2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport Sedan
Road Test Review

By Bob Plunkett

For this hair-raising fun ride we snag Hyundai's 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T Sedan and hurl it down Ark. 7, a way-curvy 2-lane highway running over granite-crusted rumples of the Ouachita Mountains in western Arkansas.

Sonata Sport 2.0T?

That's the new turbo-charged edition of Hyundai's 2015 Sonata, a 4-door and 5-passenger front-wheel-drive sedan in new-generation design coming out of a new Hyundai factory in Montgomery, Alabama.

In twists and turns along the Arkansas blacktop route, our Sonata Sport 2.0T sedan maintains a stable position with minimal lateral roll, the result of a stiffly braced unibody design with sophisticated independent suspension elements at each corner post.

The sport-tuned sedan has a MacPherson strut-type front suspension with gas-charged Mando Dual Flow Damper (DFD) shock absorbers and 24-mm stabilizer bar and an independent multi-link design in the rear using coil springs and gas-charged Mando DFD shocks and 18-mm stabilizer bar.

Steering, firm and precise due to a rack-mounted dual-pinion arrangement with Motor-Driven Power Steering (MDPS) assist, brings engine-RPM-sensing and seems comparable to a pricy Euro touring sedan.

Surging turbo-boosted power, lurking below our right foot pedal, proves too much for some of the curve sets and occasionally requires a check through the left pedal, which ties to four ventilated disc brakes with electronic linkage to a 4-channel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and traction control system (TCS). Also, a vehicle stability management (VSM) device directs the electronic stability control (ESC) and MDPS.

And this Sonata shows us in wiggles through right-left-right chicanes on the warped road crossing roly-poly mountains in Arkansas that it can waltz like a sporty machine and rip through speed run-ups due to the high output of that turbo 4-pack plant.

Hyundai's Theta II twin-scroll turbo-charged GDI (gasoline direct-injection) engine displaces 2.0 liters and features DOHC (dual overhead cams), GDI (gasoline direct injection) and ECVVT (electronic intake continuously variable valve timing). Rigged with a dual exhaust system and quad exhaust tips, the Theta turbo delivers 245 hp at 6000 rpm plus 260 lb-ft of torque spread between 1350 and 4000 rpm running with regular unleaded (87 Octane) fuel.

The shifter is Hyundai's 6-speed automatic transaxle fitted with a Shiftronic shift-it-yourself manual mode, which operates by tipping a console-mounted shifter stick forward or backward to step sequentially through the gears, or by flicking paddle shifters pinned on the steering wheel.

EPA fuel economy scores for Sonata Sport with the turbo powertrain climb to 23 mpg for city driving and 32 mpg on the highway.

Hyundai's a new generational design for 2015 Sonata editions (Sonata 2.4, Sonata 2.0T and Sonata Eco) features slick new exterior styling over a unibody package that grows in size compared to previous models. The structural expansion -- adding 1.3 inches of length and 1.2 inches of width -- creates more volume for Sonata's passenger compartment, now encompassing 106.1 cubic feet for riders plus a trunk for cargo with 16.3 cubic feet.

Sonata's sharpened look with crisp lines sports narrow headlamp clusters and LED running lights flanking a trapezoidal grille with chrome fins and a wide air intake set low with corner LED foglamps.

Stock gear for Sonata Sport 2.0T includes 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 all-season tires, Sport front grille and bumper fascia, HID xenon headlamps, LED taillights, rear diffuser, chrome exhaust tips, rocker panel extensions with chrome molding, side mirror-mounted turn signal indicators, heated side mirrors, heated front seats, chrome interior door handles, Proximity key with push-button start, Sport instrument cluster, leather-wrapped D-cut steering wheel, Sport shift knob, Sport leather seats with piping, floor console-mounted rear vents, dual automatic temperature control and metal door sill plates.
   
The optional Ultimate Package adds a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, smart cruise control, electroluminescent gauges, Lane Departure Warning System, electronic parking brake, rear parking assistance system, 8-inch navigation system with voice command technology, and a 400-watt Infinity premium audio system with 10 speakers.

Hyundai's MSRP for the 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T tallies to $28,575, with the Ultimate Package listing for $4,950.