2019 New York International Auto Show: 2020 Hyundai Sonata unveiled - India bound?

Team OD Updated: April 18, 2019, 03:27 PM IST

Hyundai Venue has been unveiled for the Indian market, that said, earlier this week, Hyundai unveiled the second generation Hyundai Creta (ix25) and the Sonata executive sedan at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show. Recently, the 2020 Sonata debuted at the New York International Auto Show, hinting that the 2020 Sonata has been conceived for the global market.

The eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata that was showcased at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show

The styling department has seen a radical change. Gone is the executive sedan that subtly blended in the traffic. The new Sonata seems much angrier with a wide grille and sharp headlamp design. There is an air dam that extends across the width of the car in the lower half of the bumper. The DRLs extended from the LED headlamps to the A-pillar along the crease of the hood. The roofline descends to the boot of the car giving it a notchback silhouette. The rear sports an aggressively styled diffuser and the tail lamp is sharply designed which runs across the width of the car. The sedan will be offered in a choice of 16, 17 and 18 inch.

The Hyundai Sonata that made a global debut at the 2019 New York International Auto Show

The cabin of the new 2020 Sonata is equipped with a Bose sound system which applies digital signal processing technology to place the occupants in the centre of the audio regardless of their position. The multimedia system is adaptive and adjusts the equaliser based on the speed of the car. Along with that, the new Sonata will debut in the American markets with Hyundai's Blue Link connectivity solutions. The Sonata ditches the analogue dials for the instrument cluster and gets a 12.3-inch all digital screen. And the 10.25-inch screen is housed in the dashboard for the infotainment system with split screen feature.

At the unveiling event of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata

Powering the Hyundai Sonata in the American markets are two petrol engines - 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The former produces 193PS and 245Nm while the latter produces 182PS and 264Nm. Both the engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The new design language of the Sonata has a drag coefficient of 0.27.

Image from the launch event at the 2019 New York International Auto Show

The production of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata will begin in September and the car is expected to reach the showrooms by October. With the updated Skoda Superb coming to India in the first half of next year - we could say the new Sonata could make its way to the Indian shores as well. If placed right in the Indian market, the Hyundai Sonata will compete against the Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.

Image Source - Car and Driver