Hyundai Sonata Facelift is All Set to be Launched
When it comes to D -segment / Mid-size sedans, you can’t go wrong with Accord or Camry. Unfortunately, both options are only available as CBU/ Imported in Pakistan, provided you have a huge budget to afford one. But globally and now in Pakistan too, there are some other offerings in D-segment, for example, Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai’s first generation Sonata came into being in 1985, and since then, it has been one of the best-selling global models for the brand. This can be understood from the fact that model collected over 9 Million global sales since its first generation.
DN8 – Current Generation & Rumors:
The current 8th generation Sonata Chassis code “DN8” was revealed in early 2019 in overseas markets while it went for sale in Pakistan in July 2021. A locally assembled Sonata was a pleasant surprise from a local company and has collected a lot of attention in Pakistan, especially considering this is the first entry in the country for the segment. The 8th gen Sonata is well-praised and has won numerous awards since its arrival.
Although Sonata remained a best seller in the Korean market for many years and was known as the “People’s car, “the 8th gen model took a swing statistically. In Korea, where it used to be the top-selling model dropped to 5th place, and the model lost nearly 30% of sales year to year. Hyundai even slowed down the production of the Sonata because of low sales, and basically, the assembly line was shut down. The Global Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, and overall styling, especially the exterior design, which is very polarizing, didn’t attract consumers as expected, although it is believed to be one of the most radically designed sedans in recent years.
While the virus attacked humans and now has a cure in the form of a vaccine, globally, the sedans have been attacked by Crossover Utility Vehicles/ SUVs. Conventional sedans or becoming endangered species & their sales are sliding, which can be one reason for sluggish sales for Sonata. For example, in North America, one of the largest D-segment sedan markets, the 6th generation Sonata tipped over 200,000 units a year in sales with its outstanding styling and driving dynamics.
7th generation didn’t perform, but still, it touched an average of around 150,000 units a year for its lifecycle. But when it comes to 8th, Sonata could not cross the 90,000 mark a year in the United States. So much so Hyundai sold only 52,140 units in 2022. In contrast, Toyota sold almost 300,000 Camry units in 2022, and Honda sold 154,000 Accord units in the US, respectively.
Unofficial Reports About Hyundai Sonata
For around a year, there had been conflicting unofficial reports from Korea and various automotive blogs regarding the fate of the current 8th-generation Sonata. Initially, it was reported that Hyundai was working on the facelift model, but then news appeared that the mid-cycle planned facelift of the DN8 is canceled, and Hyundai will work on the 9th generation model and it will appear earlier than the end of DN8 life cycle but no supporting details could be found . Alongside these reports, one more piece of information was floating around, Hyundai will put the Sonata nameplate to rest, and we might not see a replacement new generation model.
Please keep in mind that there is no official word from Hyundai in this regard, but Hyundai Group is aggressively pushing toward the EV market and plans to sell 3 million units globally by 2030. This will result in shaking up the current model portfolio for Hyundai and Kia brands and might drop some slow-selling models, including the Sonata, and Kia K5, a non-identical twin of the Sonata. We already know that Kia Stinger days are numbered while Hyundai and Kia are retooling their assembly line for award-winning EV models like Ioniq-5, Ioniq-6, Kia EV, and a dozen more in the pipeline, including a 3-row SUV.
Visible Changes in New Hyundai Sonata
Recently a couple of more photos appeared on the web, and there is no camouflage, but the images are blurry, and it basically seems the model is being photographed during its video shoot. From the available imagery, we can see a complete overhaul of the front fascia from the available not-so-clear front picture. The current catfish-like frontal appearance has gone and adopted a simpler and modern look.
There is a new bumper, new headlights, and the newly designed slim horizontally designed LED bar as DRLs. Basically, we can say that the facelifted Sonata seems to be influenced by the Hyundai Staria van or the newly released Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Grandeur. Gone are the days of the most talked about signature lighting feature of the current Sonata, the hidden DRL lighting strip extending with the hood’s profile.
Recently couple of more photos appeared on the web and this time there is no camouflage but the images are blurry and basically seems the model is being photographed during its video shoot. From the available not so clear front picture, we can a complete overhaul of the front fascia. The current cat-fish like frontal appearance has gone and now adopted a simpler and modern look .
Changes in Front
There is new bumper, new headlights as well as the newly designed slim horizontally designed LED bar as DRL. Basically, we can that the facelifted Sonata seems to be influenced from the Hyundai Staria van or newly released Hyundai Kona & Hyundai Grandeur. Gone are the days of the most talked about signature lighting feature of the current Sonata , the hidden DRL lighting strip which extends with the profile of the hood.
Rear and Interior Upgrades
The one image of the rear also reveals the redesigned rear tealights. The slim LED light bar across the trunk remains but its orientation changes. The side profile obviously remains intact, although the new wheels seem to be the N- Line version which is the hardcore performance variant of Sonata. There are no details/pictures for the interior, but looking at the extensive changes to the exterior and especially the front, we might see some updates to the instrument panel and maybe a new version of the digital cluster.
Below you will find another set of viral pictures [ white , silver & gray vehicles] from Korea without any covers, indicating which direction the makeover is going. We can expect that technically, everything will be a carryover from the pre-facelift.
Global Reveal & Pakistan:
Details are scarce at this point, but Hyundai Global will reveal the facelift within the next few months. The 8th generation made a global preview at NY Auto-show in April 2019, and we may see the facelifted model at the upcoming New York Auto-show in April 2023. It is also pertinent to mention that the news of discontinuations of Sonata from the global lineup is still very strong. Unfortunately, Sonata followers might not see any next generation. I hope we are wrong.
As for Pakistan, I don’t expect a facelift landing in the country for at least a year after the global reveal, so we can relax for some time. Hyundai Nishat was faced with extensive criticism for launching an older Elantra and Tucson, but the arrival of the newer DN8 Sonata helped recover consumer acceptance and trust in the local company. It looks like it was easier for Nishat to introduce the newer Sonata because of low sales in Korea / North America and the easy and early availability of CKD kits and other plant machinery.
What are your thoughts on the facelift? Share in comments or on Pakwheels’ dedicated discussion thread.
