Hyundai Sonata N Line turbo pricing and specs

Hyundai has revealed full pricing and specification details for the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line, a “chic, coupe-like four-door” touching down in showrooms mid-year as the sole member of the new Sonata family.

Priced from $50,990 plus on-road costs, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line employs a peppy 213kW 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine as well as an arsenal of standard technology and safety.

The Korean marque hopes the N Line’s positioning will inject “a breath of fresh air in the medium sedan class”, which has been the subject of languishing sales and fewer entrants in recent years as various brands have abandoned the segment.

Visually, the car’s sporting pretensions are prefaced by a signature N Line cascading grille, 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 Sonata N Line’s LED daytime running lights.

Elsewhere, the Sonata N Line’s low roofline, shallow glasshouse, 19-inch alloy wheels and “voluminous” character lines are said to convey a confident road presence.

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

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

The technological wares of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line are headlined by 12.3-inch digital instrument display which is said to be a first in this mainstream mid-size category, as well as a 10.25-inch central infotainment touch-screen display and driver’s head-up display.

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

A shift-by-wire gear selector – like that found on the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe – contributes to a minimalist centre fascia and console design, with black Nappa leather and suede upholstery underlining the car’s sporty properties.

The positioning of the 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-petrol 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 driveline shuffles grunt via the front wheels and offers a launch control function.

Hyundai hasn’t provided an official 0-100km/h time, but in terms of fuel consumption the Sonata N Line sips on a claimed 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle.

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’s on-road punch is reaffirmed by a global suspension tune that includes input from Australian engineers. MacPherson strut suspension is employed at the front, while a multi-link configuration resides at the rear.

Tipping the scales at 1636kg, Sonata N Line receives a performance-oriented chassis, with 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.

“Our aim was for Sonata to be a great cruiser – an excellent tourer that could cover ground comfortably and quickly – and I think we’ve achieved that,” said Hyundai Australia product planning specialist Tim Rodgers.

“Sonata utilises high-performance monotube rear dampers, which typically bring big advantages in response and handling in general.

“By using monotube dampers, we could make the response in the car quite rapid. We could make it a lot more nimble than you might expect for its size. Yet, the balance the engineers have tuned within the damper make it lovely to drive daily.”

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line features a comprehensive safety suite including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot collision-avoidance assist, high beam assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, safe exit assist and adaptive cruise control.

Four paint colours are available – White Cream, Hampton Grey, Flame Red and Midnight Black – with metallic and mica options adding $595.

The Hyundai Sonata N Line is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. A five-year service plan is also offered, although pricing for that scheme was not available at the time of writing.