When Hyundai introduced the current, sixth generation Sonata YF with its swoopy (many would say, Mercedes-Benz CLS-inspired) styling in the fall of 2009, it turned a page on many levels, especially in the design department, abandoning its ultra conservative take on the mid-size segment, aiming directly at the top offerings. The gamble paid off with the Sonata surpassing the 200,000 sales mark in North America.
Four years later, the South Korean company is readying a replacement for the successful mid-size sedan, which could arrive as early as 2014, according to the company’s product plan.
Spied in Germany where Hyundai operates its European research and development (R&D) facility, the Sonata Mk7 will be an evolutionary step forward in terms of design and quality, with the exterior of the car maintaining its signature arched roofline, while gaining more mature lines and sharper details, many of which were previewed on the futuristic HCD-14 and the pre-production Mistra concepts.
Our scoop photographer mentioned that, besides the more upright front grille, the other things he noticed on the prototype were the LED-equipped headlamps and tail lights. More information on the new Sonata should become available in the coming months.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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