The 2024 Hyundai Sonata continues to reveal its secrets and the latest is a huge development, which could help to improve the model’s popularity.
While the prototype doesn’t look special at first glance, a paper on the windshield implies the car has a 2.5-liter GDI engine, an automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. The latter would be a first for the Sonata and something that would help the sedan appeal to customers in cold climates.
We can’t be certain the paper is accurate, but we have no reason to doubt it and a number of sedans have adopted all-wheel drive to stay relevant in the crossover era. In particular, Toyota added all-wheel drive to the Camry in 2019 while Kia offers all-wheel drive on the mid-level K5 GT-Line.
Little is known about the Sonata’s setup at this point, but the paper suggests it will have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine instead of the turbocharged 1.6-liter used in the K5. The engine currently produces 191 hp (142 kW /194 PS) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) of torque, although Hyundai also offers a turbocharged 2.5-liter with 290 hp (216 kW / 294 PS) and 311 lb-ft (421 Nm) of torque.
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If the addition of all-wheel drive wasn’t exciting enough, the latest spy photos also give us a glimpse inside. While there isn’t much to see, the prototype has been outfitted with a new dashboard and a widescreen display. The latter appears to combine the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system into a single freestanding display, which likely measures more than 24-inches.
Additional details are hard to make out, but we can see camouflage on the interior door panels. This seems to suggest the updates will be pretty extensive for a facelift.
The exterior design is far less mysterious as the 2024 Sonata was spied undisguised last month during a promo shoot. The front end is all-new and adopts slender lighting units as well as a reimagined grille. The remaining updates are less dramatic, but the sedan will also be equipped with new taillights.
