High-tech in-dash rearview cameras, intricate details like diamond knurling, and even nature sounds have critics citing the 2020 Sonata as an all-around good deal.
In spring 2019, Hyundai introduced its 2020 Sonata at the New York International Auto Show, showcasing the automaker’s latest version of its longest-standing and most successful model.
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata has a sporty four-door coupe look with a spacious and technology-packed interior that was inspired by the Le Fil Rouge four-door-coupe concept shown at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
The Le Fil Rouge concept is a reinterpretation of Hyundai’s sporty design spirit that was first introduced in the 1974 Hyundai Coupe Concept Car by famous Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. Exemplifying what Hyundai calls its “sensuous sportiness” design philosophy, the Le Fil Rouge — and successively the 2020 Sonata — seamlessly melded aesthetics and function.
Boasting a high-powered look, the 2020 Sonata has a height that is nearly an inch lower than any of its predecessors. The model included an all-new Smartstream G2.5 GDI engine and segment-first technology that could be personalized.
Production of the 2020 Sonata began in early fall 2019 and sales began in October, with a starting price of $23,600. The 2020 model has since gone on to rack up countless awards, including for its interior.
“Sonata is our signature product,” said Mike O’Brien, Hyundai’s V.P. of Digital Planning. “Having been one of our first and most successful nameplates, Sonata is our legacy, and it needs to be special and memorable in all attributes. Sonata signifies our vision for future Hyundai designs, great active safety systems, and cutting-edge technology that is effortless.”
Does the 2020 Sonata Have a Comfortable Interior?
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata debuted with a skillfully designed cabin that featured the latest advanced technologies, which makes sense when you consider that the car’s instrument panel was inspired by a stealth aircraft.
The unique aircraft design philosophy carries over into other areas of the vehicle, from the long armrests to the chrome accents.
Hyundai smartly melds the interior and exterior aesthetic of the 2020 Sonata via a simple but impactful chrome treatment that is used on the inside and outside of the vehicle.
The chrome accent is just one of many subtle and some not-so-subtle innovations and design ideas that make the redesigned 2020 Sonata a stand-out vehicle.
The vehicle also features a 10.25-inch screen split-screen infotainment system that allows audio and navigation to be displayed simultaneously. The cloud-based speech recognition is powered by Blue Link, while the cluster supervision display is a full 12.3 inches.
Designers also compressed the height of the dashboard and HVAC vents to emphasize the lightweight ambiance.
2020 Sonata’s Comfort Features
In addition to high-tech safety features like blind-spot cameras built into the dash, the 2020 Sonata features a number of advanced comfort and convenience features typically found only in luxury cars, including:
- Sunroof
- Electric parking brake
- High-speed wireless smartphone charging pad
- Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Text-to-speech via Bluetooth
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Split-folding rear seats
- Smart trunk
And considering its price — $23,387 – $33,719 — the luxury accents on the award-winning interior alone makes the 2020 model a car worth considering when looking to buy a new or pre-owned Sonata.
Tech & Safety
Some of the more subtle interior innovations on the 2020 Hyundai Sonata include ambient mood lighting featured across the dashboard and doors.
Spanning the full width of the cabin, the slim dashboard includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which is customizable to suit different driving modes. The cluster has four views: utility, driver assistance, navigation, and parking assistance.
The “massive” screen is one of the first things that Motor Trend noticed about the 2020 Sonata Hybrid’s interior.
“…The massive touchscreen blends nicely into the dashboard,” writes Kelly Lin. “The screen pairs well with the second defining point of the interior: the fully digital instrument cluster. Dominated by screens instead of buttons, the dashboard boasts a clean and uncluttered look.”
The Motor Trend review also mentions wishing that Hyundai “eliminated some of the grainy plastics on the doors, dashboard, and center console… A few more plush surfaces would give the cabin a premium feel fitting of a top-trim model.”
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata maximizes safety with advanced technologies. This includes Hyundai’s SmartSense driver assistance system, which is a series of sensors, often restricted to luxury cars, that work together to warn the driver and may take action in the event of a safety incident. The model’s third-generation vehicle platform delivered an improvement in collision safety for drivers.
In April 2020, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata and Sonata Hybrid achieved an overall five-star safety rating – the highest possible score – by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA).
Already a recipient of a Top Safety Pick award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Sonata was highlighted by the NHTSA for featuring exemplary standard safety technologies.
“As the most recent addition to Hyundai’s lineup, the 2020 Sonata incorporates Hyundai’s most advanced safety technologies with sophisticated looks and comfort to provide shoppers with high value and peace-of-mind,” said Brian Latouf, Hyundai’s Chief Safety Officer. “Sonata creates a new benchmark in the segment and underscores Hyundai’s commitment to offering the highest levels of quality and safety in all of our vehicles.”
