FIRST Drives

THE NEW METAL THAT MATTERS, TRIALLED AND TESTED

- JOHN LAW

WITH FALLING sales numbers from buyers trending toward SUVs, medium-sized sedans are quickly fading into obscurity. Yet here we are in a 2024 Hyundai Sonata N-Line that's been comprehensively overhauled just two years after its local launch.

In that time, the single-variant Sonata has notched up 1324 sales. Decent, but to paint a bleak picture you only need to look at Tucson's 1678 sales in September '23 to see that the four-door is flagging.

Which begs the question: why did Hyundai feel the need to 'revolutionise' the Sonata image in a mid-life facelift? It was always a striking vehicle, yet it now wears full-width Robocop LED lighting and heavily reworked front and rear clips.

The facelift runs deeper than new light bulbs, alloys, and fascia - the Sonata adopts a wholly different dashboard design with twin 12.3-inch curved screens (how very BMW) and significant changes to the chassis.

The Sonata N-Line now starts at $55,500 before on-road costs (a $3435 lift from before) and for that, you get everything but the kitchen sink. Notably, the proximity key means you can approach the rear of the car and the power boot lid will open automatically - no need to press buttons or kick the air. And, gimmicky as it may be, when unlocked the Sonata N-Line's light show is mighty impressive. It's a whole lot more contemporary, then, and is even available with a trendy matte Aero Silver paint job ($1000). You can also get Serenity White, Biophilic Ink, Abyss Black, Nocturne Grey, and Ultimate Red.

The Sonata's interior overhaul is just as significant as its sheet metal. That's not to say the pre-facelift was dated, but with twin high-definition 12.3-inch screens, over-the-air software updates and BlueLink telematics, this typically conservative sedan is right up there with the latest BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes for interior tech.