Hyundai on Sunday previewed the direction of a mid-cycle refresh due for the mid-size Sonata sedan—and Sonata Hybrid—for the 2024 model year, with additional details due to be revealed on March 30.
Hyundai describes the refresh as “more than a simple facelift” for the current generation of the mid-size Sonata sedan, which arrived in early 2020 in Sonata Hybrid guise, after a rather conservatively styled previous generation Sonata that had arrived for 2015.
With this new look, the super-aero look gets a little more aggressive, according to Hyundai, with an exterior influenced by the automaker’s performance-oriented N Line, maximizing the low-slung look and low front end.
The key to making the 2024 Sonata Hybrid look fresh from the outside appears to be the thin strip of prominent horizontal lighting in front—and a move away from the trapezoidal-grille look that has distinguished the Sonata for the past several generations. With it comes a broadened horizontal emphasis to the lighting in back.
Alongside the vehicle, the designed-in vent is an odd design detail, but it fits in as a cue that opens out to the beltline that extends to the back of the vehicle.
From an interface standpoint, the most noteworthy change is Hyundai’s decision to move the shift lever behind the steering wheel—to create more space in the center console area, it says. Enabled by this, the console gets a new palm rest for the driver, extending the armrest, as well as a large cupholder and tray. But just as noteworthy is that Hyundai hasn’t done away with an array of hard buttons for the essentials—or a volume knob.
The Sonata gets a new twist on the brand’s 12.3-inch dual displays, with a panoramic curved interface, and below the screen space the instrument panel emphasizes the horizontal.
2024 Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai also notes that the cabin has been upgraded with new color combinations to emphasize the sporty and premium sides of the Sonata at once.
Since this generation of Sonata Hybrid was released, the competition hasn’t changed much. Primary rivals still include the Toyota Camry Hybrid, although a new 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid is a potential disruptor. The 2023 Sonata Hybrid earns an EPA combined 47 mpg combined—or up to 52 mpg combined in its efficiency-focused Sonata Hybrid Blue form—and Green Car Reports has observed that highway efficiency is a forte.
2024 Hyundai Sonata
Inside and out, there are tie-overs to Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 electric sedan—an indication, perhaps, that the automaker doesn’t see EV and ICE design as mutually exclusive.
