Hyundai has announced the 2020 Sonata will celebrate its North American debut at the New York Auto Show next month.
The automaker didn’t say much about the car, but several images have recently surfaced online. They show the family sedan will feature a bold new design which takes inspiration from the Le Fil Rouge concept that was unveiled at last year’s Geneva Motor Show.
The front of the Sonata will be dominated by a wide grille that is somewhat reminiscent of the one used on the 2019 Elantra. It will be flanked by slender air intakes and distinctively shaped headlights.
The unique styling will continue further back as the Sonata will have prominent character lines and pronounced wheel arches. The Sonata will also have distinctive taillights and a truck with an integrated rear spoiler.
While Hyundai wasn’t ready to talk about styling or powertrain details, the automaker did confirm the Sonata will have a smartphone-based digital key. Owners can download a smartphone app and then use it to unlock and start the vehicle.
This is done using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and Hyundai says the Sonata will come equipped with three NFC antennas. One will be located in each front door handle, while the third is integrated into the wireless charging pad in the center console.
The digital key also saves the user’s preferences, so the car will automatically adjust the position of the driver’s seat,steering wheel and mirrors. It will also setup the infotainment system and head-up display according to their tastes.
The Sonata will be able to recognize up to four different digital keys and owners will be available to provide other users with different levels of access. For example, the company says couriers could be given temporary access to open the trunk to drop off a package. The company also envisions the digital key could be used as part of a car-sharing program.
Following its debut on the Sonata, the digital key will gradually spread to new vehicles. There’s no word on which model will receive the technology next, but Hyundai’s Ho Yoo said “The digital key will benefit a very wide range of future Hyundai customers, as well as enabling innovative new schemes for vehicle sharing.”
