2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line – now with sportier looks

The eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata gets a sportier bit of kit with the arrival of the N Line variant, bringing a host of performance-inspired changes to the four-door’s interior and exterior, a year on from its debut.

The added sportiness in its styling on the outside comes from the N Line-badged cascading grille that is now accompanied by a more aggressive front bumper with a larger set of air intakes, while N Line side skirts and 19-inch alloy wheels on 245/40 tyres continue the theme for its side profile. At the back, the sportier look is completed by a redesigned rear bumper with a black lower section, quad exhaust outlets and diffuser.

The theme continues to the interior of the Sonata, where N Line cues include dark chrome trim, sports seats for the front occupants, as well as red signature N Line contrast stitching for the upholstery, while the driver also gets metal-trimmed pedals.

Technical details for the Sonata N-Line have not been mentioned by the manufacturer, though the sportier-trimmed four-door is expected to get a hike in power and torque outputs from its engine.

This is tipped to improve upon the 191 hp and 245 Nm from the 2.5 litre naturally aspirated Smartstream GDI unit in the standard model, and Hyundai America’s director of public relations, Jim Trainor previously told Autoblog that the Sonata N-Line with “at least 275 hp, and probably a lot more.”

The logical candidate from within Hyundai’s current range is the 2.0 litre Theta T-GDI turbocharged inline-four that makes 275 hp and 353 Nm of torque in the Veloster N. The current range of engines for the Sonata is comprised of the above 2.5 litre NA engine, and a 1.6 litre T-GDI turbocharged direct injection unit that makes 185 hp and 241 Nm of torque.

The basic Sonata styling draws inspiration from the Le Fil Rouge concept of 2018, and the production four-door measures 4,900 mm long, 1,890 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall and a wheelbase of 2,840 mm. The standard car boasts of a drag coefficient of 0.27, with aerodynamics aided by a flat underfloor and finned tail lamps.

Inside, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster offers visual information within a new dashboard layout compared to the previous generation, and gear selection is accessed through shift-by-wire buttons instead of a conventional gear lever.

Other interior equipment in the standard Sonata also includes a Bose Premium sound system, sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats along with navigation, while he Hyundai Digital Key employs near-field communication to allow a phone or digital device to unlock the car.

On the safety front, the standard Sonata Line gets Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Advanced Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, accompanied by Highway Driving Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor and Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) and Safe Exit Assist.

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