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2020 Hyundai Sonata

by Bill SiuruDecember 28, 2019
The Sonata has long offered a nice balance of style and value. With the all-new 2020 edition, the Sonata steps up its game with an appealing design, a satisfying driving experience, and welcome efficiency. A hybrid joins the lineup soon.

The Hyundai Sonata is all-new for 2020 and emerges slightly larger than the previous generation. A product of  Hyundai’s new ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design language, this advanced four-door sedan exhibits the sleek look of a coupe and a more sophisticated overall persona, showing Hyundai’s commitment to offering more compelling passenger cars in an era where many automakers are abandoning cars in favor of crossovers and SUVs. This all-new sedan’s availability in the U.S. will include two gasoline-powered models and a hybrid, though a plug-in hybrid is said to be in the works. It’s offered in S, SE, SEL, SEL Plus and Limited trims.

The Sonata’s two engines include a new naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder making 191 horsepower, plus the carryover turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower. The new 2.5 liter four has features like split cooling circuits, an exhaust manifold integrated with the cylinder head, and both port and direct fuel injection, resulting in somewhat higher fuel economy than the turbo four-cylinder engine. Both drive the front wheels through a new eight-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles.

The Hyundai Sonata hybrid is powered by a new 150 horsepower, 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine and a 51 horsepower electric motor. This gives a combined output of 192 horsepower. It uses a new six-speed automatic transmission with Active Shift Control that aligns engine and transmission speeds, improving  both acceleration and fuel efficiency. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will be the first Hyundai to feature a solar panel roof.

An 8-inch touchscreen is standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen available. A 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster is standard on the Limited and SEL Plus and optional on the SEL. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is standard and Bluetooth pairing allows phone use while streaming music. A head-up display is optional.

Sonata is outfitted with three radar sensors, five cameras, and 13 ultrasonic sensors to enable the latest advanced driver assist systems. All models come with forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, driver-attention monitor, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and lane-follow assist.

Also available is blind spot warning, which displays an image of the left rear side of the car when the left turn signal is activated, and the right side when the right indicator is activated. These images appear in place of the speedometer or tachometer display, respectively. Also available is reverse automatic braking and a 360-degree camera system. Remote Smart Parking Assist is used to guide the car into, or out of, a tight parking space and is remotely controlled by a driver outside the car via the key fob.

The price of entry for the 2020 Sonata is $23,400 with the top-of-the-line Limited commanding $33,300. Hyundai has not yet announced cost for the Sonata Hybrid that will be coming soon.