You have a growing number of options for an AWD sedan, with the 2024 Hyundai Sonata joining that list.
We already got an early look at the revamped Sonata during its South Korean debut, but now the automaker shared more information on what we can expect when the car reaches American showrooms. The revamp is a fairly comprehensive one, bringing dramatically new styling and all-wheel drive, offering an alternative to the likes of the Subaru Legacy or Toyota Camry if you’re looking for a surefooted sedan for the winter months.
While the exterior changes look pretty radical if you’re looking at the 2024 Hyundai Sonata dead-on, the car is pretty much the same between the front and rear pillars. So, you get a whole new front clip with a revised bumper, hood, fascia and a thin LED light bar spanning the front end. At the back, there’s another light bar and the decklid has more of an upright aesthetic. The sportier N Line, for its part, gets more aggressive styling at both ends compared to the standard model.
With the N Line’s return, Hyundai is keeping the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine around for the Sonata. Beyond the performance option, the base 2024 model brings in the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, or you can get a 2.0-liter-backed hybrid. One engine that doesn’t appear in the revamped Sonata lineup is the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. That’s likely so there’s a more linear progression from economy to performance — the 1.6L offered less horsepower than the 2.5, but more torque — but that 1.6 is no longer an option.
Interior changes
Like Hyundai’s recent Santa Fe redesign, the 2024 Hyundai Sonata brings in two 12.3-inch displays instead of the old, separate cluster and infotainment screen design. Like its SUV sibling and the Ioniq models, this updated Sonata also gets a column-mounted gear selector and four pixels replacing the traditional “H” badge on the steering wheel. You may appreciate the shifter change, if you weren’t a fan of the old push-button system. Apart from that, you get a revised dashboard layout with one nearly solid line for the HVAC vents across the entire width of the car.
On the whole, the 2024 Hyundai Sonata comes with more equipment than the outgoing 2023 models. All versions including the base SE get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, for a start. A 12-inch head-up display is available, as is Hyundai’s second-generation Digital Key 2 which lets you use your phone as your key without having to get it out of the pocket. Higher-end models have access to a 12-speaker Bose audio system and a power-lifting trunk.
Hyundai has not yet announced pricing for the new 2024 Sonata. However, we don’t expect it to stray too much from the outgoing car’s $26,565 price tag. The wild card this time around will be whether you want an all-wheel drive model. If you do, expect to spend around $1,500 to $2,000 for the upgrade. We’ll have more specific numbers closer to the car’s launch this winter.
