Next-Gen Hyundai Sonata Spotted With Major Design Changes

A heavily camouflaged test mule of the next-generation Hyundai Sonata sedan has been spotted and judging by the looks of it, the car will come with some major design changes. Interestingly, it was just early this year, in May that Hyundai launched the mid-cycle facelift of the Sonata in the United States, and now the carmaker has already started working on the new-gen model. While the car has been discontinued in India, it's still on sale in the US and few other global markets, and Hyundai might debut its Fluidic Sculpture 3.0 design language with the new-gen Sonata. The new-gen Sonata is expected to be introduced in late 2019 as a 2020 model.

New Hyundai Sonata spied alongside a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Chevy Malibu

The images also show the new Sonata test mule standing beside its rivals - a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Chevy Malibu, which indicates that the carmaker might be doing some benchmark testing. Despite the camouflage, the silhouette of the car itself reveals that the new-gen Sonata will see some considerable design changes. Some of the more noticeable changes include new door cuts, and a revised greenhouse, along with new outdoor rear-view mirrors (ORVMs) that are now mounted to the body instead of the window frame.

New Hyundai Sonata will gets an all-new face with a new grille and headlamps

As for the more hidden changes, the car will get an all-new face, judging from the heavy camouflage up front. However, we do get a sneak-peek of the new larger grille, which now comes with horizontal slats instead of the outgoing honeycomb pattern, and a pair of new headlamps. The test mule is also running on a set of black multi-spoke alloy wheels, however, these appear to be temporary units and the production version is likely to get different ones. We do not get to see the cabin in these images, which we expect will also come with a major overhaul, similar to the exterior.

New Hyundai Sonata is also expected to come with a heavily updated cabin

The car is still in the early stages of development so it's too soon to comment on the technical specifications or engine options. However, the current model comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged, a 2.0-liter turbocharged, and a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Transmission options include a six-speed automatic, a seven-speed dual-clutch, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Considering the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine was recently added to the line-up it is likely to be carried over to the new model.

Image Source: Motor1/Automedia