We’ve seen this scenario play out before: an auto maker follows up a successful model with a next-generation version that is a stylistic dud. Hyundai is facing this problem with their new Sonata, which hasn’t followed up the success of the prior generation, known for the bold design statement it made upon its introduction in 2010.
While 2014 sales of the Sonata were up 6.5 percent over 2013, they were at their lowest level since the car’s wide release in 2011. In an interview with Ward’s Auto, Hyundai CEO Dave Zuchowski said that the car would be redesigned in 2017 for its mid-cycle refresh.
Our sources at Hyundai report that Hyundai Motor America pushed hard for a bolder design during the development of the next-gen Sonata, but Hyundai’s Korean HQ had already made up their minds about a more buttoned-down look for the new car. The Hyundai Sonata Sport was supposed to be a compromise between the two entities, but it looks as if Hyundai America will be getting their way – though at the cost of two years in the marketplace. According to Zuchowski, the tooling won’t be ready until then – perhaps because Hyundai doesn’t consider it to be as urgent a problem as Honda did with the Civic.
Yup, she’s a big old galumpher now. Better ride, as a bonus better handling than before, a turbo that’s slower than the NA version (8.0 vs 7.9 to 60 according to CD), and toned down styling. Plus extra road-hugging weight.
What’s not to like?
C/D just tested a production Eco model, which is a 1.6 turbo, and got a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds. I think the turbo they tested with the 8.0 second 0-60 was a pre-production 2.0T that had mechanical issues.
I was gonna say. 8.0 in a sedan these days (in America) is not really acceptable.
In what market?
Camry: 8.4
Accord: 7.8
Altima: 7.8
Fusion: 8.0
(In sales order, no less.)
I submit that the occasional 7.8 doesn’t make 8.0 “unacceptable”, especially since the … best selling model in the segment gets 8.4.
The base Sonata is NOT aimed at a performance market.
Want speed? Get the 2.0t.
Honestly, I thought they were all faster than this – but maybe in the back of my mind I was thinking V6 versions.
8.0 isn’t acceptable for an uplevel high-power engine option, which is what the 2.0T was supposed to be. 240-something hp and an 8-second 0-60 run is an abnormally, alarmingly incongruous pair of stats.
“I think the turbo they tested with the 8.0 second 0-60 was a pre-production 2.0T that had mechanical issues.”
The discrepancy between the Eco and 2.0T is very strange, but C&D isn’t the only one recording an abnormally slow 0-60 from it. Motortrend and Edmunds also clocked the 2.0T reaching 60 in ~8 seconds. So either they’ve all had the same glitchy press car, or there is a real problem.
MT got the same pathetic (for a V6 or 2.0T usurper) eight second 0-60 time in a production model four months later. It couldn’t even crack 90mph in the quarter. Hyundai has a history of performance killing tuning, and they are likely gimping output again in 1st/2nd to avoid torque steer, in addition to the engine being down on power from last year. Despite the fact that the 2.0T Sonata/Optima should have been faster than their V6 Japanese competition on paper, the V6 Accord and Camry can walk them all day long. Let’s list off the competitors with better top trim engines in this class.
Honda Accord V6
Toyota Camry V6
Chrysler 200 V6
Nissan Altima V6
Chevy Malibu 2.0T
Ford Fusion 2.0T
VW Jetta 2.0T
Yeah…so basically everybody.
Not just that, it looks better than some of it’s competition. WAY better. Yeah, I’m talking to YOU, Toyota and Nissan. And I’d like to know where it’s NOT selling, because they are growing out of the ground in Chicagoland. The only cars more ubiquitous are Fusions, Elantras, Focuses and Optimas!
I was blown away by the 2011 Sonata design when it was fresh, but as time has passed I have started to notice things about it that I don’t like. The design does not seem to be aging very well.
All the new Sonatas I have seen strike me as very handsome in a restrained sort of way. If I had my choice of the 2 side by side, brand new, I’d take the current design.
