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2017 Sonata Redesign

28K views 121 replies 43 participants last post by  dlvh 
#1 ·
Looks like we'll be seeing a new and "improved" Sonata in a few months. Most, if not all cosmetic changes.

http://carpreview.com/hyundai/sonata/2017/preview
 
#2 ·
#6 ·
Found 1 spy shot 3/4 view of the 2017. (disregard the other ext pics those are current gen) Looks like they increased window specs. Look how thin the pillars are. Maybe raised the roof line at the back a bit. 3rd brake light is now incorporated into the spoiler. Tail lights may not be as bulbous as well. There's probably a good chance the front grill is going to be bigger and more pronounced. Really wonder how much different this '17 is going to look compared to our current gen.

2017 Hyundai Sonata release date, redesign, specs
 
#7 ·
I would like to see better pics as we get closer to a release date,not that we will be going from a 2015 to a 2017 model. Kind of sucks that they are changing it already. When we were looking for our 2015,we sat in a loaded Hybrid.We both really loved that car but did not want to spend an almost extra 10 grand for it.With the car on,you could not even tell it was running......super quiet. With gas prices down,I bet you can get a Hybrid for 10k off MRRP though.
 
#8 ·
You can bet if sales were more robust for current gen, then Hyundai leaves the Sonata alone. I don't think current gen Sonata was a bust for Hyundai, but in comparison to the tremendous sales volume for the last gen, Hyundai understandably would like to repeat that kind of success. I just don't know if you can expect a home run each and every time you come out with the next iteration of any particular vehicle.

Hyundai was in a perfect position with the last gen. You have to give them credit for having the foresight and the boldness to mass produce a mid size family sedan that actually didn't look like all the other boring sedans being offered. I do have a feeling this '17 is going to be a hit. More Genesis-esque, (wonder if I should copyright that term lol) than the new Elantra since the Elantra is a shrunken version of the current Sonata.

I guess all the crybaby reviewers and previous gen Sonata owners that criticized the '15's looks had an impact as well. I'm actually fine with the looks of my '15. I honestly don't see that many on the road, which to me makes it stand out in the crowd. Then again, I don't drive much. If this '17 turns out to be hot, yeah I'll be a little envious, but probably not enough to impulsively trade in my '15 for one. I said, "probably," haha...
 
#9 ·
It was expected I think, the sales figures do not look bad(Hyundai Sonata Sales Figures - GOOD CAR BAD CAR), but I believe Hyundai did not make a lot of money from the LF, especially with all the discounts given. I eventually got my LF Sport in April, but it was almost $4K less than the inital sticker price... I also heard that the dealerships gave even more discounts earlier in March..... I imagine the discounts on Limited or 2.0Ts were a lot more.... If Hyundai lost almost $3-5K (estimated, my best guess) of potential revenue, and was forced to drop prices this early for a fairly new model like LF, it shouldn't be surprising to see a new one coming out... My guess would be that they'd have a similar design to current Elantra-the front grill/headlights at least, maybe more curves like the YF maybe-going back to the "fluid styling"?

All in all, I enjoy my LF, and the chances are slim to get a newly designed Sonata with the prices of the LFs.... Hyundai would have the new Sonata replacing the Azera as well, since it won't be offered anymore, and also Genesis becoming a luxury brand, the new Sonata could also reach some luxury level with the outgoing Hyundai Genesis.... Who knows, we shall wait and see...
 

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#16 ·
I was on the "Eww" side of the fence when the LF first showed up in pics. But then I started to see them on the road and then seeing the Sport Limited in person at the dealer had me taking one home. From the extremely censored image I saw linked above, it doesn't impress me too much for now.
 
#17 ·
Well, cars depreciate, that's just a fact of life. About the only recourse you have is to maintain it as pristinely as possible. Even the lease vehicle will beat you to death when the dealer does that walk-around inspection on the day of the return. Some don't nit-pick. Others do. They'll deduct for every crumb, scratch, door ding, miles overage, you name it. I guess it is what it is. A game of wits. You play it when you purchase, you play it again when you come back to trade.

The car your salesman told you holds an excellent resale value when you bought it four years ago? Suddenly, the sales mangler says it's not worth squat on trade-in day due to [insert lame excuse, here]. :eek:

Yep, it is what it is. You NEED transportation, the dealer HAS transportation. "Let the games begin!"
 
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#19 ·
I have no problem with how my car looks. Nothing but compliments. Stopped by my old apartment complex yesterday. One of the maintenance guys has a sideline of fixing up Chevy trucks. "That's a nice ride. What is it?" "A 15 Sonata". "Wow that's a nice ride!"

