With the standard Drive Select feature, I was able to toggle between Sport, Normal and Eco modes, which made minor modifications to the transmission, steering and engine. I drove this model for the first half of my day in the Hyundai Sonata. Expected fuel economy on this engine is 25/37/29 mpg city/highway/combined. The base engine is a 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission (featured in SE, Sport and Limited models). I was told there’s an improvement of about 2 decibels over the outgoing model, due in part to increased body rigidity and smaller holes through which wiring passes. I noticed a marked improvement in noise infiltration inside each of the three Sonatas I drove. While the overwhelming majority of drivers wouldn’t be able tell the difference between the two, most drivers will in fact appreciate the improvements in all the 2015s over the 2014. Hyundai acknowledges the rack-mounted variety comes at a substantially higher cost, which is why it’s not on all models. While steering has in fact improved markedly across the board, its greatest improvement is noticed in the Sport 2.0T, which features a different power assist system, with the electric motor on the rack rather than on the steering column. He also thought the new Sonata had far better steering feel than the outgoing Sonata. He also mentioned that nothing upset the suspension or made the wheel ”do funky things” (yes, that’s our technical term). He noted outstanding ride quality, even over broken pavement. One of our editors said the new Sonata has a completely different feel from the previous version, with a more sophisticated and refined chassis. Hyundai has reengineered the 2015 Sonatas’ powertrains in hopes of improving driver confidence. On the flip side, another editor felt the previous design was just too much and didn’t age well.ĭuring our $26,000 midsize sedan shootout in 2013, which included the previous-generation Sonata, our editors said it suffered from poor powertrain refinement and a busy feel that didn’t filter out ruts and bumps as well as others in the lineup. He said the previous Sonata ”was a knockout, a ‘look at me’ design-challenge project that worked amazingly well,” and that it was instantly identifiable - unlike the new car. One of our editors wished he could be as enthusiastic about the new styling as he was about the distinct look of the previous generation. The Hyundai Sonata’s new design is polarizing to our staff. While the crisp new design of the Sonata is a big change, I imagine that after a short period we’ll all look back on the previous-generation Sonata and go, ”Aww, wasn’t that just so cute?” - like an adorable infant whose rolls of baby fat you’re tempted to pinch. It has evolved drastically into what Hyundai calls its fluidic design 2.0, which in actuality is no longer fluidic but rather much more linear, tailored and buttoned-up (think back to your move from the iPhone 3’s curved corners and rocker plate to the iPhone 4’s clean lines and corners). While I quite liked the smooth, sloping lines of the past-generation Hyundai Sonata, both inside and out, this new Sonata’s appearance takes some getting used to. I spent equal time in the Sport and the Sport 2.0T, with a brief stint in the Eco. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is available in several versions, including SE, Sport, Sport 2.0T, Limited and Eco. That’s not its only enhancement, however it also has a new look and feel, inside and out. I’ve been noticing myself becoming more sensitive to noise each year, and the new Sonata is a welcome relief, soothing my auditory nerves (unlike my three tween/teen daughters) with its noticeable improvement in sound levels. With its redesigned 2015 Sonata sedan, Hyundai has focused less on distinguishing design statements, and more on a clean, timeless, sophisticated design with detailed engineering and thoughtful features.
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