2012 Hyundai Sonata Review

Sounds daunting, right? With That in mind, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being placed right back into the middle of the hotly-contested family sedan segment, already occupied by established players Such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, to name just a few.

Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor.



Erase everything you know about yesterday's Sonata. Forget Those memories, delete the images. Reformat the hard drive. Created by the team Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, California, the sleek new four-door is a fresh face in a segment full of cookie-cutter sedans. Interesting and stylish, the Sonata offers an Engaging mix of traditional four-door sedan and coupe rolled into one.



For the 2012 Sonata, Hyundai adds a new Telematics service (Blue Link), a higher-resolution touchscreen display to the optional navigation system and a panoramic sunroof to the Limited trim levels. Among midsize sedans, the 2012 Hyundai Sonata is the Korean automaker's Contender. Inside, the Sonata is big enough That the EPA deems it a "large" car.  

The 2012 Hyundai Sonata is a midsize family sedan available in GLS, SE and Limited trim levels. The sole optional package for the GLS equipment includes alloy wheels, automatic headlights and an eight-way power driver seat. Opting for the SE with the turbocharged engine also adds dual-zone automatic climate control and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. An optional Navigation and Sunroof package bundles (you guessed it) a navigation system with touchscreen display, a rearview camera, premium Infinity speakers and a sunroof.

The plush Sonata Limited has all the SE's features, but substitutes 17-inch alloy wheels, a cushier suspension and full leather upholstery. It also gains side mirror turn signal repeaters, a panoramic sunroof, heated seats (front and rear), dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, an upgraded audio system (with HD radio and a six-CD changer) Accents and unique interiors. The turbocharged variant Limited adds 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust tips and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The standard Sonata engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder makes 198 hp and That 184 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the GLS, while a six-speed automatic is optional on That trim and standard on the SE and Limited. Sonatas sold in California-emission states can have PZEV emissions certification, though the output drops slightly to 190 hp.

A powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine generating 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque is available on SE and Limited models. The six-speed automatic is standard. In Edmunds performance testing, a Sonata GLS 2.4-liter with automatic transmission accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds. The Sonata's EPA fuel economy estimates are equally impressive. The 2.4-liter engine is rated at 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway and 28 combined, regardless of transmission. The 2.0-liter turbo, despite its significant boost in power, a very impressive returns 22/34/26 mpg.

All 2012 Hyundai sonatas come equipped with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, front seat side-impact airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active front head restraints and BlueLinx Telematics emergency.

In government testing, the Sonata earned a top five-star rating for overall crash protection, four out of five stars for front-impact protection and five stars for side-impact protection. In Edmunds brake testing, the Sonata GLS Came to a stop from 60 mph in 128 feet. A 2.0-liter turbo model with Wider tires stopped slightly shorter at 120 feet. The 2012 Hyundai Sonata strikes a perfectly acceptable balance the between comfort and confidence.