The 2020 Sonata includes a range of active and passive safety technologies, including a nine-airbag set-up, while the advanced driver assistance system works to alert drivers to things they may miss while driving.
The 2020 Hyundai also combines technological development with space-saving benefits. The new Shift by Wire gear selector is an example and takes up significantly less space than a traditional gear selector.
Digital Key
The Sonata supports Hyundai Digital Key technology via a dedicated smartphone app. Hyundai Digital Key works only when the device and the reader are within several centimeters of each other.
The Android-powered Hyundai Digital Key app also allows smartphones to control some vehicle systems remotely, such as starting the engine, activating the panic alert, and locking and unlocking the car.
With the Hyundai Digital Key app, the Sonata owner can preset the duration of vehicle use or limit the use to only certain features when loaning the vehicle, and the keys can be revoked remotely.
However, each Sonata still comes with traditional keys.
Bose Sound System
At the heart of the audio-video system is the first result of a new collaboration between Hyundai and Bose engineers. The Bose Premium sound system is equipped with 12 speakers that synchronize to deliver a high-quality audio experience.
Audio and EQ adjustments are made automatically, depending on the vehicle’s speed, while Bose Centerpoint surround technology and Bose Surround Stage signal processing put every occupant at the center of the audio experience, regardless of where they are positioned in the cabin.
Maximizing the sense of a spacious interior was reportedly a key focus for Hyundai’s designers and engineers. Alongside visual devices that create an impression of greater room, the new Sonata features an optional panoramic sunroof that amplifies the light and airy ambiance.
Full Head-up Display
With a projected image size of eight inches, the Sonata’s head-up display provides improved visibility in different lighting conditions. It can also be adjusted in both angle and height for better visibility.
The head-up display supports driving safety by displaying information such as speed and navigation commands, as well as alerts from active safety and driving assistance features.
The 2020 Sonata received many system enhancements. As with most Hyundai models, Blue Link was complimentary on the 2020 Sonata for three years and included remote start with climate control, remote door lock/unlock, stolen vehicle recovery, and destination search by voice.
Surround-view Monitor
The Sonata uses four cameras to provide the driver with an enhanced, bird’s-eye view of the car’s exterior.
Reverse parking collision avoidance assist helps detect pedestrians and obstacles with a rearview camera and ultrasonic sensors. The system can provide warnings and apply emergency braking to assist in the avoidance of a collision.
2020 Hyundai Sonata Awards: Interior to Tech
In addition to the 2020 Hyundai Sonata receiving an overall five-star safety rating from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, the model also received numerous awards, nominations, and honors for safety, design, and technology. Its interior certainly did not go unnoticed either.
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata was named one of Autotrader‘s 10 Best Car Interiors Under $50,000 for 2020. The honor was one of many accolades for the eighth-generation Sonata, Hyundai’s longest-standing nameplate, and most successful model.
“Most people spend several hours inside their vehicle each week, so interior features are extremely important when determining which car to buy,” said Tara Trompeter, managing editor for Autotrader. “We placed the price cap for this list at $50,000, with many of the selected vehicles coming in well below that figure. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get a nice interior.”
“We’re honored to have the Sonata named to Autotrader‘s 10 Best Car Interiors Under $50,000 for 2020 list,” said Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “This recognition by Autotrader magnifies consumer awareness of the Hyundai brand and our company’s commitment to making great products, both inside and out.”
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata was also awarded the 2020 Best Auto Tech Award by Kelley Blue Book, which recognizes models with the best in-car technology at a good price. The award honored the vehicles with the most advanced infotainment and active safety features at a great value to car buyers.
The Hyundai Sonata was also named “Sedan of the Show” by the Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA) at the 2019 Miami International Auto Show. The award was determined by a panel of judges consisting of industry-leading automotive journalists
“As a number of American car brands abandoned the traditional sedan market, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata is a resounding riposte to their decision,” said Joaquin Ruhi, a SAMA Awards jury member.
“Billed as a four-door coupe, its stunning ‘sensuous sportiness’ design language is aptly named and full of eye-catching details, from the low-set broad front grille to daytime running lights that creep onto the chrome hood molding…. Hyundai’s traditionally high levels of standard equipment and quality interior materials clinched the deal.”
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata was also recognized as a finalist at the 2019 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) for the vehicle’s bold and artful design innovations.
IDEA honors design excellence that improves quality of life and pushes conceptual and engineering boundaries in categories such as “Automotive and Transportation,” “Design Strategy,” and “Consumer Technology.”
Additionally, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata was named among the top three finalists for the 2020 North American Car of the Year and Utility of the Year awards. This marked the second consecutive year that a Hyundai model had been nominated to the finalist round, with the 2019 Hyundai Kona named the winner of the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year.
The jury for the North American Car, Utility, and Truck of the Year awards included 50 automotive journalists from numerous outlets in the United States and Canada.
In August 2020, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata awarded “Best New Car for Teens $30K to $35K” by U.S. News & World Report. Vehicles awarded “Best New Cars for Teens” are ranked based on having the best combination of predicted reliability ratings, crash test scores, available advanced driver assistance features, and top critics’ recommendations.
Does the 2020 Sonata Have a Good Interior?
“[The 2020 Hyundai Sonata] impresses with lots of high-tech features that the competitors don’t offer, but with a price of $34,590 it’s also a lot more expensive than many of the competitors, who all give you much more power for the same money,” says auto influencer Matt Maran in his 2020 review of the Hyundai Sonata Limited‘s interior.
However, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata’s interior seems to have scored universal praise from many auto sites and influencers, from Doug DeMuro to Kelley Blue Book. And even Maran is won over by the Sonata in the end.
“The steering wheel in the Sonata has a really nice feel,” asserts Maran in his review. “I think a lot of people thought the design was a little funky, but I personally don’t mind it.
“There are a few buttons on the steering wheel, but it’s nicely uncluttered,” he continues. “It even has metal-plated paddle shifters on the back, which is a nice touch.
“I was impressed when I saw how Hyundai even went to the trouble of doing this diamond knurling design on the plastic edges of the turn signal and wiper stalks,” he adds, “which is really going the extra mile.
“No one in the auto industry redesigns their whole wiper stalk and turn signal stalk for a new vehicle,” continues Maran. “It’s always the same parts for every company for the past 10 years. And the fact that this is new is really impressive. It’s a small thing but it shows they really went the extra mile with the new Sonata.”
Kelley Blue Book was equally impressed with the 2020 Sonata and its interior. “The cabin looks stylish while avoiding gimmickry,” says KBB’s Micah Muzio in his review. “In terms of passenger space, the Sonata is amply accommodating.
“The seats are comfortably shaped and I have more than enough legroom in back,” adds Muzio, “and thanks to a contoured headliner, my head clears, but just barely.”
Popular YouTuber Joe Raiti of Raiti’s Rides agrees that the 2020 Hyundai Sonata offers decent headspace despite initial appearances.
“There is plenty of room in the back,” says Raiti during his walk-around review of the vehicle. “Plenty of headroom. I was [initially] a little concerned because from outside, this car has a really sharp sloping roof. But I’m telling you, there’s plenty of headroom in here.”
In DeMuro’s coverage of the Sonata, he points out some of the “interesting quirks” found in the interior of the redesigned 2020 vehicle. For instance, the sound system comes pre-loaded with sounds. But don’t expect any Lynyrd Skynyrd or Led Zeppelin classics. “I don’t mean music,” clarifies DeMuro, “I mean ‘sounds.'”
“Move over to the ‘Sounds of Nature’ button on the infotainment system,” he advises, “tap it, and then you have many different options for nature sounds that you can listen to.”
He showcases some of the options that include everything from a lively forest and calm sea to a bustling cafe and even a roaring fireplace.
“But the weirdest one,” DeMuro points out, “is the ‘snowy village.’ What exactly does a snowy village sound like?!?” [Spoiler alert: Although he plays the sound, we’re still baffled.]
After he laughs off the quirky sounds of nature feature, DeMuro showcases one of the interior’s other “quirks,’ as he calls it. However, it is one of the most innovative and practical safety features on the 2020 Hyundai Sonata: the blind spot camera.
“When you put on your turn signal, a camera turns on in the gauge cluster showing your blind spot in whatever direction you’ve just signaled. This is a brilliant idea that allows you to see if there are cars behind you without having to a dangerous over-the-shoulder check where you take your eyes off the road. It’s a brilliant feature.
“Of course, if you signal in the other direction, the other side of the gauge cluster puts on a camera showing the blind spot on the other side [of the car].”
“I’ve [seen] this feature in a few Kia and Hyundai models,” he adds. “It is truly brilliant, and I really hope every automaker adopts it. It’s a huge safety improvement, one of the very best I’ve seen in recent years. And whenever I get out of a car that has that feature, and then get back into my car, I’m always thinking, I really wish I had those turn signal blind spot cameras.”
Photos: Hyundai
