The HTRAC all-wheel drive transmission will be offered for Hyundai Sonata only in combination with a 2.5-liter gasoline “atmospheric”, the sports version of the N Line is still content with front-wheel drive.
At home, the updated Hyundai Sonata celebrated its premiere in the spring and went on sale at the same time, and yesterday a version for the US market was declassified, which was and remains one of the key ones for the Sonata, despite the fact that many local brands decided to leave the business sedan segment and focus on crossovers. In the first half of this year, Hyundai Sonata sales in the United States amounted to 27,334 units, which is 39% more than it was in January-June 2022, but the Korean sedan is still far from the leader of the Toyota Camry segment: the Japanese sold 150,742 units in the United States in the first half of the year (+11%). The presence of an all-wheel drive modification should attract new buyers to the Sonata. The American Camry also, by the way, has a version with all-wheel drive.
In terms of design, there are no significant differences between the American updated Sonata and the South Korean one, the interiors are also identical. Recall that the restyling of the current Sonata came out radical: the front and stern were completely redesigned, and a new front panel with a curved two-screen scoreboard without a visor appeared in the cabin (each screen has a diagonal of 12.3 inches), the onboard software can now be updated “by air”.
The 1.6-liter gasoline turbo engine disappeared from the range of power units of the American Sonata, the 2.5-liter “atmospheric engine” (194 hp, 245 Nm) paired with an 8-speed hydromechanical “automatic” remained the base engine. Only in combination with a 2.5-liter engine, instead of front-wheel drive, you can choose the HTRAC all-wheel drive system, which is familiar from Hyundai crossover, with a power take-off clutch on the rear wheels. Winter (Snow) has been added to the standard set of driving modes (Normal, Smart, Sport, Custom).
The sporty Sonata N Line is still equipped with a 2.5-liter gasoline turbo engine (294 hp, 422 Nm) and an 8-speed automatic of the DCT type (with two clutches), which transfers all power to the front wheels.
The front-wheel drive hybrid version with a 2.0-liter gasoline “atmospheric engine” (152 hp, 188 Nm), an electric motor (52 hp, 205 Nm) and a 6-speed “automatic” remained in service, the maximum combined power of the hybrid power plant is 195 hp.
At American dealers, the updated Sonata will appear next spring, prices have not yet been announced, the pre-styling sedan is still available for order at a price of $25,450.
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