I’m still perplexed by the comment filter.
I prefer the look of the new Sonata to the old. Though I thought the old was great at first. It has not aged well.
The filter has wiped out several of my comments today as well…geez
I agree. I’ve never been a fan of the last gen styling. Not that I thought it was ugly or cheap looking, I just thought it was overwrought and I couldn’t see myself in anything with that particular look. This new one looks handsome to me, and far more substantial. If they were to use this design language in product segments that I shop (and continue to develop their suspension and chassis tuning) I would be more likely to consider them in the future.
On the other hand, that last car brought them to the forefront in segment styling for a lot of consumers. You really can’t argue with that.
second try at this comment
I agree, the new design is more substantial looking from my point of view. The old one, which I can respect for grabbing a lot of people’s attention, always seemed a little overwrought to me. If this new direction gets applied to segments that I shop in I would be more likely to consider Hyundai in the future.
But look, I own a manual transmission wagon, so maybe I’m not the benchmark that the brand is looking for in this market.
third try
I agree. The new one is more substantial looking than the last to my eye. I can’t deny that the last one was an unqualified success for them in this market, it’s just that I couldn’t see myself buying a car that I considered overwrought. Hyundai hasn’t really put a product out there in my likely purchase segments however, so I’m not sure that should matter to them.
Basically I think it’s a handsome car.
The best Sonata was the 2006. It looked like an Audi A6, especially Dark Blue with cream interior.
http://image.cpsimg.com/sites/carparts-mc/assets/roadtests/hyundaisonata/images/rightfront.jpg
The 2008 refresh of that model made it look like a late 90’s Buick unfortunately. Added a lame grill and more triangular tail lights. It didn’t help that they were almost all beige by then. The 2010 redesign looked like some sort of deep ocean fish.
I knew there was something familiar about that model, but just couldn’t put my finger on it. I must be slippin’..
it’s simple. if you include the character string S_I_D it gets blocked. that’s why you read so many of the B&B posting s!de by s!de. it’s not a spam filter, it’s a glitch.
I for one appreciate a less “bold” Sonata because the prior one was an eyesore. The whole creases-along-the-entire-car thing is played out.
My feelings exactly.
Clean lines are due for a comeback.
I love the “buttoned down” look. Buickian. It’s as handsome as a contemporary sedan can be, even painted in Unripe Tomato.
I’d have to agree. I liked the last gen in a forgettable but not unpleasant kind of way, but I think this new one has a better presence in traffic.
I’m currently driving a rental 2015 Sonata while my Mazda6 gets new doors put on (don’t park on the street :( ), and it actually corners pretty nicely too. Certainly absorbs crappy roads better than the Mazda.
I was never a fan of Hyundai’s waterfall center stack, but this new one is practical and never gets in my way.
It’s interesting that the 2011 generation Sonata sold with almost no incentives for 2+ years, yet the 2015 already has $2000 rebates and 0% available. Sales may be up, but at the cost of profits.
Looks like I’m in the minority on the previous body style. I like it a lot better than the 2015. The 2011 gen had a lot of lines, but they all flowed and it looked like a sculpture. The new one has even more lines, but they are straighter, harsher, and have no stylistic flow.
Your not by yourself. I enjoyed the prior car as well. This one is ok but not great. Its funny how so many here for the past three years have said the prior one would age fast…it didnt. This one will.
I prefer the previous style also. They hit it out of the park with that design. With the new one, it’s obvious that they don’t know where to go with their styling direction. I’d hate to see the rest of Hyundai’s portfolia once it gets the Sonata treatment.
I think basing the declining sales totally on the design change is short changing the car as well as the work of the competition. There have been some pretty fantastic intros since the last Sonata.
Take the Fusion.
Take the Mazda6.
Take the Passat….OK, forget this example!
This is one tough category.
