Hyundai Sonata

Excellent value for money when shopping for performance, luxury features and comfort – The overall build quality of the Sonata is very impressive, but it’s not as impressive as cars that cost $10-$30K more than this. On the outside, panel gaps are even, plastic trim is neatly applied and the overall look and feel of the exterior certainly meets the asking price of this sedan. On the inside, the leather seats, higher quality… Read more

materials and fit and finish of trim pieces also meet the high quality exterior finish. There are some shortcomings that may detract from the sense of perception of this car being higher in quality. From fake stitching to visible sound deadening in the door gaps, there are a few ways you’re not paying more than $60,000 for this sedan.

With a starting price of $55,651 drive away, it’s available in only range-topping N Line trim, so you won’t have to worry about choosing from a wide range of Sonatas. Sure, the build quality isn’t going to exceed the German alternatives. What you do get, however, is a fully-kitted out car, with a more than capable motor for less than some base model luxury sedans with not even half of these options. I was swept off my feet with the number of features included in this Sonata. Combined with just how impressive this car’s driving ability was, for the price, your every car-related need was addressed. Highlight features include: heated and ventilated front seats and steering wheel, dual zone heated rear seats, radar cruise control with active lane-centring, BOSE audio, 213kW of power and an automatic rear blind. Service intervals are 12 months/10,000km (whichever comes first), with service costs capped at $350 for the first five years or up to 50,000km.

If it’s a quiet and comfortable cabin you’re after, the Sonata does not disappoint. Road noise, wind noise and engine noise are all kept at bay, with an obvious barrier between the outside world and the relaxing atmosphere of the interior. The BOSE audio system was a highlight in the feature list. It offered superior bass, highs and clarity when listening to a variety of media. I sincerely missed this system when I hopped into my next press car.

As a performance-oriented car, we have performance-oriented brakes on board. There was never a doubt that these brakes would fade or waiver under pressure. When pushing the car through some twisty sections of road, all 1636kg was brought under control with ease.

Here we have a 2.5L turbocharged inline four-cylinder, producing 213kW @ 5800rpm and 422Nm @ 1650-4000rpm, all being sent exclusively to the front wheels via an 8 speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

What’s immediately noticeable is the wave of torque generated by this motor. It’s sensational, and you never feel cheated by driving a four-cylinder motor.

To put it into perspective, although this is an N Line and not a full-fat N product, you have almost identical power figures to the critically acclaimed i30N!

213kW is noticeable and plentiful for the daily commute, and also capable to sprint the Sonata to 100km/h in around 5.9 seconds with launch control.

The main issues are derived from the typical front wheel drive tropes: limited traction and understeer.

Launch control was fun to engage, however the car simply struggled for grip with all that power being put down through the front wheels.

The dual-clutch 8-speed automatic transmission was a treat to use. Your initial encounter is via the drive-by-wire gear selector buttons, which look a little odd at first, but are fun and easy to use once you get used to them. My only complaint when shifting gears is that for those quick three point turns, the gears are certainly not as quick to shift as they would be using a shift lever. This makes it a little awkward when you find yourself needing to get out of the way quickly if you’re making a questionable u-turn.

This is an N Line, with quad-exhaust pipes, the gearbox allows you to become far more engaged with the Sonata than you’d expect. That’s thanks to Hyundai’s ‘N Power Shift’ transmission setting engaged in Sport mode, which reserves additional power to be delivered between shifts to counteract the lurch you normally feel between shifts. It’s designed to power through shifts, which is far more exciting than the standard shifting experience.

It is fair to say that a downside to a more sporty-orientated sedan is the increased road-feel, leading to a stiffer ride. For day-to-day driving, the Sonata was actually very comfortable. It offered comfort and relaxation across a variety of surfaces. Only across deeper potholes and very uneven surfaces, the larger wheels and stiffer suspension led to the Sonata to become a little more jittery. However, this is likely to be short-lived, unless you frequent these road conditions on your daily commute. Where you will appreciate the stiffer springs, is through corners. This is a large sedan, but it doesn’t wallow or dip in corners like some comfort orientated competitors might. One negative when it comes to a performance luxury sedan is the fuel economy. The claimed combined fuel consumption figure is 8.1L per 100km. I saw figures cross the 18.2L per 100km mark, which was expected.

