It took Hyundai a while to get up to speed in the mid-size sedan segment. They got there a few years ago, turning the Sonata into a car just as good as the trend-setting Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Unfortunately for Hyundai, the Sonata peaked just as the market for family vehicles shifted in favour of crossovers and SUVs.
Therefore, we're not surprised Hyundai has left the Sonata as-is for 2019, following a 2015 redesign and a facelift last year. The only notable change is the Sonata's adoption of Hyundai's new trim level naming convention. This sedan now comes as the Essential, Essential Sport, Preferred, Luxury and Ultimate.
Essential, Preferred and Luxury trims use a 2.4L four-cylinder engine that makes 185 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, while Ultimate gets a 2.0L turbo four good for 245 hp and 260 lb-ft. Both engines are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
As we mentioned above, the Sonata competes with big names like the Accord and Camry, along with the Kia Optima (which shares the Sonata's platform and mechanical components), the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Volkswagen Passat and Nissan Altima.
Sonata Essential standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic on/off headlights, LED daytime running lights, power-adjustable heated side mirrors, blind spot monitoring, speed-sensitive variable intermittent wipers, cloth seats, heated front seats with six-way manual adjustments, a six-speaker stereo with 7.0-inch touchscreen controls, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, air conditioning, leather-trimmed steering wheel, cruise control and keyless entry.
Essential Sport brings 17-inch wheels, sport suspension, front door handle welcome lighting, LED taillights, sport grille and exterior trim, sport seats with leatherette bolsters and eight-way power driver adjustments, aluminum pedals, a sunroof and passive keyless entry.
Preferred trim is equipped similarly to the Sport model but reverts to the standard suspension calibration.
The Luxury package adds adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams, six-way power front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, nine-speaker stereo, woodgrain interior trim, 4.2-inch digital gauge cluster display, wireless smartphone charging, driver attention warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, electric parking brake, reverse park distance warning, panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rear side window sunshades, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and lane departure warning with lane keep assist.
Finally, Ultimate trim gets 18-inch wheels, sport seats and metallic interior inlays.
Hyundai's fuel consumption estimates are 9.2/6.8 L/100 km (city/highway) with the 2.4L engine, and 10.4/7.4 with the 2.0L turbo motor.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
