Though Kia seemed to steal the limelight at the New York Auto show with the "driftable" Stinger GTS, their Korean counterpart still had a turbocharged trick up their sleeve.
Brian Smith, Hyundai's CEO announced that the new generation Hyundai Sonata will be a platform that covers both ends of the scale — from boosted goodness to electrification.
"Here’s something to look forward to; our all-new-Sonata story is just getting started. With its incredibly capable platform, we’re going to introduce some dramatically different variants. There’ll be an all-new hybrid coming next year."
If you decide to hold out for the boosted Sonata, Smith revealed that you're going to have to wait a little while, as "not long after that (the Sonata Hybrid’s unveiling), we’ll introduce the next model in our N Line."
Powering the N-Line Sonata will be Hyundai's iconic 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that you can currently find in the i30 N, i30 Fastback N, and the Veloster N. The spicy power plant produces a respectable 205kW, and we can expect the Sonata to adopt the same six-speed manual transmission of other N-Line models.
Looking at the other Sonata models, there will be two engine options to choose from. A 1.6-litre turbo producing 134kW and 264Nm of torque, and a 2.5-litre non-turbo that produces 142kW and 245Nm of torque. Interestingly, both options are four-cylinder engines and are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Alongside the Elantra and the Santa Fe, the Sonata will be built in Hyundai's Alabama factory. According to Brian Smith, the facility is expecting to add a fourth model in the near future.
