Sonata was immediately mentioned among industry benchmarks Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusionand Nissan Altima. Sleek styling, efficient engines and sporty handling made taking the family much less of a chore. Completely redesigned, Sonata goes back to the well.
I've read the armchair quarterbacking over the Sonata's updated styling. I don't think it is as forward-reaching as the last generation Sonata, but it is not boring either — especially in 2.0T trim.
The grille is designed to resemble its counterpart on the upscale Genesis sedan. An arching roofline with panoramic glass, ground affects, 18-inch alloys and lip spoiler add enough sportiness for weekend warriors to feel all manly while carting kids to piano practice and karate competitions. Lighted door handles are a nice touch.
It's a handsome car that achieves a 0.27 drag coefficient — lower than any other non-hybrid midsize sedan.
Interiors will cause less carping. The overall themes move from twin-dash organic forms that have been Hyundai's norm lately and toward an angled driver-centric layout that could just as easily be in a Mercedes or Audi.
Large analog gauges, thick leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel and aluminum pedals encourage shenanigans while heated/ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel and heated rear seats encourage you to chill for a while. If people stare, pull up the rear sunshades, open the panoramic glass roof and forget their existence.
And there are more neat tricks.
A hands-free trunk opener works with a kick of your kicks. A new touchscreen is easy to use for navigation and USB- or Bluetooth-connected smartphones. Turn up your personal tunes and rock out with Infinity audio.
Safety on our tester was enhanced with blind-spot warning, cross-path detection, lane-departure warning and forward-collision alert systems.
But that's not why you'll buy a 2.0T.
Plant your foot on the big pedal to feel the 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine deliver 245 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque to the front wheels. That's not Charger Hellcat power, nor is it even 3.6-liter Impala V6 power, but it's smooth and plenty for a midsize sedan. It all goes down through a six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. Preserving pennies, it impresses with 23/32 mpg city/highway.
Keeping things tight is a sport-tuned electronic suspension. The Sonata 2.0T would probably handle well even without the electronic system that adjusts handling between tour and sport modes with the touch of a button. Find a curvy road, tap into the turbo and you'll forget all about the chattering class in the second row.
Other sedans that will tickle your laugh track more than the 2015 Sonata 2.0T, but they'll cost a lot more than $34,460 as-tested.
Too much? Base Sonatas start just over $21,000.
Besides the cars mentioned above, competitors include the Chevy Malibu, Volkswagen Passat, Chrysler 200, Buick Regal and similar Kia Optima.
Source: IndyStar.com.
