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2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Review by Mark Fulmer


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Morphing a Sedan into Sports Sedan

By Mark Fulmer
THE AUTO CHANNEL



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To make a solid sedan into a sporty sedan the process begins with the engine. Remove the 1.6-liter powerplant and put in a 2.5-liter inline-4 turbocharged gas engine. And voila, you now have gained 100 horsepower and 116 lb-ft in torque. Then put that power into an N-tuned 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission. And don't forget to drop in a MacPherson strut front suspension with coils, and independent multilink rear suspension.


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As for the exterior, add visually pleasing 19-inch wheels, and big brakes,


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and quad exhaust tips.


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The trunk now has an integrated spoiler, and there are N Line badging on the fenders and grille.


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To sportify the interior, add red stitching, dark chrome trim. The front seats have power side bolster adjustment which is an excellent idea.


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The fully-digital 12.3-inch driver’s instrumentation is straightforward and easily read,


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and the 10.25-inch center touchscreen provides navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with a wireless phone charging pad, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 64-color ambient lighting.


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For those stop-and-go clogged freeway moments, the Bose 12-speaker audio system will help keep you calm and collected.

The driving experience was proof positive that the morphing was successful. Smooth cruising in normal mode with smooth shifts from the dual-clutch transmission. The sport and sport+ mode had effective acceleration for passing and on-ramps, and stiffer suspension kept everything tight and flat on windy country roads. Passengers gave unanimous thumbs-up. We did too.


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