This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
The Hyundai Sonata N-Line comes with a special mesh grille, 19-inch alloy wheels and an N-Line badge in the grille. And, of course, a 290-horsepower turbocharged engine.
The Hundai Sonata N-Line sedan has room for up to five passengers, and has 16 cubic feet of trunk space.
After a complete makeover two years ago, the Hyundai Sonata returned for 2022 with an all-new N-Line performance edition that Hyundai bills as “Our most powerful Sonata ever.” Hyundai has recently added the N-Line special treatment to several of its models, and for the Sonata, the biggest news is what’s under the hood. The Sonata N-Line ($33,750 plus $1,045 freight) comes with Hyundai’s Smartstream 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an impressive 290 horsepower and 311 foot-pounds of torque.
It’s paired with an N-Line exclusive eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters, complete with Drive Mode Select. There are special appearance features, as well, including a black mesh grille with N-Line badge, unique 19-inch alloy wheels fitted with 245/40R19 tires, and special front and rear fascia. There are also dual twin exhaust outlets (four outlets in total). Other exterior features include a panoramic sunroof, LED headlights with automatic light control, hands-free smart trunk release, and LED daytime running lights.
N-Line specific features continue inside the car, and include sport, heated front bucket seats with Dinamica microfiber inserts; and N-Line unique leather-wrapped steering wheel. Driving the Sonata N-Line with the 290-horsepower engine was a kick. It’s not an overly heavy vehicle at 3,552 pounds, so there is plenty of power for quick passing and easy hill-climbing. This represents the seventh generation of its Sonata sedan. With the newest makeover, the Sonata received a stunning new look for both regular gasoline and gasoline-electric hybrid models.
The exterior appearance is more like that of a coupe than a sedan, adding to the car’s sporty good looks. This dramatic sport-coupe silhouette, with an aggressive new face that has the impressive LED lights integrated into the front fenders and with chrome trim. There is fastback styling at the rear with an exclusive spoiler, and many interior upgrades. Fuel economy is still quite decent even with the extra power of the turbo engine. EPA ratings are 23 mpg city/33 highway/27 combined. During our test week in the Sonata N-Line, we averaged about 26.3 mpg, with about a 60/40 mix of city/highway driving. Sonata overall comes in five gasoline-only trim levels for 2022. They begin with the base SE model ($24,500), followed by the SEL ($26,250), both of which come with the normally aspirated Smartstream 2.5 GDI four-cylinder engine, with 191 horsepower and 181 foot-pounds of torque. They also come with a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission.
The other two trims are the SEL-Plus ($31,450) and Limited ($34,400). Both of these come with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 195 foot-pounds of torque. These trims also come with the regular eight-speed automatic transmission. The Sonata’s eye-catching new lines include LED accent lights underlining the angular LED headlights, outlined by chrome strips that sweep along the hood to the chrome molding flowing down the side of the car and around the side windows. There are oval-shaped LED brake lights extending from side to side and a tapered tail, which give the Sonata an unmistakable look from the rear. Aerodynamic enhancements include the redesigned rear spoiler (looping up from the outer taillight bezels) and underbody panels in the front and back of the engine bay, under the center floor, and in the rear. Other aerodynamic elements include a bumper lip and wheel deflectors (which fill in behind the wheel). Door handles have touch sensors to lock/unlock/open. The hands-free smart trunk lid made loading/unloading the large trunk a breeze. There is 16 cubic feet of trunk space. The center console comes with two cupholders, phone slot, key slot, pushbutton shifter and wireless mobile charging pad. Our test vehicle came with the Phantom Black exterior, with a black interior. A 10.25-inch high-definition, customizable infotainment touch screen supported the Bose Premium Audio system with 12 speakers, navigation, natural language and cloud-based speech recognition by Blue Link, controls for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual Bluetooth (phone calls, text-to-speech, audio), apps, vehicle information and settings, and surround-view cameras. Also included were an AM/FM/HD radio with USB and auxiliary input jacks, Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car System, Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care, Remote and Guidance.
The 12.3-inch gauge cluster displayed navigation maps with bird’s-eye view, traffic flow and incident data. Navigation includes Blue Link Multimedia/Map updates. A very quiet cabin is the result of new soundproof glass, improved carpet, more sound-deadening materials, and other noise-limiting upgrades. Safety and convenience technology included smart cruise control with stop/start capability, electronic parking brake with automatic vehicle hold, proximity key, and digital key with NFC (near-field communication). Sonata’s digital key uses Bluetooth and a dedicated Android app to turn the phone into a key fob capable of locking/unlocking, starting the engine, automatically adjusting seat and mirror settings, and more.
Using Near-Field Communication (NFC), the key function can be shared with another Android phone, with the ability to limit functions and/or limit the key to a set amount of time. The “key” can also be revoked remotely. Sonata’s long list of standard safety equipment includes lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring/blind-spot-view mirror, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, surround-view monitor, lane following/lane keep assist, driver alertness monitor, and rear-seat monitor.
When a turn signal is on, the blind-spot view is displayed on the corresponding side of the instrument cluster, providing about 25 degrees more visibility. It’s a real-time camera view of everything on that side of the vehicle, including what’s coming up from the rear. Other safety features included electronic stability control with traction control, front and rear seat-mounted side air bags, front and rear outboard side-curtain air bags, driver’s knee air bag, and tire-pressure monitoring. Considering all that is included even at the base price, plus the styling and interior features that make this newest Sonata look more like a Mercedes than an affordable family car, this vehicle rings up as quite a bargain. Underneath is a new, enhanced four-wheel independent suspension, which gives it a smooth ride along with precise steering and road handling. Coil springs are used on all four corners.
Roadhandling is improved over the previous generation, and we were able to carry four adults in comfort during our test week, and even a fifth passenger in the middle of the rear seat for short runs, with no complaints. Knee and legroom were sufficient front and rear. The only extra on our tester was the carpeted floor mats ($195). Total sticker price for our 2022 Sonata N-Line sedan was $34,990, including freight. The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Express-News since 2000. Contact him at chambers@auto-writer.com or on Twitter @gchambers3. His driving partner Emma Jayne Williams contributed to this report.
The package: Midsize, four-door, turbocharged four-cylinder, gasoline-powered, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger family sedan. Highlights: Hyundai’s popular midsize sedan got a makeover two years ago with new exterior elements and interior features including dashboard. The N-Line treatment adds special features such as a mesh grille and 19-inch wheels. Negatives: No all-wheel drive offered for extra traction. Engine: Turbocharged 2.5-liter GDI four-cylinder (gasoline). Transmission: Eight-speed Wet Dual Clutch automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Power/torque: 290 HP/311 foot-pounds. Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock, with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Electronic stability control: Standard, including traction control. Side air bags: Front and rear seat-mounted; roof-mounted side-curtain, both rows. Overall length: 192.9 inches. Trunk capacity: 16.0 cubic feet. Curb weight (range): 3,552 pounds. Fuel capacity/type: 15.9 gallons/unleaded regular. EPA fuel economy: 23 mpg city/33 highway/27 combined. Major competitors: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima. Base price: $33,750, plus $1,045 freight ($34,325 for 2023). Price as tested: $34,990, including freight and option (2022 Sonata N-Line). On the Road rating: 8.7 (of a possible 10). Prices shown are manufacturer’s suggested retail; actual