So far, the only dare I say INSULT lol was from a current neighbor who owns a car lot.
- "Nice car but I could have gotten you into something 'nicer' and faster for that price" - as he points to the 12-13 orange Camaro SS on 275/25R24's and matching orange wheels with a dealer plate he's driving
- Sedate Older gentleman response: " Number 1, I didn't pay anything near what you think I did and Number 2 - I can drive this faster than you can drive that."
- "How so ? That car can't touch this ?"
- "I'm a sedate looking 50 year old gentleman driving a sedate family car. Who stands a better chance of getting pulled over ? Me in a 'plain-Jane' family car ? Or you - **** even me - in an ORANGE CAMARO ? I can blend in at 80 mph all day with this where they'd have me pegged for a stop at 26 mph in that ! AND, I've been to the Skip Barber Racing School. I was almost semi-pro before LIFE happened so I can drive this or any car beyond it's limits all day if I want. My SLOW 1983 Mercedes 300SD didn't stop me from driving it how I wanted to (chuckle chuckle)"

He went on about how it's a "Camaro" and I agreed but "it's not my style let alone there being at least a half dozen others on this property alone". He just waves now and then since lol.
 
#20 ·
My wife was looking to get an Elantra limited when I suggested she drive the Sonata Sport. Both she and I are very pleased with her '15 silver sport for the ride, quiet on the highway, and great gas mileage. She didn't need/want the turbo. Everyone who has ridden in the car goes on and on about how quiet and comfortable it is.


Score one for the hubby. She LOVES her car.
 
#22 ·
This article is full of "Maybe the new 2017..., Hyundai might..., We should expect..." vague nothingness. If you look at all of the other speculative articles, they same the same thing, they don't know anymore than we do.

For example.
"What changes will make the 2017 Ford Edge different? A couple new paint colors, a price increase, and perhaps a bit more standard equipment."
 
#23 ·
Articles like the ones linked above should be illegal.

You can find them on all models b/c people google 2017 Sonata so the websites get hits so they get ad revenue.

But the info has no basis in reality as Sonrider510 pointed out.

Until spy shots or the actual new model shows up in car shows, it is all just guessing at this point.

Mine stickered for almost $24,000 a year ago (I bought it on 4-30-15), now trade-in is around $14,000 with less than 10k miles. Toyota 4x4 trucks seem to hold their value well. I am seeing early 2000s Tundras that stickered for $20,000 16 years ago still selling for $10-12K. My dad had a '69 Camaro - new price was $3,400 in 1969, sold in 2009 for $17,000
None of these comparisons mean anything. Hopefully you didn't pay sticker for your car. What you can trade it in for doesn't matter - what is is selling for on the dealer lots? You have the right comparison on the Tundra's, except hopefully the buyers didn't pay sticker for them either (but the used ones will likely go for less than $10-12K with negotiating). As mentioned the Camaro would be $22K in todays dollars and that is an American icon and likely the most desirable year of it. It would be like a 1966 GTO or a 1964.5 or 1970 Mustang. Hyundai doesn't have a car (except POSSIBLY the Genesis) that will appreciate like this, but if I were looking for a modern car that I thought might be worth more in a few years, I would probably consider something like a Charger Hellcat.

And I agree - you either want to lease if you want a new car every few years or you want to purchase and drive until the wheels fall off and then depreciation doesn't really matter.
 
#24 ·
Well, one thing we do know is that Hyundai isn’t going to waste their time, money and energy on a redesign this soon if the end result doesn’t look much different than the current gen Sonata.

Look at the window frames on the spy shot. (I mistakenly said pillars on other post) and compare it to our car. They are noticeably thinner, and to me it looks like the roofline is less raked, which should equate to more rear head room, although that could just be an optical illusion because of the masking. The windows still look taller to me, and if you google a 2016 Honda Accord and compare the window frames. They look eerily similar.

The rear looks like there’s a lot more real estate there as well, from the top of the spoiler to the bottom of the diffuser. (Masking effect? maybe) The 3rd break light is obviously incorporated into the spoiler. The exhaust tip appears to be bulging out from the left, instead of the right side like the current gen Eco and SE have it. You can kind of make out the side (top) character line which appears to be the same straight line, and the door handles are still below it and not above like how some people were complaining it should be.

It’s true nobody but Hyundai knows exactly what the new ’17 Sonata looks like until it’s actually revealed, but I wouldn’t be surprised if at least the front and rear are unrecognizable in relation to the current gen Sonata.
 
#25 ·
If the spy shot referenced is the canvas covered car in the original linked article, that's the upcoming Ioniq, which we have already seen since early this year. It's not a Sonata of any year, past or future.
I don't expect to see any spy shots of the 2017 until Q3. Considering the cash they're burning on the Ioniq, on splitting out Genesis, and the recent Elantra update, I am not expecting more than cosmetics on the front and rear clips.
 
