2020 Hyundai Sonata proves its worth in more ways than one
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata in Capitol Reef National Park.
Deanne Conover with the new 2020 Hyundai Sonata in Capitol Reef National Park.
A week in early spring was perfect timing to have an opportunity to drive the new eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata. The all-new sedan is Hyundai’s longest standing and most successful, model and after a week we were completely impressed with the vehicle’s looks, design and technology.
On Saturday in early April, we had the opportunity for a longer drive and headed down south on Highway 89 into Sanpete County, eventually ending up in the Capitol Reef National Park area. We had hoped that we could do some hiking near Torrey; however, most of the trails near the small town required us to head down an unpaved road, and with a new sedan we did not think it prudent to follow that path.
We were convinced on the ride down that it would be next to impossible to come up with a similarly priced vehicle that could compete head-to-head with the new Sonata. The Sedan was loaded with technology, LED screens and safety features that we had only seen coming with $60,000-plus priced vehicles.
The day was perfect with crystal blue sky and temperatures heading into the 60s, so the 160-plus mile drive to the park was a complete joy with the Sonata taking over most of the heavy lifting. The new sedan comes equipped with a Highway Driving Assist package that keeps the drive path centered in the lane and spaced appropriately from the vehicle in front of us, making things oh so easy!
The technology worked perfectly, even when the lane lines were hard for us to make out on some of the winding mountain roads we took to get there. For the short drive on Interstate 70 at 80 mph, it worked flawlessly as we only had to keep a hand on the steering wheel and an eye to the road as the Sonata would steer itself.
Our test ride came with the new smaller engine this year, a 1.6 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder power plant. We were a little skeptical at first of this smaller sized engine in a full sized sedan; however, it proved to be way more than we expected at 180 horsepower and 195 ft.-lbs. of torque.
And after our day of 300-plus miles on mostly the backways of Utah, we ended with a 37.5 mpg average, and a 36 mpg average for the week. This proved to be better than even the EPA would have expected as they put the Sonata at a 31 mpg combined total.
Another really awesome feature new to this year’s version is what Hyundai is calling a ‘Digital Key.’ This system allows the owners to download a smartphone app that will become the key for their car. No longer does one need to carry a key, even in one’s pocket: With the app open and placing the smartphone within a few inches of the door handle the Sonata will open automatically.
This is accomplished through a technology called Near Field Communications and has proven to exhibit a great deal of security, for those that think this may be a little over-the-top. The sedan will also start once this digital key is inside. It also allows the owner to assign digital keys to different people and can be geo-fenced so that person can only go certain places within the fence and can be revoked at any time.
Think of being able to stop your kids from driving to certain locations and also making sure they are home on time or their key will stop working — boy, could we have used this kind of technology back in the day!
The Standard Limited Edition comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which proved to be completely customizable to the driver. We have come to love a completely digital dash and have only seen it in much higher-priced vehicles. Being able to arrange and give it a unique look gave us the feeling of it’s our car, kind of like painting and designing one’s living space!
The infotainment screen is also a huge 10.25 inches across and is centered high in the dashboard, making a quick glance very easy for the driver. The screen can be split into two sections: one for navigation and the other for music, or other systems.
The system was tied to a new Bose CenterPoint surround sound stereo that would make sitting anywhere in the vehicle seem to the occupant that they were in the center of the concert. Audio and EQ settings were made automatically according to the speed we were traveling, enhancing the ride and giving us the best sound possible.
That, of course, was not the end of technology in the new Sonata as the Limited also came with a full color heads up display for the driver. With an image size of 8 full inches, and the fact it was customizable, made it one of the most intuitive HUD’s we have used to date.
The interior ambient lighting was also customizable from a color pallet allowing the occupants to choose pretty much any color they would like for after-dark driving. We loved this feature as it would really set the mood, and in the winter when the sun sets earlier, this could really add to keeping the owners happier not matter what the weather was like!
Outside, the Sonata also has great lines, getting an almost new coupe-like appearance. It looked awesome in our driveway for the week, getting many compliments from the neighbors. The new look is very distinct with the designers doing a great job of setting it apart for the Sonata of yesteryear.
The Hyundai Sonata turned out to be one of our favorite new models this year, and for the price you can’t go wrong getting features that are mostly only found with much higher price tags. Our week and especially our long adventure drive was nothing but comfort and enjoyment at all times.
Base price: $33,300
Price as driven: $34,385
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