The 2011 Sonata was a watershed sedan for Hyundai.
It lured buyers in with dynamic styling, and cheap prices, and kept them
satisfied with great drivability and reliability. But, that was yesterday. The
challenge today is to keep those buyers despite more intense mid-size
competition, and to uphold their well-earned reputation. So let’s find out how
an all-new 2015 Sonata measures up.
It’s difficult to fathom that the 2015 Hyundai
Sonata marks the beginning of the 7th generation of the Korean
middle-weight four-door. To say it has come a long way is an understatement.
Evolving from a late 80’s boxy also ran, to today’s family sedan trend
setter.
And it’s easy to see those trend setting ways
continuing when you climb inside the latest Sonata. You’re immediately treated
to a great looking interior that is incredibly comfortable and very upscale in
feel. Though this Limited model’s rich 2-tone black and brown theme surely has
a lot to do with that.
Not that it’s perfect. Some of our staff found the
sparseness of control knobs annoying, and the few knobs that are present are
either a long reach or look too similar to each other, and had some turning up
the temperature when they we were trying to crank up the volume. Owners will
likely figured it all out in no time, however.
The folding rear seats offer plenty of head and leg
room, and while seat cushions are a little on the hard side there is a very
comfortable rake to the seat backs which makes things quite tolerable for long
trips.
In fact, interior volume has risen enough that
Sonata is now in the Large Car EPA size-class. Trunk space is certainly larger
than most mid-size rivals at 16.3 cubic-ft.
An available Tech package gets you a panoramic
sunroof, HID headlights, and very competent 8-inch navigation display with
touchscreen. But the Ultimate package is where the tech really kicks in with
smart cruise control with full stop and start capabilities, lane departure
warning, forward collision warning, plus an electronic parking brake with hold
feature.
priority. The 245-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo looks
like the best choice for ample off-the line torque.
We didn’t find that in the 2.4. Getting to 60 took
us a lackluster 9.3-seconds. Well off the previous car. You do start to feel
some hint of power mid-range, but slow shifts from the 6-speed automatic keep
the fun factor just barely above zero. Running out the ¼-mile took 17.2-seconds
at 83 miles-per-hour.
Things improved somewhat through our handling
course. Understeer is certainly there, but it doesn’t bombard you. Steering is
quick, but the feel is artificially heavy and disconnected. Much, much better
was braking performance, with solid stops from 60 that averaged just
117-feet.
This is, first and foremost, a family sedan of course,
so while it’s doubtful that track performance will be high on any family’s
priority list, exterior design will certainly play a much larger roll.
The fluidic sculpture 2.0 styling theme tries just
as hard as the previous generation to make a statement, but we’re not sure the
results are nearly as successful. Though the look, complete with LED daytime
running lights and dual exhaust is now undoubtedly classier, like its better
rivals. The rear appears wider and taller, with high mounted LED tail lights pointing
in towards the center.
So while exterior beauty is always in the eye of
the beholder, from the driver’s seat we all agree that Hyundai has certainly
come a long way in chassis and suspension refinement. Ride is both solid and
smooth. We also appreciated the lack of CVT transmission and found the 6-speed
manual-mode automatic to work very well in daily driving.
It proved quite efficient for a larger sedan as
well, with Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 25-City, 37-Highway, and
29-Combined, which we matched almost perfectly with a 29.2 miles-per-gallon
loop on Regular. The Energy Impact Score is also respectable with 11.4-barrels
of oil burned annually and 5.1-tons of CO2 emitted.
One thing that has not changed is Hyundai value
with Sonata’s base pricing of just $21,960. Limited trim will cost you a fair
bit more, but is still a bargain at $27,335. And of course Hyundai’s America’s
Best Warranty is still in effect.
There is nothing that feels cheap about the 2015
Hyundai Sonata, particularly in upscale Limited guise, as it fully showcases
the brand in their growth from low price alternative to mainstream staple.
7-generations is certainly proof that this car is more contender than
pretender, and carmakers will be trying to out-do this high value nameplate for
a years to come.
Vital Statistics
Engine: 2.4-liter
Horsepower: 185
Torque: 178 lb-ft.
0-60 mph: 9.3 seconds
1/4 mile: 17.2 seconds @ 83 mph
EPA: 25 mpg city/ 37 mpg highway
Energy Impact: 11.4 barrels of oil/yr
CO2 Emissions: 5.1 tons/yr
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