Motoring

Can this sporty Hyundai Sonata help the brand?

Hyundai strives to bring a dose of sporty driving and excitement to its range of vehicles

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 28 Sep 2020 8:50AM

Can this sporty Hyundai Sonata help the brand?
The Hyundai Sonata N Line. – Pic courtesy of Hyundai, September 28, 2020

by Daniel Fernandez

HYUNDAI just cannot get a break into this region even with sexy new models.

This is the Hyundai Sonata N Line which has just been unveiled to the world. This is Hyundai’s latest addition for its sporty N Line sub-brand. Hyundai is trying to bring a dose of sporty driving and excitement to its range of vehicles that have had little interest with car tuners.

Hyundai product planners want to give Hyundai a dose of excitement just like how the ‘M’ Sport package does for BMW and AMG does for Mercedes-Benz.

Hyundai’s N Line started with the i30 sedan in 2018 which underwent 10,000 km of driving on the Nordschliefe at the Nürburgring race circuit for durability testing.

The ‘N’ in Hyundai N stands for Namyang, home to Hyundai Motor’s global R&D Centre in Korea since 1995, where the idea was born, and for the Nürburgring, home to Hyundai Motor’s European Test Centre, where the i30 N was further developed and tested. The close connection between Namyang and the Nürburgring created the foundation for N, aiming to build on the company’s motorsport experience to bring thrilling winding road fun to customers who love cars. The ‘N’ logo itself embodies this idea, as it symbolises a chicane.

Now, this N Line inspired Sonata does tick all the right boxes for a sporty looking sedan. Starting from what is already an attractive design in the form of the latest Sonata, the N Line package adds a more imposing front end design with three small air intakes centrally located on the redesigned front bumper. An N Line badge on the signature cascading front grille is also present.

The N Line's sporty four-door-coupe look. – Pic courtesy of Hyundai, September 28, 2020
The N Line's sporty four-door-coupe look. – Pic courtesy of Hyundai, September 28, 2020

Round the side of the Sonata N Line will be 19-inch alloy wheels and more pronounced side skirts, in keeping with Hyundai’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design identity. The rear end meanwhile is probably the most distinct departure from the normal Sonata. As the N-Line features not only quad exhaust pipes housed within a black N Line rear diffuser, but also an integrated black rear spoiler too.

The N Line touches continue on the interior with dark chrome trim, red stitching on the steering wheel and red piping on the N-badged seats. Thus bringing the performance design from the outside into the cabin. There is even an N emblem on the base of the steering wheel as a reminder of this Sonata N Line’s sporty aesthetic. Elsewhere however, the Sonata interior remains the same.

The Sonata N Line’s sporty aesthetic. – Pic courtesy of Hyundai, September 28, 2020
The Sonata N Line’s sporty aesthetic. – Pic courtesy of Hyundai, September 28, 2020

This 2020 Sonata is the first sedan designed with Hyundai’s Sensuous Sportiness design language. It is a fully transformed vehicle showcasing a sporty four-door-coupe look and represents the automaker’s new focus on creating emotional value using proportion, styling, and technology.

Let’s wait and see the sales response when it arrives in Malaysia. Somehow, Malaysian sedan buyers have been missing out on the high safety, good quality and cabin features that come with every Hyundai in favour of segment rivals. There must be a reason why and we want to hear from you if you know the reasons why. – The Vibes, September 28, 2020

This article is powered by www.dsf.my. For more automotive updates, follow DSF.my on Facebook and Instagram.

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