Dramatically redesigned, the new 2018 Sonata range arrives with a completely new look exterior.
New Look
The changes are as impressive as they are extensive with a new look front, side and rear forming a rejuvenated vehicle character. The addition of the signature cascading grille, along with revisions to the front and rear lighting systems and a more assertive vehicle profile showcase Sonata’s expressive and sophisticated image.
It’s actually hard to know why it’s not an all-new Sonata, because from the outside at least, the only panel the new Hyundai Sonata shares with its predecessor is the roof. The front bumper, bonnet, the doors, the rear bumper and pretty much anything else you can think of, has been updated with Hyundai’s new design language.
Next to each other, the new and old Sonata share a slight family resemblance, however the new car is a far more sophisticated design. The new Sonata is the work of Hyundai’s California design centre, which may explain some of the grille elements on the high-spec variant. No matter how you view it, it’s a pretty good-looking car, if a mid-sized family sedan is what you’re after.
New Transmission and More Power
There is a new transmission for the top-spec turbo, which also gets a slight increase in torque, while the interior gets a better infotainment system.
It’s a very smooth experience behind the wheel, with the power and torque is delivered effortlessly. The steering, ride and suspension tuning remains unchanged and carries forward the original setup that Hyundai Australia’s own engineers put together locally.
Interior Design
The front seats are rather comfortable and with heating and cooling available, it’s the sort of car that is ideal to take on long drives.
The rear seats too, are capable of comfortably accommodating two large adults and could fit a third when necessary, or two forward and rear facing baby seats - 2 ISOFIX points available.
The Sonata provides 510 litres of boot space, which is more than enough to fit a few large suitcases or a set of golf clubs, but given its shape, may struggle with larger prams.
The new 2018 Sonata range includes as standard, a more advanced satellite navigation system with a brand new hardware platform enabling smartphone connectivity with both Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Once connected, it can perform the activities usually carried out on the users handset in a safer manner via the in-dash multimedia’s 8” touchscreen.
Two Variants
Only two variants this time in the Active 2.4 GDi base model and the Premium 2.o T-GDi, the Active offering 138kw Power and 241 Nm of torque and the turbo boosted Premium giving 180 kw of power and a very decent 353 Nm of torque with very little difference in fuel consumption (8.3 v 8.5 L/100 km)
Summary
If you are looking for a medium size family sedan or car for business that has the looks, performance and interactivity I suggest you take a test drive in the NEW 2018 Sonata.
