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| The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited. |
But probably, at least for a while, all anyone is going to ask is "Does it have smaht pahk?"
You can thank those three smahtypants (John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch and Chris Evans---with an assist from David "Big Papi" Ortiz) for that. Well, and the folks at Hyundai's ad agency, which bought time in the Super Bowl.
But that's advertising. Does Smaht....er...Smart Park...really work?
No, it's not as fast as the commercial makes it appear...but it does work. And there are uses for it. If I'd had the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited with Smart Park a week earlier, I could have had my pick of several parking places for a play we were seeing downtown in a lot that appears to have been designed for Smart cars (you know, the tiny kind).
Okay, so Smart Park now a given, what else are we talking about here?
The styling got a lot of raves from bystanders during the week I had it. It's one of the few four-door fastback designs that somehow doesn't make the rear end look too bulbous.
Under the hood, the aforementioned 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes---well, the spec sheet says it's 180 horsepower and 195 pounds per foot of torque, but it feels like more. The 2020 Sonata Limited likes to get up and run. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, it delivers an EPA-estimated 27 miles per gallon city/36 highway.
Standard equipment, as is the Hyundai way, is voluminous for the base price of $33,300 (other trim levels of the 2020 Sonata start as low as $23,600):
- Blind spot collision avoidance assist.
- Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist.
- Forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection.
- Parking collision avoidance assist-rear.
- Surround view monitor and front and rear parking sensors.
- Remote Smart Parking Assist and blind view monitor.
- Drive mode select.
- Smart cruise control with stop/start capability.
- Electronic parking brake with automatic vehicle hold.
- 18-inch alloy wheels.
- Panoramic sunroof.
- LED headlights.
- LED taillights.
- LED daytime running lights.
- Heated side mirrors with turn signal indicators.
- Proximity key entry with pushbutton start.
- Hands-free smart trunk with auto open.
- Digital Key including NFC card.
- Leather seating surfaces.
- Heated and ventilated front seats.
- Power front seats with integrated memory system for driver seat.
- Bose premium audio system with 12-speakers including a nine-inch subwoofer.
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and HomeLink.
- Dual automatic temperature control.
- 12.3-inch color LCD cluster.
- 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation system.
- AM/FM/HD Radio with USB and auxilary input jacks.
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
- SiriusXM Satellite Radio with 90-day trial.
- Blue Link connected services.
The only extra-cost option was $135 for carpeted floor mats. So, figuring in $930 inland freight and handling, the bottom line on the window sticker comes to $34,365.
Ten years ago, that feature content list would have been on a Mercedes and not much else. And much of it wouldn't have been there, because it hadn't been invented yet. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited is a remarkable family sedan at a remarkable price. Yes, it's a shrinking segment, but there's still money to be made. Toyota and Honda should be worried.
