2015 Hyundai Sonata : Bigger and More Luxurious

After some teaser shots and a few leaked pictures earlier this month, the all-new 2015 Hyundai Sonata has officially been unveiled in South Korea, its native country.

The new model will be marketed as an upscale, more luxurious version of the Sonata, with added comfort and a more silent ride. It is larger too, with a total length of 4855 mm, a width of 1865 mm and a height of 1475 mm. By comparison, the 2014 Sonata was 35 mm shorter, 30 mm narrower and 5 mm lower. The new Sonata is 41 percent more rigid against torsion, which should help improve the car’s handling. Speaking of handling, Hyundai is proud to say the Sonata’s dynamic capabilities were developed on the Nürburgring, in Germany.

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The KDM versions (Korean Domestic Market) can be equipped with one of three engines: a 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine developing 168 HP, a 2.4 L pumping out 193 HP and another 2.0 L developing 151 HP, this one burning natural gas. All the cars will be front-wheel drive, and customers will be able to choose between a 6-speed automatic, and a good ole 6-speed manual. If you waited for a manual version of the Sonata to come here before buying one though, I may have bad news for you…

Inside, the new version is more luxurious, featuring higher quality materials. The car will feature heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and privacy curtains for the rear passengers among other things. The 2015 Sonata will be safer too, with ABS, EBD, ESP and TCS standard. Adaptive cruise-control, lane-departure warning and blind spot assistant will also be offered.

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata will debut on American soil at the New-York Auto Show on April 16, and American specs will be unveiled at the same time.