The 2015 Hyundai Sonata sedan has been officially revealed in its home market of Korea. Based on an updated version of the current car's platform, the new Sonata boasts greater torsional strength (thanks largely to an increased use of stiffer, lighter high-strengh steel), and the car is also marginally longer and wider overall.
The car's styling follows what Hyundai calls Fluidic Sculpture v2.0, and is an evolution of the manufacturer's popular design language. Overall, it appears a lot more restrained than the current car's dramatic lines, and borrows cues from the bigger Hyundai Genesis sedan. With the claimed structural changes, as well as a reworked suspension, Hyundai also says the new Sonata's driving dynamics are improved over its predecessor. The carmaker has stated that it has also worked on significantly reducing the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels in the cabin.
Speaking of the cabin, like the exterior, it adopts a cleaner, more sophisticated design, with a clear inspiration from bigger Hyundai cars, including the new Santa Fe. The carmaker has also said that it has used higher quality materials for the interior this time around.
Engine options for the new Hyundai Sonata sedan currently include a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol motor good for 165.7bhp and 20.5kgm of torque, and a 2.4-litre direct-injection, four-cylinder petrol engine putting out 190.4bhp and 25.2kgm. Power is sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.
The 2015 Sonata also gets new features like a lane departure warning system, auto-opening boot, rear-side window blinds, blind spot detection, radar-guided cruise control and automatic emergency braking, among others.