Hyundai Sonata gets ‘Horizon Lamp' facelift for bold modern look in EV age

TOKYO – Hyundai is giving the Sonata sedan a modern facelift with a radical horizontal light bar across the front hood lip, a sporty new low-slung grille and a panoramic digital display.

Hyundai calls the new front lighting motif the Seamless Horizon Lamp. Preview photos show a striking front identity created by the illuminated line stretching across the front fascia.

The new look mirrors that deployed in the redesigned Kona electric vehicle, which will be shown at next month's New York auto show. The updated Sonata will debut at the Seoul Mobility Show that starts March 30 and is not expected to be on display in New York.

A Hyundai spokeswoman in Seoul said U.S. introduction plans are still under consideration.

The Sonata update comes as Hyundai tries to eke extra mileage from the long-running midsize sedan before discontinuing the nameplate after the current generation.

The eighth-generation Sonata arrived for the 2020 model year with big styling changes. An N Line model came for 2021. But the sedan might not survive to the end of the decade. U.S. Sonata sales tumbled 41 per cent to 55,131 units in 2022 as customers dumped sedans for crossovers. Canadian sales fell 70 per cent to just 1,021.

The reworked front end aims to boost the Sonata's sporty qualities, Hyundai said.

Hidden headlights, a wide grille and horizontally angled air intakes imbue a dynamic stance, while the new horizon lamp accentuates the wide footprint with dramatic flair.

Inside the updated Sonata, the cockpit gets a sweeping curved display that combines a 12.3-inch driver-information cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment system.

Hyundai also added new interior color combinations.