishing a 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster, Hyundai Digital Key, Wireless device charging, auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink®, leather-wrapped steering wheel and more. A Panoramic Sunroof added $1000, mudguards were $115, exterior color options added $300, and freight added $995 for a sticker-as-tested of $29,290, but retail bonus cash programs of up to $1500 might be available, and $500 Military and First Responders programs may be available, so check with your dealer.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

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