SPY PICS: Hyundai's Camry fighter

Our spy snappers have captured this new Hyundai Sonata conducting hot-weather durability testing in the Northern Territory, ahead of its Australian release in October.

It was captured undergoing what Hyundai Australia has confirmed was “final hot-weather endurance testing” on the derestricted speed zone of the Stuart Highway north of Alice Springs.

Company spokesman Bill Thomas said the seventh-generation Sonata, which made its global debut in New York last month, also “tackled some really hard roads and handled it extremely well”.

Hyundai has already confirmed the Sonata – which will not go by the i45 name this time round – is undergoing final hot-weather validation work in Australia, where it will also receive a localised suspension and steering package developed by the Korean brand’s Australian outfit.

The same will apply to the second-generation Genesis sedan, which is due to arrive in Hyundai showrooms a month earlier in September.

Powered exclusively by a 248kW/397Nm 3.8-litre V6, the large rear-wheel drive four-door will be Hyundai’s all-new sedan flagship, with a starting price that’s likely to be more than $50,000.

The new Sonata, meantime, is expected to be a direct competitor for volume-selling medium sedans like the locally-made Toyota Camry, priced from under $30,000.

Powered by a 138kW/241Nm 2.4-litre Theta II GDI naturally aspirated direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine, the all-new mid-size sedan will be positioned beneath the existing i40, which in contrast is available in sedan and wagon body styles, powered by 2.0-litre petrol and 1.7-litre diesel engines.

However, the next Sonata could also be available here in range-topping 2.0T Sport form, as seen at New York, powered by a 183kW/352Nm 2.0-litre direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine and possibly badged as the Sonata SR.

The US-market Sonata 2.0T Sport features a sports body kit including more aggressive bumpers, a unique grille, deeper side skirts, quad exhaust outlets and 18-inch alloy wheels.

As we’ve reported, the larger Mk7 Sonata wears Hyundai’s latest ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0’ design language and is claimed to incorporate a stiffer body structure, bringing better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness.

It will also come with more advanced safety and convenience features than the previous YF Sonata, which was sold in Australia as the i45 between 2010 and 2012, including Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Departure Warning System.

New convenience features include radar-operated Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with full stop capability, hands-free Smart Trunk boot opening and tyre pressure monitoring.

Despite having a super-slippery 0.27Cd aerodynamic drag coefficient, Hyundai says the new Sonata delivers best-in-class passenger, cargo and total interior volume – enough to classify it as a large car in some markets.

A naturally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol version of the Sonata will also be produced in South Korea, but is not on the radar for Australia. Similarly, the new Sonata will not be available Down Under with Apple’s new CarPlay in-car media platform.