#27 ·
I do NOT believe the vehicle clad in disguise is a Sonata -if not only because the window frames are so different. The investment in redesign of the "hard-parts" (basic structure including roof and windows) is in the hundreds of millions and this is too soon in the current cycle. In fact, stampings for the hood, decklid, fenders and doors are very expensive as well so the only changes for 2017 will likely be the front and rear clips to include grille, lower valances front and rear, head and tail lamps.
The previous generation garnered attention because it was curvy and dramatic. As well as it did in the U.S., the Korean market found it "garish" and that is the primary reason for our current, "elegant" design. In addition the roofline and shorter wheelbase made backseat room substandard in the class. The current Sonata solved both problems. Further, sales of the current Sonata have increased pretty dramatically over last year so it's certainly not time to trash success. What has happened is that the last-gen Sonata brought a whole lot of folks to Sonata and as other mid-size makers stepped-up their game, to other makes as well. The mid-size market is saturated (Just ask Chrysler about their 200) and many folks have moved to SUV and CUV's as their families grow.
Hyundai has brought all its vehicles (including the new Verna/Accent) into the "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" brand of styling. The new Sonata will not abandon that...sure the grille will get deeper, the tailamps wider and there most definitely will be bits of chrome added here and there, but a total redesign won't come until about 2020...when we'll be introduced to "Fluidic Sculpture 3.0".
 
#30 ·
Lol, everything about that article is Sonata, Sonata, Sonata. In fact, everything written refers to the upcoming 2017 Sonata.

But I took a look at the IONIQ and I think you're right! That would definitely explain the window frames and the "thickness" (for lack of a better word) of the rear.

So they picture a masked IONIQ in the middle of an article about the upcoming 2017 Sonata...that makes a lot of sense!
 
#32 ·
The article is BS. As we already mentioned - just a bunch of pics of the current Sonata and the Ioniq under wraps with some general predictions to generate google hits.

I do agree - the Sonata was somewhat of an initial re-design for Hyundai and they've spent the last few years updating the rest of the line (E, likely Accent next - any links to the 2017) to copy the styling lines. I don't think we will see anything really new until Fluidic 3.0 and 2020 seems about right for that.
 
#34 ·
@DRFUNKENSTEIN - I forgot you were the OP and I didn't mean anything personal about my comments.

I was basically referring to both/all of the websites similar to the ones you posted - there are lots of others - carpreview, carsintrend, https://www.google.com/search?q=2017+sonata&gws_rd=ssl

Essentially, it's the same formula:

What's the current Sonata year release - 2016.

Some people will be curious about the next model, lets make a page for it to get some search engine hits.

Lets throw some pictures up of a similar car.

Let's write some stuff - it will probably cost a few hundred dollars more. Is it more than a year or two old? It will probably be restyled. Is the current design more than 4-years old? If not, they probably won't change the engines ...

The car and driver or similar spy photos or especially the auto show photos are useful, but these websites are meaningless.
 
#35 ·
It's meaningless in the sense that we can't know all the details about the finished product, however for a consumer who is in the market for a new vehicle, it at least gives some guidance in that they'll know the '17 will not look exactly the same as a '16 and they may want to hold off on buying until they see which one they prefer.

Conversely, it tells the consumer that if they can hold off on their purchase until the '17 arrives, they will most likely get a better deal on that '16. That late summer release date would sound about right.

In terms of any mechanical changes, MSRP, and possibly new features, I really don't see a problem in what is being said here. Maybe not 100% accurate at this point in time, but to me, certainly not outlandish statements. I mean, it's not like the guy is saying the Sport Turbo HP is being upped to 300 right?

The writer of that 1st article is not a talking Hyundai head out to promote the brand, but is a nationally recognized, award-winning writer with many, many years of automotive testing experience along with reporting for newspapers, books, magazines, and the Internet. I personally like this guy's reviews and anyone interested can check out his Youtube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEL-4zaT2pDiIR5nxyPxS0g

Another reviewer I highly recommend is Alex On Autos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TTACVideo

With regard to your comments on "search engine hits," I agree with you to a certain extent. That 2nd link I provided WAS poorly written, not to mention the fake spy shot of a supposed '17 Sonata. At the same time, I'm pretty sure all internet sites would rather have more, than less hits and if the advertising dollars come in...well more power to them. That's capitalism for ya.

I suppose, like any other topic on the internet, we just need to discern for ourselves what's true and what's false, and what is likely verses the implausible. I do apologize for sending out that 2nd link and will definitely scrutinize more closely any links I offer to the forum in the future. Talk about a fake out! Lol.

I'm gonna hold fast to my belief though that this upcoming '17's exterior, at least the front and back will be significantly modified. To me, it's a useless endeavor by Hyundai if they're just making minor tweaks, but I honestly don't think that's what Hyundai has in mind for this particular refresh. Again, that's only my humble opinion.
 
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