The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Gets a Sharp Refresh with Distinctive Horizontal Light Bar

The "Seamless Horizon Lamp" is a hallmark of Hyundai reveals in the past several months

(Images: Hyundai)
  • After its initial 2019 launch, the eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata is getting a facelift for the 2024 model year.
  • Hyundai revealed the updated Sonata’s design ahead of the Seoul Mobility Show on March 30.
  • Apart from the obvious exterior changes, the 2024 Hyundai Sonata appears to get noteworthy interior upgrades as well, including a new panoramic curved display.
  • While we don’t have any U.S. specs yet, we should know more about the updated Sonata as pertains to our market later this year.

Hyundai says this update “revolutionizes” the old Sonata’s design.

The current version of the automaker’s midsize sedan has only been around for a few short years, and still feels decently fresh against the competition. Time stops for no one, however, so Hyundai has to give the Sonata at least a moderate update to keep it uppermost in buyers’ minds against, say, the revamped Honda Accord.

Here’s our first look at the refreshed 2024 Hyundai Sonata, then — a major design shift away from what’s dominated the brand for the past few years toward a more futuristic-looking identity set by the Grandeur (a larger sedan we formerly knew as the Azera) and the new Kona crossover.

Check those out below (the Grandeur is on the left, and the Kona’s on the right):

The revamped Sonata made its first appearance over the weekend, prior to its physical debut at the Seoul Mobility Show later this week. You’ll immediately notice the major changes in the exterior design, namely the “Seamless Horizon Lamp” that sits above the new, wider grille and headlight assemblies. The old shield-style grille is gone, giving the Sonata a more assertive stance than the old model.

For a “refresh”, the 2024 Hyundai Sonata actually does get a thorough interior revamp, particularly in its displays and the center stack. The two 12.3-inch displays for the gauge cluster and infotainment system are now under one curved unit, and the gear selector has been moved to the steering column like the brand’s Ioniq EVs. As with the Ioniq models, Hyundai’s actually moved away from using its actual logo on the steering wheel, instead going for a horizontal bar. Out to the left of the displays, it seems there’s a new fingerprint scanner for the car’s biometric setup for driver profiles.

For the moment, Hyundai announced the updated Sonata will be available in “standard” and N Line trims. We can reasonably assume that to mean we’ll see similar (if not identical) powertrains to what’s currently offered, from the 2.5-liter “Smartstream” four-cylinder engine putting out between about 180 hp and 290 horsepower. A hybrid option will almost certainly continue to be an option.

We’ll know more specifics about the 2024 Hyundai Sonata later this year. In the meantime, check out the styling below: