Hyundai Sonata Photo Gallery

Large chrome grille and headlamp assemblies that extend well into the fenders.

Chrome trim extends from base of side windows along the fender to the headlight, a unique detail.

Dramatic styling includes a steeply raked windshield.

SE's 18-inch wheels look much better than the GLS's 16s and Limited's 17s.

Coupe-like roofline. Tail light assemblies also wrap well around the Sonata's corners.

Attractive curves cut into actual and especially perceived roominess. Dark in the SE.

Instrument panel effectively offers both form and function.

Logically organized controls include four knobs. Warm blue highlights. Poorly trimmed wheel.

Firm and supportive, but could be more comfortably contoured.

Plenty of legroom, but low cushion to permit decent headroom beneath fast roof line.

Large, 16.4 cubic foot trunk. The Mazda6's is 16.6, the Altima's 15.4.

200-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. For more power, you need more cylinders or a turbo.

Uncluttered under the cover.

New grille looks like that of a Taurus to you? If so, you're far from alone.

All Sonatas get LEDs in the lower front fascia, but Sports also get the dark piece of trim.

Paint it orange, and the new Sonata might grab as much attention as the old one.

Much swoopier nose on the 2011-2014 Sonata.

Chrome fender strip and coupe-like rear roof line survived the redesign.

The dramatically sweeping lines continued through the body sides, catching many an eye.

The Sport 2.0T is visually distinguished by 18-inch wheels and quad exhaust outlets.

The roof line has allegedly been retained, but even from this angle the old car was more dramatic.

Interior styling is similarly much less dramatic.

Old car also more dramatic inside, but this compromised perceived roominess and had fewer fans.

No complicated knob-based system here. Just clear, simple controls.

New horizontal emphasis does increase perceived roominess.

Sonata Sport 2.0T bucket gets larger (but still widely spaced) bolsters and contrasting piping.

Among the roomiest rear seats in the segment.

Competitive trunk.

A turbocharged four-cylinder engine continues to be offered instead of a V6.

Peak output is down by 29 horsepower, but there's a 20 percent bump at 1,500 rpm.

The air filter is especially easy to access.

State-of-the-art assembly plant in Montgomery, AL, operates around the clock.

Will another redesign yield another bump in sales?

A much more conventional face. Black panel in the center of the grill for the adaptive cruise.

Odd face on the 2013. The message from the market is that people wanted a hybrid to look different.

Less striking, more conventional exterior with the 2015 redesign. Is it now boring?

The previous generation Sonata was much swoopier, and much more distinctive.

Though the Sonata is a sedan, its roof line extends nearly to the trailing edge of the trunk.

Special wheels for the hybrid.

This blue suits it.

Bigger butt.

The new, much less curvy instrument panel enhances roominess real and (especially) perceived.

Stylish curves weren't good for perceived room

Functional instrument panel, but why did they make it so plain, even cheap-looking?

Much narrower center stack on the previous generation. Not everyone was a fan of the sci-fi look.

Flat silver trim panels are very 1990s Ford.

Driver seat proved comfortable during a five-hour drive. Very good driving position.

Roomy, comfortable rear seat. Among the best in a midsize sedan.

Roomy trunk despite being a hybrid. And the seat folds to open up a uesfully large pass-through.

Neat under the hood.

Drives like a regular car. Looks like a regular engine. Only the orange cable reveals its identity.

Wait until fall, and your Korean hybrid can look like this instead.

The Kia also has a more upscale and more luxurious interior.