I wonder if the new Chrysler 200 isn’t attracting some of the customers who might have bought the old Sonata for its style? The new 200 is arguably now one of the most attractive cars in the segment and I could see former buyers attracted to the previous “swoopy” Sonata now might find they are attracted to the curvy new 200.
Hey, speaking of the 200, what happened to the Derek/Jack reviews of their two different rental 200’s that was previewed around Christmas time? Did I miss it?
You didn’t miss it. I’m guessing they are waiting for the blizzard of auto show articles to decline so it doesn’t get buried.
Thanks, I’ll keep watching and waiting for it.
Sonata sales actually increased last year and that’s with an interruption in supply due to the model switchover (still low supply of certain trims).
While the new design went overly conservative (due to Hyundai catering to the more conservative taste of the South Korean market) as a reaction to the overly bust previous gen model, the biggest issue is really Hyundai not being competitive with the incentives in thinking that a new model didn’t need to be.
But the days of a new model not needing to match incentives are over (maybe for the 1st couple of months or for a model that is in short supply).
Really not a bad car in the midsize sedan segment so buyers these days often go with the best deal.
Just hope Kia doesn’t mess up the new Optima.
And yes, the 1.6T with the DCT is the powertrain to get in the Sonata and Hyundai is making a mistake in thinking that the Eco won’t be a volume trim.
So doesn’t this kind of lend credence that people value style over substance?
Yes. Just like the sales success of the new Darth-Face Camry.
The exception that proves the rule
Fred, I said that wrong. I agree with you that “style” trumps everything else and the success of the, to me, hideous Camry is proof from the opposite side of the issue.
Fred, I said that wrong.
I meant that the success of the hideous Camry is also proof that “style” trumps everything as with the decline in this handsome Sonata’s sales.
I’m not surprised at the comments. The vast majority of the B&B has always been conservative auto enthusiasts, who’s enthusiasm for automobiles is best exemplified by a spreadsheet. Cheap, cheap, cheap and don’t do anything that could possibly affect the resale, even slightly – which is definitely in the styling realm.
I often wonder why nearly the entire comment crowd just doesn’t buy Corolla’s and Camry’s. They certain best exemplify what is desired in a car.
@Syke
Amen Brother!
Syke, you say this like these were bad things :)
“I often wonder why nearly the entire comment crowd just doesn’t buy Corolla’s and Camry’s. ”
What, and have TWO?
Syke, take this as constructive criticism as you’re in your 60s or 70s (or something close, based on your prior statements), but you really look the fool when you generalize, and you look the fool at a deep level today.
Speaking as to my own ACTIONS, I’ve purchased new vehicles ranging from $14,xxx to $52,xxx, and I’ve learned that what you may refer to as “cheap” amongst many who are far more interested in vehicles than the average bear often has MUCH TO DO with life experience teaching that there is commonly little correlation between high prices & high quality.
My best vehicle was purchased new for 22k. My second best was a tie, with one purchased used for 14 and one purchased new for 14.5k (for vastly different reasons). Third best? New and 38k.
All of these vehicles were superior in every way I care about (and truly of better quality) than
almost all the vehicles with MSRP of 45k up to 110k that I’ve driven/rented/tested in the last 6 years or so.
I’d take a well used (but well maintained) stripper (manual) BMW E46 at 14k over a brand spanking new 58k Cadillac CTS however trimmed any day of the week, and I’m pretty sure where the true quality differences between the two vehicles exist.
YMMV. But you’d be really wise in the way a man your age should be to admit such facts, and to never mistake those appreciating true quality over skin deep flash as “cheap.”
@Deadweight
Most on here would never contemplate a stripper BMW new or used, because Dog-forbid it might cost them $100/yr more than a Camcord or panther. The Camcord class (or equivalent wagon on stilts) really are the value sweet-spot of the auto world, and if you can’t understand what another $15K gets you, then enjoy(?) your Camry and spend the $15K on something that makes you happy.
I actually agree with you. There is accelerating diminishing returns as cars exceed ~$40K. And it is an exponential curve. I think there is more difference (and more added value) between a 3-series and a Camry than there is between a 3-series and a 7-series for example. And I think a base 320i is a MUCH better value than a loaded 335i. I don’t have your venomous hate of the current Cadillacs, but I do think they are poor value for the money, whereas I don’t feel that way about a relatively basic 3-series or A4. Realistically, if I had a family or something else I cared to spend money on I would be perfectly happy to drive $5-$10K used cars.
All that said, I did just order an almost fully loaded M235i (got a good deal on it though). Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds and all that… :-)
“I often wonder why nearly the entire comment crowd just doesn’t buy Corolla’s and Camry’s. They certain best exemplify what is desired in a car.”
Well a good lot of us worship the almighty Panther platform, is that close enough?
Either that or we worship the old Camcords, when they were cramped and even less stylish.
Have to agree with most of the comments here.
I have a previous generation Sonata and actually prefer the looks of the new one. Almost wish that I had waited and bought a new one, but then I would not have been able to get the M6 transmission.
My mother also has the previous generation Sonata and prefers its looks to those of the new one.
Beauty as they say is in the eye of the beholder.
Also have to agree both the latest generation of Fusion and Mazda 6 are nice looking cars.
Neither car is really pretty, but at least this one will age better. The prior Sonata is going to look like a tacky period-piece for some time.
The Elantra did this styling language better.
Or you could say the same about the new camry. The accountants got control of the latest camry. I say this because is it scoring low or last in many sedan comparo test. Sonata first.
Motorweek test, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouyzV3hIqH8
I also like the current Sonata model better. The previous iteration was an eye-catcher at first, but it didn’t age well in my eyes.
The current iteration has much of the aura of my Genesis and I admire the Genesis every time I approach it.
To be fair, both aforementioned generations look and drive great IMO. I wouldn’t say the design did not “age well” but maybe just the novelty of the design has worn off on us. If that makes sense?
It’s a competitive recipe that only needed a manual gearbox (turbo) to have me sold!
It is interesting that Hyundai went conservative with the Sonata at exactly the same time that others (read: Fusion, 200 and Camry) went for higher style.
Well, at least the interior’s improved, and apparently it drives better (I drove a last-gen 2.0T and it felt responsive but jumpy over the road).
The new Camry and Accord seem to be selling well too, also another factor in addition to a better Fusion. Competition just got better.
I thought the previous design had a premium look that trumped the competitors in the market – Accord, Camry, Malibu, Altima, etc. It created a splash in the segment and caused the other manufacturers to increase the style factor with their upcoming redesigns. Fast forward to today and the new version looks like white bread – boring, tasteless and not memorable. Every time I see one on the road I think it looks dated and forgettable. I hope they don’t dumb down the styling of the upcoming Optima (cousin to the Sonata), because as a current owner of a 2012 Optima SX, I think it is a good looking vehicle.
« While 2014 sales of the Sonata were up 6.5 percent over 2013, they were at their lowest level since the car’s wide release in 2011. »
My brain hurts.
« While 2014 sales of the Sonata were up 6.5 percent over 2013, they were at their lowest level since the car’s wide release in 2011. »
-I finally understand what D.K. is saying. To be fair, I have not had my $5 Starbucks.
Hyundai is the dowdy sister to Kia’s Optima. In the southwest US as the last generation aged Optima sales outpaced Sonata sales. To my sensibility it has become Hyundai = Buick & Kia = Pontiac.
The last thing we need is to compare POS Korean Krap with Buicks or Pontiacs! (you CAN do that with Daewoo-based Pontiacs however). Kia and Hyundai dump these rolling turds on our soil and will not allow U.S. manufacturers to sell their products in Korea. As I recall, some years ago if you wanted to buy a Ford Taurus in Seoul it would be close to $45,000 with tariffs added on.
