2015 Hyundai Sonata - Steve Purdy's Initial Impressions +VIDEO
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2015 HYUNDAI SONATA
Initial Impressions
By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Michigan Bureau
The good folks at Hyundai spent the past couple months showing off the new Sonata all over the country to a variety of journalists. You may have seen the report from our senior correspondent, Thom Cannell, a few weeks ago detailing his initial impressions of this substantially redesigned and restyled mid-size mainstream sedan from these talented Koreans. Thom’s story on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited and 2.0T models.
I had my chance last week at the Hyundai R&D center near Ann Arbor where they had all the variations of the Sonata for us to examine and experience first hand. Though a limited half-day drive is not enough for a full review I can certainly offer initial impressions of the car, and they are overwhelmingly positive.
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They refer to this new car, Generation 6, as being built on the fourth new platform called “LF.” We expect there must be some shared architecture but it is always difficult to pin marking people and engineers down on those details. Powertrains are updated a bit but mostly carried over, but the new car is a tad lower and wider than its predecessor and blessed with beautifully updated styling they’re calling “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0.”
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Handling seems improved. Though not driving the last gen car back to back makes it a bit subjective to make such an assessment. We found the electro-mechanical steering to be precise with a good feel of control and on-center balance. The engineers claim a substantially more rigid structure and liberal use of high-strength steel as well as firmer bushings and slightly repositioned McPherson strut front suspension which would account for a more solid road feel.
Three engines can be had with the car: a normally-aspirated, 185-hp, 2.4-liter, a 245-hp turbo 2.0-liter with an impressive 260 pound-feet of grunt (both get the carry-over 6-speed automatic transmission) and a new turbo 1.6-liter making 175 hp and 195 pound-feet of torque that will be capable of 38 mpg on the highway with a new 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. On the road we liked all three powertrains. Both turbo motors exhibited noticeable lag in spite of being of a dual-scroll design. Rated fuel mileage is impressive on all three powertrains.
A variety of trim levels are available, mostly similar to the outgoing range, and prices begin at $21,450. The top-level trim begins at $33,525. As in the past each Hyundai model will be priced under competitors with comparable content. That gap may be thinning a bit as Hyundai continues its upscale move but compare carefully and we expect you’ll be impressed.
Will there be a hybrid version of the new Sonata? Not yet, they say, but they plan to offer one in about a year when a new hybrid system becomes available.
So, watch this space as my colleagues and I get the chance for more full reviews of each of the specific Sonata models. Until then, if you’re shopping in the mid-size, mainstream sedan category, be sure to include the Sonata.
©Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserved