Hyundai has long made well-balanced, easy-living cars with the security of long warranties. But they haven’t always been style-forward. That seems to be changing.
Earlier this week, Hyundai showed off a redesign of its Sonata midsize sedan destined for the U.S. market as a 2024 model. It looks fantastic. The swoopy look of the 2023 Sonata has never quite felt coherent. But designers solved it for 2024 with a new nose that brought a bit of an edge to the curves. A wide, thin “seamless horizon lamp” was just what the car needed.
This isn’t a full redesign of the car. But it’s a more extensive round of changes than we’re used to seeing at the midpoint of a new design’s run.
Now, Hyundai has revealed mechanical details and color choices. The 2024 Sonata is shaping up to be a much more stylish car than the 2023 model it replaces.
More Interior Choices
Inside, a new panoramic curved display dominates. It’s technically two separate screens, one for the driver and one in the center for infotainment purposes. But they’re set in a single housing as if It were one immense screen. The shifter has moved to the steering column, creating a more open-air feel between the seats.
But the style upgrade is also about color.
With most trim levels, current 2023 Sonata buyers can choose between a black interior and a gray one. It’s not the most expressive palette. N-Line models get some contrasting red stitches in their dark gray. Buyers of the top-of-the-line Limited model also get the option of a three-tone gray, black, and tan look we like. For everyone else, the choices are uninspired.
For 2024, buyers will get the option of black, two-tone dark and light gray, two-tone dark gray and camel, and even a gray and navy blue setup. The N-Line model continues with its gray-with-red-stitching theme but adds cool “cross-metal patterned garnishes” for a unique look.
Bottom line – buyers will have a lot more choice in the interior design of their Sonata next year. It’s a dramatic improvement over 2023’s less-inspiring theme.
Weakest Engine Dropped
The driving experience may get a boost of color as well. Hyundai says the 2024 Sonata will be offered with a gasoline-powered 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, or a 2.0-liter hybrid setup.
That list includes three of the four powertrains available on the 2023 model. But it excludes a smaller 1.6-liter turbo engine currently placed in the high-end SEL Plus and Limited models. It has always been a strange choice. It makes 180 horsepower – 11 less than the engine in the base model (though the engine does have 14 lb-ft more torque). That setup meant the engine with the least horsepower in the Sonata lineup sat under the hood of the most expensive trims. If it’s gone, that means more power in high-end trims.
