Hyundai Updates the Sonata

WOW, I have to say that Hyundai is hitting Home Runs. This is a really nice looking car inside and out. I would expect it would be something the car folks here would like, such as @oldshurst442 @ccap41 @trinacriabob @riviera74

I am glad they are tying it into their EV brand for a smooth transition. 

Great Interior for a 21st century car. Have to say it is a desirable car IMHO.

A very "Lucid" front end, which is not really a bad thing in this case.

I like the look of this, it looks really good.  I was never a fan of that fish mouth droopy front end of the last one.  This looks pretty sharp and the inside looks good too, compare that interior to like an Altima, Malibu or Legacy and it looks 10 years newer.  The pre-face lift car had really fallen off in sales, from like 200,000 a year the last gen to 55,000 or something last year, so they had to abort that styling and go with something else.  

Thank you @smk4565 I was curious to see what the model year sales were like and so while I just grabbed the chart that only went back to 2005, I have circled in Red the model year generation change.

Hyundai Sonata Models, Generations & Redesigns | Cars.com

Based on this the changes before this were as follows:

• 1999-2005
• 1994-1998
• 1992-1993

It would seem that Hyundai when they have a hit on their hands will work through to a break even point and then come out with a new model or massive refresh update. If they have a successful style, they push it longer.

Clearly the Fish mouth style design of the last generation continued to sell a bit into 2021 and then fell off as all auto sales did in 2022. Was a solid move to refresh it inside and out to align with their EV drive of new auto's and as @surreal1272 pointed out, this does have a very Lucid look that people seem to like. I bet this will do very well for them. Be interesting to see the sales numbers once this hits the lots.

I do really like how the exterior looks. Great looking car. 

The 2011 Sonata was a game changer for the segment and that car sold well.  The next Gen was plain and boring, didn’t do as well.  The fish mouth look was just not good.  This car looks good now.

This is pretty (The LED headlights)  

Very "LUCID" indeed.

This is pretty ugly

The swathes of black plastic.  Its as if its got a 6.2 liter iron blocked, aluminium head supercharged V8 under the hood requiring all that open hole black plastic for gobs of airflow. 

But it doesnt have what the Hellcat has.   So why is all that necessary?  

Oh...I get it..  To make it LOOK like it has a 2.4 liter supercharger...   I see I see.   Its the "N" Line afterall...

Yeah...its a good lookin' car alright.  But with all those fires and recalls Hyundai has got...   

And...my  wife's sister's boyfriend back in the day in 2004  was stranded because his Hyuandai Santa Fe  was a piece of shyte so its a BIG  NO THANX for me.