Hyundai Motor Company has revealed a facelift for the eighth-generation version of the Sonata that was first revealed back around 4 years ago. While the update is a mere mid-life refresh, there’s no denying the fact that the changes are pretty substantial. The most prominent change is the exterior styling, which makes the sedan look more aggressive, and puts it in line with the latest iteration of the brand’s Sensuous Sportiness styling ethos that is being adopted by all new Hyundai cars.
Gone is the hexagonal grille that took the front stage, and in comes a sporty-looking front bumper, with the split-headlamp design stealing the show. The new Sonata gets a full-width LED DRL strip, which makes the front fascia look very similar to the 2023 Hyundai Verna that was recently launched in India. The rear-end gets new H-shaped LED tail lights that are conjoined – strikingly similar to the Venue sub-compact SUV.
As against the outgoing pre-facelift model, the new Sonata features some bold character lines on the sides. The rear bumper features a dual-tone treatment with a faux skid plate. Hyundai has also revealed the sportier N Line version of the new Sonata, which features some styling enhancements like a redesigned grille with blacked-out elements, differently-styled alloy wheels, quad exhaust tips, and of course, the N Line badging.
The cabin of the sedan is also completely redesigned and now features a new panoramic curved display that combines both the new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as well as the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The dual-tone cabin also features wooden trim on the dashboard, a new 3-spoke steering wheel with a new column-type shift-by-wire controller behind it, ambient lighting, a sunroof and more!
The manufacturer is yet to reveal more details about the 2023 Sonata. The new Sonata will be revealed in flesh at the Seoul Mobility Show from March 30 – April 9, 2023.