Typical imbalance of trade allowed by politicians receiving their version of cash incentives.
Here’s the real scenario: about a year and a half after buying these “Near Beer” cans people finally get tired and ashamed of hearing “What, you bought a Hyundai/Kia?”
Without the 10/100,000 warranty these metallic cesspools would just depreciate on dealer lots and eventually roll into creeks where they can be returned to nature. And notice how most Kia and Hyundai dealers add $3,000 “Market Value” Mark-ups next to the MSRP. There should be a $5 recycling fee instead.
1. Most KIA and Hyundai dealers do not add “Market Value” adjustments to their prices. “ve known plenty of people who have bought one and never had that. We bought our 3rd Soul, even with a tight inventory there were no extra additions to the sticker price.
2. I haven’t known anyone to be “ashamed” to be buying one of their cars now. If it was the Sephia then I would be all over that.
3. I’ve had personal experience in GM, Ford, Chrysler from ownership, employment, as well as family who has worked for GM and Ford. Every single Ford, GM and Chrysler that I’ve owned has been in the shop with some major problem before 100K miles. 100K on my last KIA and the only issue that I had was the tires wearing out early (GoodYear Eagle LS2 which were made in Japan, and the Cooper Zeon replacements.) Put a set of Hankook tires on there and the ride improved and they lasted twice as long as the other sets. And yes the car was aligned by a trusted independent shop, and tires were road force balanced.
4. Just remember people had the same attitude towards Japanese cars….where are they now?
“Just remember people had the same attitude towards Japanese cars….where are they now?”
Saw Jeff’s comment yesterday and was strangely stunned but too buried in work to respond. Now I’ve got it sorted.
That kind of wet-lipped knuckle dragging takes me back thutty year. Makes me feel spry again.
Thanks, Jeff!
“The last thing we need is to compare POS Korean Krap with Buicks or Pontiacs!”
Almost every Korean vehicle built since approx 2006 that I know of is SUPERIOR to almost any Buick or Pontiac post-1970s that I know of (the very reliable 3800 Series GM motor in both certain Pontiacs & Buicks, notwithstanding).
Really? Son, people are buying these cars like they are chocolate truffles that burn body fat. And putting mucho miles on ’em. I ain’t seeing no beaters either. You really think they’re cheap? Whole lot of folks seem to disagree…
“While 2014 sales of the Sonata were up 6.5 percent over 2013, they were at their lowest level since the car’s wide release in 2011.”
While 2014 sales of the Camry were up 4.9 percent over 2013, they have actually dropped 1.3% since 2002.
In the same 2002-14 timeframe, Sonata is up 319%.
Meanwhile, the entire mid-size car market is shrinking.
The 15 Sonata is doing fine, yet TTAC keeps running stories on how it isn’t. That isn’t really the “truth” about cars. Cherry picking, that’s what this story is.
Here are the numbers, clearly showing 2012 was the high point for US sales
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01/hyundai-sonata-sales-figures.html
The question is why? Styling maybe part of it, but surely downturn in the economy and increased competition have an impact as well
Biggest impact? They switched brands on their new-car-smell spray.
Yes, that was my source also.
My point is this: Shall we also say the Camry has a problem since its 2014 sales volume is 10% below its 2007 peak?
This article is merely selectively picking on the Sonata, which enjoyed a bigger increase than the Camry in the last year, yet somehow the Sonata is a failure and the Camry is untouchable.
The 10-11 redesign of the Sonata made a marked impact on sales, but the 15 redesign is so subtle that its looks can’t be attributed to any sales changes, either good or bad.
The entire story is BS.
On both iterations, I detest the chrome strip at the top of the front fenders. Looks like a piece of molding to cover an after thought gap in fit. I like the newer front grill, but the back end/lights are too generic. From the rear I confuse Sonata with Fusion. At least the interior is a big plus.
