The platform – codenamed N3 – has been designed for more vehicles, including crossovers and SUVs. Without further beating around the bush, it wouldn’t be hard for Hyundai to implement AWD for the Sonata in North America. Given the demand for such an option in cold-climate states and Canada, a competitor for the Subaru Legacy is welcome in this segment.
Nissan took things further with the redesigned Altima, which comes as standard with all-wheel drive in Canada. All-weather capability and the 2.5-liter DIG four-cylinder engine doesn’t sound all that exciting, and looking at the bigger picture, Nissan took the potential for excitement out when the Japanese brand decided to utilize continuously variable transmissions.
Turning our attention back to the Sonata, the 2020 will premiere in mid-April at the New York Auto Show. Sales are scheduled for the second half of the year, and given this timeline, first U.S. deliveries are bound to happen in the third quarter of 2019.
There won’t be any hybrid or plug-in hybrid at launch, but Hyundai did mention two four-cylinder options. These are the 2.5-liter GDI (190 horsepower and 180 pound-feet) and 1.6 T-GDI (180 horsepower and 194 pound-feet), both featuring Smart Stream technologies. An eight-speed automatic transmission does the shifting, not the Xtronic CVT that tends to be the weakest part of modern Nissan models.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the 2020 Hyundai Sonata does break the mold. A more dynamic design compared to the preceding generation, the DN8 also happens to feature Honda Civic-inspired taillamps. The interior, however, appears to be the place where Hyundai focused the most in terms of research and development.
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