Hyundai Sonata DN8

The previous LF Sonata was meant to be a technological tour de force for Hyundai to be a class apart from the competition but due to its regular styling reminiscent of the YF model, there were only a few people interested in it until the New Rise gave a new life to the LF and slightly gained some attention to it. Responding to the lukewarm reception of the old LF model, Hyundai called the shots to give the Sonata a new lease on life with this full model change.

2020 Hyundai Sonata

There's a big reason why the chassis code for this generation is called DN8 because some might joke as "did not ate", it truly is the eighth generation Hyundai Sonata for this full model change, the Sonata is now a class on its own and with only a few executive midsize saloons out in the open, the DN8 Sonata strives to become the alpha of the now-endangered species.

2020 Hyundai Sonata

First, let's get to know about the design but sadly, there's something perplexing about the exterior design. On the front, you will notice the hexagonal-shaped grille and the Malibu-styled lamps but look closely at the edge of the headlamp and you will notice that the edge of the headlamp's stretching through the car's side. It's as messy as looking at a little kid with overstretched eyelids, something you would put on the Body Bizarre documentary. While the front face looks horrendous due to the overstretched edges from the headlights, the coupe-like styling is somewhat of a compliment for some while the rear view looks like it came from the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. In other words, the design of the new model looks rather bizarre than blasphemy. On the inside, however, tells a different story.

2020 Hyundai Sonata interior

On the inside, you are welcomed by the G70-styled steering wheel, mood lighting, seating for five people, climate control, heated seats, HUD, adjustable seats, and so on, which isn't so bad for a car like this but the biggest party piece is that for expensive versions, the new DN8 Sonata comes armed with a built-in camera, which is perfect to record some crazy moments on the road and then share it on social media. This is just like every other people nowadays where they won't go out without a dashcam to record even the silliest things on the road just to break the internet. There's also another party piece for the DN8 Sonata and with the Hyundai Digital Key app ready, your smartphone becomes a key for the Sonata and you can get away from every single journey in a keyless manner. It really is the future, people.

2020 Hyundai Sonata

At launch, the DN8 Sonata is powered by a G4NM 2.0L Smartstream G MPi engine producing 160PS of power and 20kg-m of torque, which is rather regular for a midsize saloon, and while mated to a 6-speed AT, it promises a combined fuel economy of up to 11.9km/L as is. Of course, there's also a variant powered by a 2.0L LPG engine which consumes more than petrol but is cheaper to fill it up than petrol, which is fit for taxi drivers and company car users. Of course, there will be turbo and hybrid variants to follow later.

In terms of driving feel, the DN8 Sonata can be either comfortable or sporty at the push of a button but drivers can use the CUSTOM feature to choose just how sporty or comfortable their car is to their liking, resulting in a more personalized driving pleasure. Apart from the driving pleasure for all, the new Sonata comes ready with the Hyundai SmartSense suite of safety features that will keep itself safe on the journey home unless one of you needs to go to the rest stop for a toilet break.

The DN8 Sonata starts at 23,460,000 Korean Won and this is still as reasonably priced as the old model. So, while the DN8 Sonata looks bizarre on the exterior design, its technological marvel really makes it more like the man of the people and concerned drivers can't wait to get their hands on its built-in camera feature to record even the silliest stuff on the road just to break the internet. Needless to say, it really is the Sonata for concerned drivers who can't wait to smell some freshly picked sweet potatoes from the troll farm. Typical...

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company