All Midsize Sedans Beware

MONTGOMERY, AL – Sooner or later, everybody has to grow up and put on a business suit.

Piercings and Mohawk haircuts are great for getting noticed in high school, but if you want to get taken seriously in the real world, you have to lose the youthful flamboyance and get a little dignified.

That’s what Hyundai did with the ’15 Sonata. After years of being an unheralded also-ran in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, the automaker found its identity in 2010 with a curvy styling language dubbed Fluidic Sculpture. The swoopy lines of the ’11 Sonata caught everyone’s attention and turbocharged sales.

Now that it’s made a name for itself, the Korean automaker has adopted a more subtle language called Fluidic Sculpture 2.0. Like BMW’s short-lived Flame Surface Design, FS 1.0 turned heads but was immature stylistically and did not translate well to other vehicles.

FS 2.0 is more refined and puts the new Sonata on equal footing with the conservative competitors with the widest appeal, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, yet still retains enough unique styling cues to stand out from the crowd. This is especially apparent inside, where a wide center stack dominates the instrument panel and accentuates the car’s wide, roomy interior.

Hyundai engineers meticulously diagnosed the shortcomings of the outgoing model and made significant adjustments to the new one. The result is a more highly evolved version of its feisty predecessor that still insists on being more than a mere transportation appliance.

Enhanced Vehicle Dynamics

The improved steering, ride and handling impress us immediately here on the smooth, winding roads in Southern Alabama, along with a serenely quiet cabin.

Steering response and on-center feel are enhanced by increasing the rigidity and stiffness of the steering column and rack as well as some software tweaks. But we really notice an improvement on the 2.0T sport model that uses a new dual-pinion rack-mounted electric power steering unit that provides excellent response at both high and low speeds.

A plusher ride and improved vehicle dynamics are the result of a 41% stiffer chassis, thanks to increased use of advanced high-strength steel grades and more structural adhesives, plus larger subframe bushings.

Revised suspension geometry and bearing stiffness up front and a new multi-link rear suspension in back significantly upgrade turn-in feel and high-speed stability.

The front seats on both the $23,985 sport model and the upscale $29,385 2.0T versions we tested are as supportive and comfortable as those found in luxury sedans costing twice as much.

Headroom and legroom up front are as good as it gets in the midsize segment. Hyundai engineers ruled out offering a 6-cyl. option early in the development process, and that enabled designers to shorten the engine compartment and allocate more space for the interior cabin.

That allows Hyundai to brag the Sonata is the only midsize sedan to be classified by the EPA as a large car, based on total interior volume.

Higher Torque Engines

The 2.4L base 4-cyl. and 2.0L turbo have been reengineered to deliver more low-end torque at the expense of some top-end power. Both are matched to 6-speed automatic transmissions, delivering 185 hp and 178 lb.-ft. (241 Nm) of torque and 245 hp and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm), respectively.

Ironically, the 2.0L I-4 has more torque than all the 3.5L V-6s offered by Toyota, Honda, Nissan and the 3.6L Volkswagen V-6. The only engines that have more twist are the 2.0L I-4s offered in the Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion.

The General Motors Ecotec is king-of-the-hill in this department, outclassing all the competition with a whopping 295 lb.-ft. (400 Nm) of torque.

We spent considerable time passing on rural 2-lane highways, sometimes with as many as three occupants, with both the 2.4L and 2.0L and find the naturally aspirated gasoline direct-injection 2.4L adequate and the 2.0L GDI turbo very much improved and fun to drive.

Fuel-system pump and injector noise, which has been an issue in the past, also is muted.

The 2.4L is rated at 24/35 mpg (9.8-6.7 L/100 km) and the 2.0L turbo at 23/32 mpg (10.2-7.3 L/100 km) city/highway.    

Hyundai also has just announced a third engine option, a fuel-sipping 1.6L turbocharged 4-cyl. producing an estimated 177 hp and 195 lb.-ft. (264 Nm) of torque, and detuned from the 201-hp application in the Veloster Turbo. The Sonata Eco will be the first Hyundai vehicle to offer a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which no other midsize sedan offers.

That powertrain is expected to deliver an estimated 28/38 mpg (8.4-6.1 L/100 km) city/highway, about a 10% improvement compared with a ’15 Sonata SE powered by the 2.4L I-4. A new hybrid version of the Sonata will be offered in 2015.

Safety and Connectivity Features

The new Sonata also now has a full list of active and passive safety systems and the latest in connectivity features, including forward collision warning, smart cruise control, lane-departure warning, blindspot detection, parking sensors and a new driver-knee airbag.

On the connectivity front, Hyundai just announced Apple Car Play, and a Google Android equivalent also will be available, although not immediately. These functions essentially mimic what you see on the screen of your smart phone on the car’s display.

An 8-in. (20 cm) navigation screen is available as well as a host of other surprise-and-delight features, from ventilated front seats to an automatic trunk release triggered by proximity to the key fob, rather than by a wag of a foot.

Despite the move upscale, Hyundai still pushes its value equation, claiming the Sonata can cost more than $2,000 less than comparably equipped competitors. Its 10-year powertrain and 5-year basic warranties also remain far lengthier than anything offered by competitors.

Even so, there are disappointments. First, the sexy dual-clutch 7-speed transmission is offered only on the Eco model while everything else gets an aging 6-speed auto. The Chrysler 200 already has a 9-speed and will park itself for $30,000.

Second, the steering wheel on upmarket sport versions is a delight, but the base unit is an awful, thin, slippery, hard-plastic throwback to Hyundai’s bad old days. Please, raise the car’s base price $25 and make the sport wheel standard.

All told, the ’15 Sonata is coming back into the fray older and wiser and with a compelling business case. Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski says while the midsize sedan segment remains huge, it is shrinking as an increasing number of buyers defect to compact and midsize CUVs.

The goal for the Sonata is to grow sales by increasing share in a contracting sector, Zuchowski says.

Translated into human terms, the Sonata story boils down to this: The kid with the Mohawk and nose ring, who used to work in the mailroom, has just shown up at the office door with an MBA and an Armani suit.

Until he gets his corner office, he’ll be taking a bite from everyone’s lunch.

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’15 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0T Specifications