Our independent review of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line including price, specifications, interior, ride and handling, safety and ratings. It shouldn't be surprising that
midsize sedan rating is shrinking, not just in Australia. Around the world, in most major markets, people are moving away from the traditional four doors. But should they?
In this country, sedans accounted for 23% of the market in 2011 and only 7% in 2020. But Hyundai Australia is counting on the fact that more than half of them are private buyers who may be attracted to all of their products. New, personalized, coupe-like eighth-generation Sonata sedan.
Forget Sonata’s boring rental car feed in the past – this sleek new generation model has only one top-notch product, the performance-oriented N-Line. Seeing Hyundai have achieved considerable success with its hot to hot models lately, maybe that’s the secret to the Sonata – its turbocharged, fully functional personality.
How much does it cost?
The Sonata N-Line variant alone starts at $50,990 (excluding on-road charges), with only one option – paint. White cream mica is standard, but if you want Hampton gray metal, flame red metal or Phantom black mica you need to pay a modest premium of $595.
One of its many appeals is its appearance – a cleverly sporty N-Line body kit with custom front bumper design, side skirts, black mirror cover and roof, as well as a diffuser-style N-Line rear bumper and 19-inch machined finish alloy on both sides, equipped with premium 245/40R19 Continental Premium Contact 6 tires.
You also get keyless entry/start, automatic folding rearview mirror, hands-free luggage opening, dual panoramic panoramic glass sunroof with power shutters, rear door sunshade, power rear blinds, perforated suede and napa leather-finished interior seat heating/cooling, heated steering wheel, heated exterior rear seat position, 12-way power driver seat with power waist and two-digit memory, four-way power passenger seat, and dual-zone climate control with rear vents.
is suitable for its sport positioning, driver score head-up display, 12.3-inch "supervised" LCD instrument panel with blind spot monitor, line shift transmission selector, shift paddles, four-speed drive mode (normal, Sport, Sport+ and Custom), start control and personalized driver profiles (combining the seat, mirror, HUD, ventilation and even radio settings into one). How does
look?
The eighth generation sonata is more interesting than its predecessors because of its styling – especially its prominent lighting features.
is at the front, and the chrome strip at the edge of the hood is transformed into LED daytime running lights about two-thirds downward. At the tail, the red LED strip in the taillight begins in a C-shaped form and is connected to the striking horizontal strip.
You might argue that some of the styling details of the N-Line are a bit overdone, like the fake vents on the bumper, but overall, it has a unique rating and some much-needed presence – enhanced by its low and wide proportions.
In terms of size, the Sonata is 4900mm long and 1860mm wide and has a wheelbase of 2840mm, which is much larger than the i30 sedan below it. But only 1445mm tall and with wide front and rear wheel pitches, it has the style of a four-door coupe, which will attract people just because of its visual personality. How about the interior of
?
At first glance, it's really impressive – especially the quality of its leather/suede interior, the universal cabin plastic and the interesting shapes of its steering wheel, dashboard and door design. But its ergonomics of switching equipment lack other modern cohesion.
Weird angle central climate control screen is sometimes hard to read, and its cheap knobs and buttons lack the grade of the Mazda 6's medium-equivalent HVAC system. The head-up display is also slightly off-center and disproportionate, which reduces the quality of other parts of the interior such as LCD gauges and impressive multimedia screens.The push-button shifter is not very suitable for controlling a dual-clutch transmission as it takes extra time to get the job done.
Although the mid-rear seats provide marginal head space (and comfort), if there is a little challenge in toe space and overall legroom (the new Sonata definitely likes style over space), the external rear seat position is very comfortable. But the driving position ahead is impressive, the seat support is good, and the overall quality feels obvious.
Sonata N-Line is safe?
ANCAP Sonata N-Line has not been tested for collision safety, although you can reasonably expect it to get a five-star rating. In the United States, it has an overall NHTSA rating of five stars - N-Line's excellent passive safety asset, including precise handling and excellent grip.
safety equipment has many advantages - adaptive cruise with stop/walk, active blind spot collision avoidance, rear intersection collision avoidance assistance, driver attention warning, lane keeping assistance, safety exit assistance, forward collision avoidance and intersection steering assistance system, surround view monitor, and front and rear parking sensors. What is infotainment like
?
audio and multimedia include wireless phone charging, a large 10.25-inch touch screen with DAB+ digital radio, embedded satellite navigation and (wired) Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, powered by 12 surround sound Bose speakers.
