2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Limited

2015 Hyundai Sonata Overview

You don’t have to be rich to enjoy a luxurious ride.  This was the promise made by the redesigned Hyundai Sonata last year and to this date, the statement still rings true. But holding aside its bold words, it still faces stiff competition in the mid-size compact sedan class.  The Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Mazda 3 are only a small list of strong contenders

There is one element that none of its rivals have, and that is one of the world’s best car designer, Peter Schyler – former designer of the Audi A series and the notorious R8.

Within only a year, the 2015 Hyundai Sonota has already undergone cosmetic surgeries.  Mainly, the more curvaceous contours in last year’s model have now been straightened out along with added chrome accents to give off an overall more mature look.  Even its dimensions have been stretched by nearly an inch in width and length-wise; allowing more room in the the interior.

Interior Design Feature

Influenced by its reputable bigger Genesis brother, the Hyundai Sonata follows the same interior design language.  In terms of layout, the flat center console layout is as clean and simple as it gets.  The result is an overall uniform look and feel and generally, a more visually appealing and spacious interior.  It take a trained eye to spot the quality difference in interior panels and seat materials compared to upper class luxury brands, and for its class, the quality might just be the best out there.

The user interface for the 5″ infotainment system has also been changed. I say change, because I’m not too sure if it classifies as an improvement. While the looks and feel of the user interface is more mature, the quick and rapid response seemed to have been a bit lost when compared with the more simplified infotainment software from last year.

Performance Features

Last year, we test drove the same Hyundai Sonata turbo and despised against the excessive turbo lag, torque roll off period and non-linear acceleration.  There is still no escape from the truth of physics, but the acceleration has been better tuned to provide a more linear response in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata.

Power train configuration is offered in 3 flavors with the standard 2.4 Liter engine producing 185 horsepower and 178 ft-lbs of torque, the more powerful 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine producing 245 horsepower and 260 ft-lbs of torque, or an Eco model (exclusive in the US) fitted with a smaller 2.6 liter engine producing 177 horsepower and 195 ft-lbs of torque.

Interestingly, the power output from the 2.0 Turbo engine from last year has dropped by 14 horsepower and 9 ft-lbs of torque. Contrary to what most would say, I strongly felt the Sonata from last year possessed way too much power than what it could handle and I’m pleased to hear that Hyundai engineers agreed and addressed to the issue.

In addition to the engine changes, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata also receives an updated 6 speed automatic transmission.

Fuel rating for the 2.0T receives a fuel rated EPA of 10.4 L / 100km in the city and 7.4L / 100Km on the highway combined in at 9.1L / 100Km.

Driveability

Likewise in the previous model, the Hyundai Sonata has three drive select modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) that dynamically sets the accelerator pedal mapping.  Switching to sport mode slaps the suspensions and steering into serious mode (although I should say slightly more instead).  As mentioned earlier, there is no escape from the reality of turbo lag, but plan ahead and anticipate, the Hyundai Sonata will reward with a decent and smooth acceleration.

What drivers will ultimately enjoy in the Hyundai Sonata is its ultra quiet interior cabin space and minimal vibration.  And you might laugh at a miniscule increase in 1 inch of chassis length and width, but actually creates a noticeable upgrade in interior space.

The pricing scheme for the 2015 Hyundai remains relatively unchanged with the base model priced in at 23,999$ configured with the standard 2.4 L 4 cylinder engine.  Throw in an extra 10,000$ gets you the Limited version equipped with the more powerful 2.0 L engine that includes leather seats, HID head lights, ventilated and heated seats, adaptive cruise control, forward collision and lane departure detection, rearview camera and a 5 inch infotainment touch screen.

Have Faith

While Hyundai may not be the most reputable brand like the Toyota/Lexus combo, but give it time, and believe in it. Koreans know how to make big cars, and they know how to make them well. And with the helpful guidance of one of the best car designers in the world, there is no doubt that the Korean brand can very much emerge as one of the top contenders not only in the compact sedan market, but also in the upper luxury class. We’ve already seen strong evidence in our review of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.