I sat in both Sonata and Genesis at the recent Auto show in L.A. and prefer the ergonomics of the Sonata. In the Genesis, when the seat is high enough to look out over the cowl, my head was brushing the sunroof equipped head liner… and that’s without the bump of the first pothole.
The new one seems to be selling just fine in my area. I like it a lot better than the YF (2011-2014) Sonata, and we have a 2012 Sonata Limited (naturally-aspirated) in our fleet…
When you overstyle a mainstream car, you risk becoming cliché. In street terms, it becomes “played out,” sort of like Lambo door mods. The Sonata’s problems, however, are not quite like the 2012 Civic.
The Civic that year was decontented–perhaps not in feature count but in interior quality and exterior style. Not only was the body more conservative; Honda actually succeeded in making the damned thing look OLDER than the 2006 Civic. That in itself is shocking. Buyers did not flinch in the short term, but Honda quickly realised that they need to be on their best behaviour as the competition caught up quickly.
“Hyundai enthusiasts” are still a niche market (or a group of keyboard warriors), so the matured body style should not be a big factor. Early reviews also seem to agree that the Sonata’s problem does not seem lie with interior quality.
I’m willing to bet that Hyundai has been trying to move up on the price scale, and too quickly. Buyers at a Toyota dealer want a good car at a fair price. If I step into a Hyundai dealer, I want a great car at a great price. This is already an improvement from 2001, where if I stepped into a Hyundai dealer I would be broke and looking for a used car. You can’t change expectations within one generation of Sonata. Keep winning comparison tests for a few years with different models, and consumers may start to “want” your brand and pay up for it.
You nailed it.
I had to think for a moment before mentioning Hyundai enthusiasts. I decided the risk of death threats from stanced Genny Coupe owners with Korean-spec (sorry….”KDM Bro!”) Genesis badges was low.
The Genesis sedan, however…..now we’re talking about a good deal.
Some may feel that the Civic is “fixed”, but the last several coupes I have observed on the street sure look like they could be the son of a 2009 Cobalt XFE. Maybe it’s just the loss leader specials I happen to notice, but they sure are hard on the eyes. I’ve never been a fan of the bi-level dashboards as the Civic has it, so that’s another minus for me.
As for the Sonata, initially I didn’t like the 2011 version, but oddly, it has grown on me. This newer version while more grown up, seems generic, like Hyundai hasn’t been for a while. At first glance, I have to look really closely to see if it’s the new Sonata or the new Legacy. Maybe once I see more of them my opinion will change…
The Civic was “fixed” for 2013, but that was in 2013. Once again, the competition have been making huge leaps in economy car interior design. I can’t believe I can actually praise the interior of the new Corolla.
The ’14 and earlier copped mightily from MB, Toyota, and Don Heck. The ’15 seems to have copped from Ford (Fusion), VW and Walt Simonson.
I find it odd how users like the sport Sonatas more bland styling, even though whenever I squint I just see a mis-proportioned Honda Crosstour.
This new bold design will hopefully look a bit less busy and give the Sonata a longer nose.
Funny how perceptions change over time. I was following a first (?) gen Sonata the other day and my late uncle had the squarish version prior to the ‘swoopy’ Sonata. If you compared the current car to those, you would have thought the 2015 car was more like a *2030* model year car.
I like the current Sonata better. The swoopy one was *too* swoopy, to me. Also, given that the redesign is coming with the refresh, it doesn’t sound quite like the emergency redesign the Civic received.
I can’t find Unripe Tomato as a color option on their website.
“Unripe Tomato”… I love it.
We’ve been a Hyundai family for several years, but when shopping for a sedan recently the 2015 Sonata underwhelmed me in every way: Tepid performance, unsettled suspension, bland styling, plasticky interior, and light-grey fabrics that come back from three months of rental fleet duty looking 15 years old.
The Koreans are said to be impatient business people, and in this case it does appear that Hyundai was a little quick to rest on the laurels which it had just started to acquire.