Photo: Hyundai
Exciting is a word whose definition is particularly loose. As fate would have it, "exciting" is an unconditional must in this day and age, automotive industry included. It’s only natural, then, that Hyundai is playing this particular card for the refreshed Sonata.
The U.S. is an important market for Hyundai’s mid-size sedan, but there’s a teeny-weeny problem with it. Not only did Hyundai Motor America recently fire its CEO over aggravating sales in the sedan and small car segments, but the Sonata has been left behind by the competition. “Between a rock and a hard place” perfectly describes the dismal situation the Sonata finds itself in.
Next month, Hyundai will breathe new life into the Sonata with a facelift, which is due to be unveiled in the South Korean brand’s country of origin. Following a handful of spy photos, the Sonata facelift further reveals itself with the help of two official sketches.
Under the concept of “Dramatic Design Change,” the facelifted Sonata’s aim is to introduce “young sensibility” with styling cues borrowed from the all-new Grandeur. The two sketches further reveal that the regular and turbocharged models will strike a slightly discordant note.
Up front, the most important change comes in the form of the automaker’s trademark cascading grille. It features horizontal slats in the case of the regular model, whereas the Sonata Turbo ups the ante with a mesh grille. The rear end is another area where it’s particularly easy to differentiate the two.
Expected to make its U.S. debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata also welcomes upright LED daytime running lights à la Elantra GT (a.k.a. i30). Engine-wise, the rumor mill suggests that the existing 2.0-liter turbo will be replaced by the 2.0-liter T-GDI slated for the soon-to-debut i30 N hot hatchback, which will go official in the second half of 2017.
Next month, Hyundai will breathe new life into the Sonata with a facelift, which is due to be unveiled in the South Korean brand’s country of origin. Following a handful of spy photos, the Sonata facelift further reveals itself with the help of two official sketches.
Under the concept of “Dramatic Design Change,” the facelifted Sonata’s aim is to introduce “young sensibility” with styling cues borrowed from the all-new Grandeur. The two sketches further reveal that the regular and turbocharged models will strike a slightly discordant note.
Up front, the most important change comes in the form of the automaker’s trademark cascading grille. It features horizontal slats in the case of the regular model, whereas the Sonata Turbo ups the ante with a mesh grille. The rear end is another area where it’s particularly easy to differentiate the two.
Expected to make its U.S. debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata also welcomes upright LED daytime running lights à la Elantra GT (a.k.a. i30). Engine-wise, the rumor mill suggests that the existing 2.0-liter turbo will be replaced by the 2.0-liter T-GDI slated for the soon-to-debut i30 N hot hatchback, which will go official in the second half of 2017.
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