Hyundai Sonata N Line 2021 Review

This is the Hyundai Sonata like you’ve never seen it before.

Once the domain of fleets and budget-conscious families, Sonata has been the ever-present cornerstone during Hyundai’s transformation in Australia.

It’s had a showroom presence since early 1989 – when it arrived as Hyundai’s second car in Australia (after the Excel), charged with taking on the Toyota Camry and Mitsubishi Magna – and today the eighth-generation mid-size Hyundai Sonata sedan turns up with a noticeable change in direction.

For the first time, the Sonata comes in a solitary N Line grade that leaves no change from $50,000 – an approach that Hyundai hopes will continue to fly the flag for its enduring sedan in the face of the all-conquering SUV segment.

Entry into the 2021 Hyundai Sonata range starts and finishes at $50,990 plus on-road costs for the sporty Hyundai Sonata N Line.

For the record, that’s a $20,000 jump on the previously most affordable Sonata Active last offered in 2019.

However, the differences in specification, equipment, styling and performance are stark.

Visually, the Sonata N Line’s sporting pretensions are prefaced by a signature N Line cascading grille, which boldly adorns the face of the flagship, flanked by distinctive LED headlights and an N Line bumper design.

Sharp chrome trimming extends from the lights partially along the bonnet to complete the N Line’s LED daytime running lights. Elsewhere, the Sonata N Line lends a sporty vibe with its low roofline, shallow glasshouse and 19-inch alloy wheels.

An LED strip resides at the rear of the car, incorporating the LED tail-lights and underslung by dual tailpipes and a diffuser-style styling treatment.

The Sonata N Line’s technological wares are headlined by 12.3-inch digital instrument display which is said to be first-in-class, as well as a 10.25-inch central infotainment touch-screen display and driver’s head-up display.

The Sonata N Line also features a comprehensive safety suite including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning, collision avoidance assist, high beam assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, safe exit assist and adaptive cruise control.

Standard features include electric adjustment for the driver and front passenger seats, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a powered sunroof.

Alas, there’s no official word on the car’s ANCAP safety rating just yet.

Even withstanding the sporty profile, the Sonata N Line offers a 510-litre boot space (with a space-saver spare tyre).

The Sonata N Line is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

According to Hyundai, the first five years/60,000km of servicing will set owners back $1750 spaced across 12-month/10,000km intervals – the latter slightly shorter than the norm.

The positioning of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line is quite a departure from the seven generations of Sonata that come before it.

Key is the new 213kW/422Nm 2.5-litre turbo-four engine, which is the latest generation of Hyundai’s Smartstream family and is mated standard to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with a rev-matching function on downshifts.

The transmission uses a shift-by-wire interface that rids the cabin of a conventional gear shifter.

The driveline shuffles grunt via the front wheels and offers a launch control function.

Hyundai hasn’t provided an official 0-100km/h acceleration time, but in terms of fuel consumption the Sonata N Line sips on a claimed 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle, and is compatible with regular 91RON petrol.

Drivers have a choice of normal, sport, sport+ and custom modes, which will vary respective settings for the steering, engine, gearbox and instrument cluster graphics.

The Sonata N Line employs a global suspension tune that includes input from Australian engineers – a process that finetunes the characteristics of its MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear.

According to Hyundai Australia’s product planning manager Tim Rodgers, the car’s sporty bias stems from firmer bushings, higher spring rates, revised shock absorber valving and larger sway bars front and rear. Continental PremiumContact 6 tyres are the standard-fitment rubber.

All told, the Sonata N Line tips the scales at 1636kg.

Cast aside any preconceptions you may have about mainstream family sedans being dull and dreary, because the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line is neither.

The ‘coupe-like’ four-door invokes the same sporty cues inside its cabin, with strong incidental storage, adequate charging points and a redeeming spatial layout.

For what it’s worth, there’s a genuine sense of occasion inside, too, thanks to strong lines, a mix of decent materials in the dashboard and door cards and a general feelgood theme underlined by slick controls and minimal switchgear.

The aforementioned shift-by-wire transmission contributes to a minimalist cabin layout. Initially it doesn’t seem like the most intuitive configuration, but it begins to feel normal with time spent behind the wheel.

Equally, the new 10.25-inch centre display and matching digital instrument cluster are legible and easy to navigate whether stationary or on the go. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are well integrated – even though there is no wireless availability for either, unlike some lower-spec Hyundai models.

Stepping into the back seat, the same sculpted lines, Nappa leather-appointed seats and Alcantara highlights transcend the second row, which also greets occupants with air vents, heated outboard seats, a flip-down arm rest, split-fold seats and a USB port.

The rear pews are supportive and comfortable, with a capacity for both little ones (two ISOFIX attachment points) and six-foot adults – such is the headroom and legroom on offer.

The cabin is quite conventional in a sense – there are no sleep-friendly head restraints like the clever Skoda Octavia – and there are elements that could be better, like the narrow, almost unusable rear door pockets and the way the boot arms eat into the Sonata’s cargo area.

Yet, those features pale against the driving acumen of Hyundai’s updated Sonata, which is equal parts sporty, refined and sophisticated.

The Sonata N Line’s ride is naturally firm yet controlled on 19-inch wheels. Nicely articulated steering wheel, strong body control and an air of grace is afforded by its underbody components and the global suspension tune, which feels well acquitted on Aussie roads.

The Sonata tips in confidently through corners and happily deflects mid-corner bumps without upsetting its poise and on-road positioning. Meaningful weighting to the controls imbue it with much more character than most contenders in the diminishing mid-size sedan segment.

This is by no means the final word in driving performance – the occasional obstacle will thud through the cabin and there is ever-present road noise – but there is enough sporty exuberance on display to reaffirm the fact you’re not in another nondescript SUV.

Probably the biggest limitation dynamically is the car’s front-drive origins. It means you can tackle corners with confidence, however visions of lurid mid-corner transitions are quickly curtailed by a lack of mechanical grip and power-down.

That said, drive to the Sonata N Line’s strengths and it is quite rewarding.

Similarly, there is some minor low-speed hesitation from the dual-clutch automatic upon setting off, but power soon segues into a creamy, accessible mid-range that is punctuated by slick, well-timed gear shifts.

The 2.5-litre turbo-four sweetens around its mid-rev cadence – corresponding with peak power and torque figures materialising at 6500rpm and 1650-4000rpm respectively. It will happily cruise towards redline as well, filling the cabin with a tasteful, raucous exhaust note.

The engine has little trouble mustering the Sonata’s 4900mm-long proportions with enthusiasm. On a winding road there’s more than enough pace on offer to pique the interest of a speed camera, while open road passage is met with ample go-forward and grace and fuel efficiency that matches the 8.1L/100km claim.

Taking all of this into account, the Sonata N Line is probably best described as a competent touring machine with a capacity to tackle the occasional back road.

Hyundai isn’t expecting a sales boom with the new 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line – and nor should it.

However, the Korean marque should be celebrated for bringing its N line variant to market.

It doesn’t quite match the exotic and left-field mystic of the similarly-minded Skoda Octavia RS.

But it does provide a viable alternative to the ho-hum SUV – at a time where the remaining options are languishing.

How much does the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line cost?
Price: $50,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 213kW/422Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 188g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Related: Hot Hyundai Sonata N Line turbo arriving soon
Related: Hyundai Sonata N Line turbo pricing and specs
Related: 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Video
Related: Turbocharged Hyundai Sonata N Line revealed