Front passengers have two USB ports (one marked as phone charging) and a 12-volt socket at the bottom of the center console, while rear passengers can compete for a single USB port under the rear vents.
In terms of sound quality, the 12-speaker Bose system is excellent – expanding the sound field, making the Sonata's cockpit feel much bigger than it actually is. What is
storage like?
is not particularly good – especially the narrow door bag with a small bottle holder. Forgot to bring your own eco-friendly bottles – these are only for disposable 600ml plastic bottles. Due to the angle of the door slot, the jar must be placed in the center console cup holder.
front passengers do have a horizontal slot that extends along the center console, although this is also a narrow socket. But there is a large (and deep) central bin, and available space around the wireless charging pad.
is on the rear, the door pocket is smaller, but there is a cup holder on the folding center armrest and a pair of mesh map bags on the front seat back.
However, the guide space is the strongest of the sonata, with a capacity of 510 litres (there is a space-saving spare part under the floor). You can extend the trunk length by folding down the 60/40 split rear backrest, although the opening to the cabin is not full width. What engines are available for
?
Considering that one model fits all the propositions, it’s no surprise that there is only one engine available in the Sonata N-Line – the all-new 2.5-liter direct injection and turbocharged “Smartstream-G” four-cylinder engine is connected to the impressive eight-cylinder engine of the modern-day – the high-speed “wet” dual-clutch transmission from the i30 N series.
Hyundai produces 213kW of striking power at 5800rpm and produces excellent 422Nm of torque on the vast plateau (1650-4000rpm), and Hyundai claims the Sonata N-Line is able to quickly accelerate 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
How is the fuel economy?
Given its considerable performance reserve, the dual-clutch Sonata N-Line is quite economical in the 8.1 liter/100 km combined government cycle.
is divided into cities or highways, with its official city number being 11.5L/100km, while its suburb number being 6.1L/100km. Hyundai says it can easily drink regular 91 octane unleaded petrol and 94 octane E10.
What does driving feel like?
shares its N3 platform with Santa Fe and the new Tucson means Sonata offers relatively complex suspension setups and multi-link independent rear suspension. The N-Line version enhances this with a unique motion tune, featuring a premium fixed-rate single-tube damper.
aims to provide a responsive and involved large station wagon that does not exceed its depth when the road becomes narrow and twisty. In most cases, the sonata N-Line is successful.
drives at a brisk speed on a flowing country road, which achieves a lovely balance. It uses rear suspension to help point the nose to the corners, lay confidently flat while hanging effortlessly on the road, and its steering combines solid counterweights and admirable precision. Its movement has an implanted fluency that complements its powerful performance.
It does not reach the same level of proficiency in terms of low speed driving. It can be very bumpy around town and sometimes a little noisy, although many will find it a simple trade-off of sharp handling and strict body control in other environments (again, it has quite a bit of steering weight at low speeds, regardless of the drive mode chosen). While these fixed rate dampers do a great job of handling, they focus very much on movement rather than luxury.
It also has traction problems from sharp turns when driving like its performance encourages you. Transmitting a definite grunt of 213kW/422Nm to the front wheels with eight transmission ratios is a big requirement, and even its classic Continentals cannot avoid trying to light up the inside tires leaving the sharp turns. What it needs is some old-fashioned throttle control, and if you really don't want your flow to be interrupted by electronics, disable its traction control (but not its ESC – you just press the button once instead of holding it down). In this case, a mechanical limited-slip differential makes a big difference.
loss Another aspect of Sonata's overall driving experience is its synthetic "active sound design". This artificial induction sound adds a weird whirring sound to the engine notes, destroying the cute smoothness of its incredibly powerful engine. Thankfully, you can mute it.
In terms of flavor, the coupe-like Peugeot is closest to the Sonata N-Line role, although the Mazda 6 is probably its most real competitor.
Although Skoda is a bit more expensive, it is also all-wheel drive and does do well in terms of cab and luggage space.
In terms of rear seat legroom, the Sonata N-Line doesn't match the smaller i30 sedan, or the overall cabin consistency may not match the latest ultra-minimalist Tucson, but it has a very flattering personality…a different from other models of the previous sonata.
Indeed, it's a great thing to do with all the mid-size modern sedans before. And, combined with its compelling styling, involving performance and handling, and Hyundai’s growing reputation for reliability and reliability, should serve fans who want to get a sporty flavor in the form of a tight sedan.
