Road Beat: Hyundai Sonata - The new mid-size class act

A boulevardier, taken from Merriam-Webster, is a frequenter of the Parisian boulevards, or a person-about-town in more broad terms. So basically, to be a Parisian boulevard connoisseur, you must be fashionable, social, and energetic. Being wealthy helps, too. The new Hyundai Sonata is the attainable boulevardier for a new generation.

The Sonata is entering its fifth different decade, but only in the past few years has it climbed the social ladder from “well, it was cheap,” to more of a, “well, it’s pretty dang good.” When this new iteration was revealed, a popular American magazine called it a mic drop of awe. I agreed, but would it stand up in real life? For an affordable car, how could there be so much style? Corners must have been cut. On the surface, the Sonata was made for cruising the boulevards of places like my own Sacramento. Especially once those LED running lights make their presence known; It all just looks expensive, with bodywork that must’ve been cut by lasers in a science lab. It wears dark colors like a tailored Canali, too.

This is a vehicle that commands attention, the type where the room stops and all look over as they enter, just like a proper boulevardier would want. If your chauffeur pulled up in one of these instead of the usual Benz, you likely wouldn’t think twice, especially even after just half a glass of wine.

So, the basics. It’s a mid-size sedan, similar to a Camry or Accord, the rulers of this segment since the fall of Caesar and the Republic. Propelling the Sonata is a smooth and frugal 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four, mated to an 8-speed automatic, and driving the front-wheels. Peak horsepower may only be 180, but arrives early and feels much quicker because of the 195 pounds of torque at just 1,500 RPM. This means that a third of all that power is available just off idle. A strong shove then comes in the mid-range from all the early, easy torque and power that a turbo provides, resulting in a sub 4 second 50-70 passing time. Up a hill, that time only slows to 5.1 seconds. From the stoplights, though, at 7.4 seconds to 60, it does lose out considerably to a V6 Camry or a high-output turbocharged Accord. It does kill an a 4-banger Camry, though. But, not many in this segment are buying cars like these for speed. In the real world, the Sonata feels perfectly fine.

Dividends are paid out more than quarterly in terms of economy. I averaged 38 MPG on the freeway at a steady 71, and 29 overall in my more punishing work commute. Very good numbers, but it does make you wonder how a BMW 330i, with a lot more power from a larger engine, gets over 40 on the freeway.

The cabin continues the opulence of the exterior, being a comfortably inviting, yet alluring and intriguing cabin. Materials adorning the cabin are first-rate and combined with great fit and finish. You might notice there’s no shifter. Instead, you get buttons where you normally reach for the lever. It’s an interesting concept, but I enjoyed them, and the buttons have a metallic finish to them and give a positive engagement to each push. They look spectacular, too. Engagement of the transmission in a quick reverse-to-drive during a 3-point turn is maybe a little slower than when moving a stick back and forth, but this also engages more smoothly.

All the safety systems you can think of are included as standard on this Limited, plus even a lane assist that can help steer you while on the freeway. It performed much more convincingly than a similar system on a Toyota I tried recently, keeping me right in the middle of the lane without constant correction and even working on slight bends. The 10” touchscreen, for all the entertainment, is easy to navigate and control while the LCD gauge cluster is uncluttered and legible.

Oh, there’s also this party trick where, when you leave the car, pull out your key and you can command the car to either pull or reverse straight into parking spots. Good if you have a woefully tight garage space, or for showing off to an envious neighbor.

The seats are comfortable, but the driver’s seat is positioned too high for my taste; Anyone over 6-feet would balk at the height of the seat, even at the lowest setting. The rear seats received compliments from passengers, though rear head room is slightly sacrificed for the sloping (read: attractive) roof line. Cruise the city streets, though, with the Bose stereo pumping out your trendy beats, the gorgeous panoramic sunroof letting in the city lights and the Sonata just works. Overall, a commendable interior that outclasses a Camry.

Now, with the seat lowered to the max, how’s the drive? It’s great! I was hoping for a more sporting attitude to have trickled down from the superlative Genesis G70 or Veloster N stablemates, but the market for the Sonata is understandably different. The steering lacks feel, but it is precise with enough weight to it. The wheel is comfortable in the hands, too. The ride is just barely firm, but still well-judged at all speeds to isolate occupants from bumps and cracks in the road and not be intrusive. On the cloverleaf test, those wonderful carouselling freeway onramps, the Sonata does drift into understeer with lots of roll, but you never feel like you’re losing the front end completely, with a lift of throttle directing it back in line. Not the handling chops of other rivals, but none of these cars are bought by backroad stormers. Buy a Veloster N for that.

The transmission shifts smoothly, but I found it would upshift too early leaving a stop, which then could necessitate an immediate downshift as you ask for more throttle as you pull away. Such an aggressive shift pattern, however, improves fuel economy. Also, a small annoyance was the wind noise at freeway speeds. It’s not impeding by all means, but there’s just a bit more than there should be. Given the fantastic outside styling, some of it might have been at the expense of aerodynamics and where air is routed.

I am a fan of the well-rounded Sonata, making a great and compelling alternative to the default Camry and Accord. The sticker price for this Limited stands at $33,300, which isn’t terribly cheap for a normally value brand, but does come with literally anything and everything you can think of. However, the base Sonata does start below $24,000. You also get that 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranty when you buy one new. A Camry V6, with its greater levels of performance, can be had for only a little more, but you miss out on the charismatic inside and out style and ambience of the Sonata. While no longer the extreme value deal that it once was (now merely good value), it also doesn’t have to be when the Sonata is this good. You can justify the Sonata purely on its own merits.

2020 Sonata Limited
MSRP $33,300
4/5
Pros: Inside and out style, well-rounded package
Cons: Awkward seating position, could use more power
Verdict: A way to stand out from the crowd, and feel genuinely good about it