Road Test Review: 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.4 in Dubai, UAE

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is a pleasant surprise. The fiercely competitive midsize sedan segment has a solid competitor that has put major Japanese models to shame. Evolutionary hurdles aside, this is the best midsize sedan produced by Hyundai. Read on to discover this in detail: 

Before delving into style intricacies, it must be noted that the build quality of this Sonata is far superior than the previous generations of models produced by Hyundai. It seems Hyundai has learnt a lot after the success of the new Hyundai Genesis. The Genesis had the best structure ever built by Hyundai, the Sonata has also borrowed heavily from it's DNA. 50% of the new Sonata has high strength steel and you can feel it when you close the doors and the boot. The solid closing noise indicates a good, reliable structure. Yes, the dual exhaust tips look really nice and for once, it seems someone actually paid attention to the rear and sides, not just the front design. Our test car came with adaptive lights that make the car stand out like a sports car in a dimly lit parking lot. Altima, Camry, Accord, please pay attention and take notes. 

Step inside and there is significant takeaway on a much improved interior. Yes, there are some hard plastic areas but not as much as before. The seats are very comfortable and the overall ambience is more luxury than sporty. In this respect, the Sonata takes a starkly different approach compared to Mazda 6 that went the Sporty look direction. Our full options test car came with nice looking faux wood trim on the center and doors. There are proper cupholder spaces in front (Accord, what were you thinking?) and the steering wheel is creative and ergonomic. 

Space is one of the strongest selling points of the new Sonata. There is very adequate leg room in front and back and the boot space is almost equal to that of large sedans like Toyota Aurion. The front head room is slightly less but it's not a major issue. Visibility is great all round as well. Definitely beats Mazda 6, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion in this respect. Good job.

The new Sonata features several features generally found in more upmarket sedans. For example, rear camera and cruise control are standard on all trims which is class leading. On higher trims, there is a wonderful panoramic sunroof, seat cooling and more multimedia, including welcome sounds and ambient lighting, making the Sonata look almost like a Lexus inside. All trims get 6 speakers, unlike the 4 speaker standard set by the Japanese models. Safety features are a let down, especially in lower trims, with higher trims getting nice features but lower trims getting as little as just dual airbags and ABS, the standard should be 4 airbags for all trims. In the base model, there is one airbag only which is a shame. On safety features, Hyundai should take a lesson from Honda that provides the same standard safety features for all trims. 

When it comes to engine, power and transmission, again the Sonata stands out. A 2.4 liter engine mated to a six speed automatic transmission produces identical stats as Honda Accord 2.4, yet the transmission shows an improvement in city and highway cruising feel. Similar to the Accord, there is a Comfort and a Sport Mode, and for once the Sport Mode actually feels a bit different compared to the Comfort mode. Be prepared to consumer more fuel on Sport mode though, the average consumption is 10.2 L/100 km which is not too bad but certainly not as economical as the Nissan Altima. Road and wind noise were also present but not to the extent that would cause major irritation. 

The Sport mode also improves the steering feedback and handling to a certain extent. We were able to do 60 km / hr sharp turns easily which says a lot compared to the Altima, Accord and Camry. Still the Sonata is not as good as Mazda 6 in this department and should be handled more as a luxury cruiser that can zip just a bit. 

To summarize, most car buyers look for practicality, low price, reliability and good resale value for midsize sedans. Sonata is class leading in three of these four metrics, with resale value not being as good as the Japanese troika. However it's only a matter of time before that changes since the product is solid. If you're looking for a low priced well trimmed car with decent drive, Sonata leads the pack.

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