Hyundai refreshes its 2018 Sonata with a new face, infotainment tech

By Stephen Edelstein Published April 12, 2017

Hyundai can’t seem to make up its mind when it comes to the styling of its Sonata midsize sedan. It tried an extroverted, expressive look, then toned it down for the current-generation model that debuted three years ago. Now it’s going back to extroverted and expressive with a refresh of that car.

The 2018 Hyundai Sonata launching this week at the 2017 New York Auto Show once again puts emphasis on design, to the extent that Hyundai’s press conference featured two designers drawing the car live in front of the assembled media. Underneath the new skin, the 2018 Sonata also gets some mechanical changes and added tech.

Recommended Videos

The front and rear fasciae of the Sonata are all new, while the body itself retains the sleek, low roofline of the previous model. The new front end features vertical side air intakes to give the car a more planted feel, while the new grille is inspired by molten steel flowing out of a cauldron, Hyundai says. The rear has sharper-looking tail lights and a less cluttered overall look. All of these changes make for a handsome car, but one that’s more evolution than revolution.

Mechanical changes include updated rear suspension and tweaks to the steering system that Hyundai claims will yield more feel. Models with the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine also get a new eight-speed automatic transmission. In addition to the 2.0-liter, Hyundai currently offers a 1.6-liter turbo four in the Sonata Eco, plus naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter four, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. Expect those to carry over.

On the safety front, Hyundai is making blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard on the 2018 Sonata. Hyundai claims the Sonata will be the only midsize sedan to offer these features as standard equipment. The 2018 Sonata gets new lane departure warning and lane keep assist systems as well.

The standard infotainment system includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen display, and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Qi wireless phone charging is available as well, and Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system can be connected to Amazon Echo, linking cars with smart homes.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Topics

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Cars

Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.