Hyundai Sonata 2017 Review

The mid-size sedan segment was due for a bit of a shake-up.

Now primarily the domain of fleet buyers and those that carry golf clubs and groceries – not small children – mid-size offerings have stagnated in recent years as buyers rush to popular SUV alternatives.

The next 12 months promises to inject more appeal into the segment. Holden’s 2018 ZB Commodore will be reinvented and resized via a new Opel-based offering, while the Camry has also had its manufacturing origins changed with the shutdown of Toyota’s Altona facility in October.

At the same time, Kia, Mazda, Volkswagen, Skoda and Ford continue to tweak their mid-size offerings.

Enter the facelifted Hyundai Sonata. Available in showrooms from November, the Korean line-up has been pared back from three models to two – Active and Premium.

Entry pricing is up $400 to $30,990 (plus on-road costs), coinciding with more standard equipment, revised styling and added safety – as outlined in our pricing story.

Hyundai has taken the opportunity to revisit servicing on both models. Intervals are now rated at 12 months/15,000km on the Active, amounting to $1160 for the first four years of ownership. The Premium is paired to lesser 12 month/10,000km intervals, amounting to $1180.

Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty goes unchanged.

Less impressive is the Sonata’s standard safety credentials. Officially, it’s a five-star offering complete with six airbags, two ISOFIX attachment points and the latest safety acronyms.

Unfortunately, both Sonata models miss out on automated emergency braking that is quickly becoming the norm in rivalling vehicles; Hyundai Australia said it simply wasn’t available.

Furthermore, the base model misses out completely on Hyundai’s Smart Sense safety suite fitted to the Premium, comprising adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert. It cannot be fitted as an option either.

That said, split/folding rear seat, sizeable 510-litre boot and full-size spare wheel help the Sonata win back points on a liveability front. But in a segment more competitive than ever, those glaring omissions are likely to cost it sales.

The Sonata has been subject to a mid-life facelift, but those familiar with the predecessor model will still feel uncannily at home in the latest update.

Despite subtle interior changes – primarily the layout of the buttons and the trims – the Sonata’s dashboard still feels a little tired. On the flagship model we counted in excess of 25 buttons in the centre fascia. There’s also a foot-operated park brake on the base model car.

Plush, comfy bucket seats, an easy to read digital display in the instrument cluster and thoughtful interior proportions win the Sonata back some points for practicality.

It’s a shame it couldn’t adopt some of the interior highlights visible in the i30, like the big floating screen atop the dashboard.

The Sonata’s resistance to a heavily raked roofline or a coupe profile that are so in vogue translates to excellent outward vision front and rear, aided by sizeable side mirrors and A-pillars that are easy to see around.

Despite its traditional sedan veneer, the installation of Apple Carplay/Android Auto and modern functions including Bluetooth phone and audio streaming help the Sonata to maintain a modern, tech-savvy bent.

On the road
Here is where the argument of buying a sedan over an SUV really comes to the fore.

The Sonata is a mature and well-rounded proposition on Australian roads, thanks in part to an extensive local ride and handling program undertaken on the previous car. Hyundai made a sound decision in leaving these settings unchanged in the facelift.

It plays the daily driver card well, a factor that will appease the 90th percentile of drivers. Accurate steering, tolerable amounts of body roll and soft, wafting suspension make it seamless fit for B-grade surfaces.

And when pushed a little harder into a corner, the Sonata maintains an air of composure thanks to well calibrated electronic aids. But let’s be clear -- a sports car it ain’t.

The Active’s 17-inch wheels and tyres are particularly efficient in supressing bumps in the road, though the occasion sharper undulation will thud its way through the cabin.

Larger 18-inch wheels on the Premium model telegraph inconsistencies in the road more readily, particularly sharper hits, though the ride is never jittery or crashy at any point.

Employing identical suspension tuning, both models do a decent job of isolating occupants from road and wind noise, and will happily sit planted and unfussed during longer freeway journeys.

The engine room
The Active’s 2.4-litre petrol-four does little wrong but it is hardly a benchmark for performance, efficiency or refinement.

The base engine’s modest 138kW/241Nm outputs help it gather around-town speed with minimum noise and fuss. Under more urgency the engine feels languid, never truly reaching its potential until higher in the rev range, at which point the vocals are beginning to strain.

The bigger disappointment from the 2.4-litre atmo is its matching six-speed automatic transmission, which feels off the pace against most rivals; think slow, slurred reactions and a natural push for higher gears in order to achieve the 8.3L/100km claim.

In honesty, the flagship 2.0-litre turbo-four makes a more compelling argument. Its 180kW/353Nm outputs are well suited to day to day driving, developing its power with less fuss and more refinement.

Complementing the turbo-four is a new eight-speed automatic which feels more intuitive and faster in its shifts, and helps reduce fuel consumption to 8.5L/100km claimed.

The turbo engine feels spritelier under headier applications, too, though we weren’t totally convinced by the Sport mode, which simply made the throttle modulation too touchy. You’ll even invoke torque steer through the front tyres if you really plant your right foot from a standstill.

Verdict
The Sonata needs to fight harder than ever to stand out in the bustling mid-size sedan segment.

Sound road dynamics and a strong aftersales offering ensure it remains relevant , but the safety packaging, lack of AEB and huge pricing premium into the superior turbocharged four-pot undermine its appeal.

Competition improves the breed, and while the improved Sonata remains relevant, its direct rivals are continually on the rise. Cue the next mid-size comparison.

2017 Hyundai Sonata pricing and specifications:
Price: $30,990-$45,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 138kW/241Nm, 180kW/353Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.3L/100km, 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP