The Hyundai 2020 Sonata, due to start rolling off the line in September at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery, boasts a sleek exterior and high-tech interior, wrapped in a third-generation vehicle platform that enhances safety and performance.
The car was shown off for the first time in mid-April at the New York International Auto Show. The stakes are high, given this is Hyundai’s longest-standing and most successful model. The 2020 model is the eighth generation of the nameplate. Retail sales begin in October.
“Sonata is our signature product,” says Mike O’Brien, vice president, product, corporate and digital planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Sonata is our legacy, and it needs to be special and memorable in all attributes. Sonata signifies our vision for future Hyundai designs, great active safety systems and cutting-edge technology that is effortless.”
Among its new tech features are a digital key that allows it to be unlocked, started and driven without a physical key, using a smartphone. It also sports hidden interior lamps that turn chrome when shut off.
Outside, it’s a fully transformed vehicle showcasing a sporty four-door-coupe look. A newly designed digital pulse grill spans the front, finishing at the innermost points of new combination headlamps.
A chrome line flows from the wing mirror, right around the side passenger windows, and returns to the front of the car by running down the length of the hood and ending at a sharp right angle beneath each headlight. This chrome strip features graduated LED running lights with additional hidden lighting.
Inside, the slim dashboard spans the width of the cabin and features a first-in-class, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, customizable to suit different driving modes and preferences. At the center of the dashboard, a 10.25-inch HD screen enables occupants to interact easily with the audio-video and navigation functions.
