Item: 2015 Hyundai LF Sonata
Rating: 3.5

Responsive 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine
Comfortable ride and good body control
Spacious interior and boot
Quiet, well-insulated cabin

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) not available
2.0-litre turbo petrol engine not particularly economical, lacks refinement at higher rpm
Windscreen reflections
Automatic transmission slow to respond to sequential shifts
Interior is basic

Review: Hyundai LF.I Sonata (2015-17)

Overview

Released in Australia in January 2015, the Hyundai LF Series I (LF.I) Sonata was a mid-size sedan. Manufactured in Asan, South Korea, the front-wheel drive Hyundai LF Sonata was available with 2.4-litre naturally aspirated and 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines that were mated to six-speed automatic transmissions. As per the table below, the LF Sonata range consisted of Active, Elite and Premium editions.

Theta II engines: 2.4 GDi and 2.0 Turbo GDi

Of the engines,

The 2.4-litre petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, fracture-split sinter-forged connecting rods, direct fuel injection, hollow stainless-steel double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable intake and exhaust valve timing (Hyundai’s D-CVVT), a two-stage variable induction system (VIS), a compression ratio of 11.3:1 and a stainless steel exhaust manifold; and,
The 2.0-litre petrol engine differed in that it had a twin-scroll turbocharger (understood to be a Mitsubishi TD04 turbocharger), an intercooler and its compression ratio was lowered to 10.0:1.

For Sonata Active models with the 2.4-litre petrol engine, fuel consumption for the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle was 8.3 litres per 100 km; for the Sonata Elite and Premium models with the turbocharged engine, fuel consumption was 9.2 litres per 100 km.

Hyundai LF.I Sonata specifications
Variant	Edition	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
2.4 GDi	Active	2359 cc G4KJ petrol I4	6sp auto	138 kW at 6000 rpm	241 Nm at 4000 rpm
2.0 Turbo GDi	Elite, Premium	1998 cc G4KH turbo petrol I4	6sp auto	180 kW at 6000 rpm	350 Nm at 1400-4000 rpm

Dimensions

Compared to the Hyundai i45 which preceded it, the LF Sonata was 35 mm longer (at 4855 mm), 30 mm wider (1865 mm), 5 mm taller (1475 mm) and have a 10 mm long wheelbase (2805 mm); the drag coefficient was 0.27 Cd. Significantly, the LF Sonata body had 30 per cent more advanced high-strength steel (for 51 per cent of the body-in-white) which contributed to a 41 per cent increase in torsional rigidity and a 35 per cent increase in bending rigidity.

Braked towing capacity for the LF Sonata was 1300 kg, while unbraked towing capacity was 400 kg.

Steering and suspension

The Hyundai LF Sonata had electric power steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and independent, multi-link rear suspension. For Australia, the LF Sonata had locally-tuned suspension settings which included Sachs shock absorbers, stiffer front springs and a stiffer rear way bar.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Hyundai LF Sonata included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

In July 2016, standard safety equipment for the Hyundai Sonata Premium was extended to include:

Lane Departure Warning System: a front-mounted camera could detect if the Sonata Premium departed from its lane without previously indicating. If this occurred, the driver would be alerted via an audible tone and steering wheel vibrations;
Lane Change Assist: could control the steering wheel to prevent lane departure when a vehicle approached the edge of its lane;
Rear Cross Traffic Alert: scanned areas on each side of the vehicle when the driver was reversing out of a parking space and would warn of approaching traffic; and,
Smart Cruise Control: using a sensor in the front grille, SCC provided autonomous braking to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and could initiate acceleration to return to the original cruising speed.

ANCAP crash testing

In ANCAP crash testing , the 2015 Hyundai LF Sonata received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 33.84 out of 37. In the frontal offset test, protection of the driver’s head, thighs and feet were rated as good; chest and lower right leg protection were rated as acceptable; and, lower left leg protection was rated as marginal. For the front passenger, protection of all body areas was rated as good.

In the side impact and pole tests, maximum points were awarded.

Features: Sonata Active

Standard features for the Sonata Active included 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 tyres, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3-compatibility, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod) and a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, cloth seats, air conditioning, cruise control, LED daytime running lights (DRLs), automatic headlights, a rear view camera, rear parking sensors, 60:40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment, height adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

Features: Sonata Elite

The Sonata Elite was further equipped with dual-zone climate control air conditioning, a satellite navigation system with an eight-inch touch screen (including three year subscription for ‘HERE Mapcare’ map updates), a twelve-way power adjustable driver’s seat, leather appointed seats, a proximity key, power folding mirrors, push-button start and a hands-free opening boot. Inside, the Sonata Elite had ‘carbon fibre effect’ dashboard and door inserts, ‘alloy look’ door handles and stainless steel door scuff plates; from the outside, the Sonata Elite could be identified by its chrome door handles and LED tail-lights.

Features: Sonata Premium

Compared to the Elite, the Sonata Premium was distinguished by its 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 R18 tyres, an eight-way power adjustable front passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, directional bi-xenon headlights with washers, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, an automatic windscreen defog function, heated door mirrors, a panoramic glass sunroof, an electrochromatic rear-view mirror, driver memory settings (for the seat and mirrors) and rear door sunblinds. The Sonata Premium also had a 4.2-inch TFT LCD colour display for the instrument cluster (Hyundai’s ‘Supervision’ cluster).

July 2016 update

In July 2016, the Hyundai LF Sonata received the following updates:

Standard features were extended to include steering wheel gearshift paddles;
The Sonata Active and Elite were fitted 215/55 R17 Continental Conti Premium Contact 5 tyres, while the Sonata Premium was fitted with 235/45 Michelin Pilot 3 tyres. According to Hyundai, the change in tyres improved grip, ride comfort and quietness;
The Sonata Elite gained heated front seats, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function. As an option, the Sonata Elite could also be specified with a twin-panel panoramic glass sunroof (previously only available as an option for the Sonata Premium); and,
Safety equipment for the Hyundai Sonata Premium was extended to include Lane Departure Warning System, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control.

Brochure

Brochure: Hyundai LF Sonata (March 2015)

Specifications

Specifications: Hyundai LF Sonata (February 2015)

Review: Hyundai LF.II Sonata (2017-19)