HERE’S a surprise packet; a car loaded with extras and technology that’s well worth considering as your next family car, all wrapped up in a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Premium box.
It may or may not even set your heart a-flutter with giddy delight. It really depends on whether you love to have the latest techno-wizardry, or you just want an excellent luxury family car. With this car, you get both.
And while we’re talking tech, it comes bundled with radar cruise control, lane change assist, lane departure warnings, rear cross traffic alerts and blind spot detection; all good quality safety technology to protect the whole family.
Inside, there’s a generous 8-inch touch screen infotainment system, with an excellent Bluetooth system, DVD player, USB ports, and SatNav.
Combine the technology with a luxurious interior featuring heated and vented leather trimmed seats, automatic lights and wipers, heated side mirrors (how cool are these in the winter), and you get what feels like a genuinely big car.
A roomy interior, with plenty of cabin space in the front and rear, adds to the big car feel. Storage has been well thought out too, with some large front console bins and side pockets in the doors. The boot is also a generous 510 litres.
The drive train and engine in the Hyundai Sonata Premium are smooth, and offer a well behaved driving experience, especially in traffic. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo engine, pushing out 180kW of power and 350Nm of torque.
That engine is hooked to a 6-speed automatic and while it won’t set the world on fire in terms of performance, you do get the same levels of performance you might expect from a mid-sized V6 sedan.
If we had to pick some issues with the 2017 Sonata Premium, it’s in that safety tech we talked about earlier. On more than one occasion it seemed to confuse itself a little, with things like the radar cruise control showing over-sensitive tendencies.
Yes, it’s a mid-sized sedan. That much maligned beast of the automotive market, but it’s definitely one of the better ones in the category. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and is pretty much optioned up to full capacity.
It comes in Midnight Black, Blue Sapphire, Lunar Grey, Pantera Grey, Valentine Red and White Cream, and hits the road at $45,490 drive-away.
Our test vehicle was provided by Hyundai Australia. To find out more about the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Premium, contact your local Hyundai dealer.