Similar to fuel efficiency, the other downside to buying a sedan over a wagon, hatchback or SUV is the limited boot space compared to those body styles. In the name of design, you get a maximum storage capacity of 510L. Remember that you only have a trunk-sized opening, which limits you making the most of the space for larger items. For added practicality you can fold the second row in a 60/40 split, however it’s still limited in the pass-through opening and vertical space. The fit and finish of the boot space is a little on the cheap side, as a simple glance inside the boot reveals exposed metal and some insulated wires. This is not a deal breaker by any means, but a visual cue as to how you’re saving more money over a European competitor.

I adore the Sonata N Line for breathing life into the mid-size sedan segment, with respectful performance figures, and luxury levels of comfort, without having to feel cheated for the price you paid for it.

Whether you’re a budding executive, appreciate saving a large chunk of change in exchange for a badge, or don’t want to join the SUV craze, the Hyundai Sonata N Line is for you.

It’s distinct, unique, and absolutely turns heads, more so than any European badge could. If my line of work required me to frequent a suit and tie and an office, I’d be looking to make the most of my company car budget or personal budget with the Hyundai Sonata N Line.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Amazing car powerful lots features – But it's hard to find accessories for this model. There is no floor mat or boot liner designed for this car. I found a 3d floor mat which I have to cut some parts.

Perfect combination of sport and family fun – This was the replacement for my 2009 Mazda 3 MPS. It is a great car for the commute to work and for family day trips. I bought this as my daughters are growing and the Mazda 3 was getting to be to small, especially for the school runs on the way to and from work. For the cost the car is loaded with tech and features, much more so than any of… Read more

the premium Euro mob that would require twice the cost of the Hyundai. There is no wireless apple car play or android auto but that is only a small gripe and I can fix that if I want with a separate dongle.

Fuel usage is between 8-9 liters per 100k at the moment and it should get better as the car runs in. It breezes up hills and the gear changes are smooth and sharp, it is Also more economical than the outgoing Mazda which was 9-10 liters with a smaller 2 liter turbo engine, the Sonata N-Line runs a 2.5 liter turbo. I haven’t noticed any wheel spin or torque steer ( Mazda had huge torque steer) but I also don’t hoon around or go drag racing in the car. People have also mentioned the road noise that intrudes into the cabin, the old Mazda was noisier so I don’t find it bad at all, plus a 12 speaker Bose stereo can fix that pretty quickly if that is an issue for you.

Seat are excellent with side bolster adjustments, though the lumbar support does not go up and down only in and out but it fits my back perfectly and the rear is super roomy, rear window and rear side windows come with built in shades, the rear window is motorised, there is only 1 USB in the back, but I have a splitter for our day trips to play the girls iPads. I also got myself a boot tidy for the shopping bags and other nick knacks I keep in the trunk and it works perfectly.

All tolled the car offers exceptional value for money, a 5 year unlimited km warranty and cap priced servicing. It is a Hyundai turbo so requires servicing every 10000km or 12 months, but I did that with the Mazda also.

Extremely good car with very few vices – Ordered the car sight unseen without a test driving one due to lockdown and supply issues. Only based on reviews I have seen from overseas. The car is feature packed only missing out of self parking, wireless phone connectivity and electric boot operation. Apart from those three thing it’s not missing any creature comforts. The car is used as a… Read more

daily driver for work (both freeway and local roads) and family transport on the weekend. The car is now run in with over 5,000 km on it and now averages between 7.6 and 8.2 L per 100 (very surprising have been using 98 Ron fuel that improves the efficiency from 8.0 - 8.8 it was averaging on 91). A common criticism I have read about the car has been a lack of LSD to handle the power through the front wheels. I haven’t noticed this until the car was run in. In any sporty settings now it cannot handle more than 2/3 throttle without wheel spinning (even with traction control on). Turbo lag is minimal and the DCT has been one of the smoothest I’ve experienced with stop start traffics not being an issues for it. The ride feels very similar to a WRX setup with better dampening rates. The look of the car was so so on the photos and through videos however now that I have had it in flesh for a while I truely love the look, colleagues, clients and friends regularly comment how nice it looks (without any prompting).

The kids love the back seat room (which is actually bigger than older Falcons I’ve had in the past) with the sun shades and panoramic roof. The rear seat heater get overused because they are there.

Overall the car appears to offer exceptional value for money on what you get for what you pay for it. It will need to have quality tyres always fitted, to assist in handling the power.