Yahoo Autos Hyundai Sonata Mid-Size Sedan Reportedly on the Chopping Block
Hyundai will reportedly discontinue the Sonata mid-size sedan after the current generation runs its course.
The Sonata has been sold in the U.S. since the 1989 model year.
New EV models will eventually replace the Sonata within the lineup, including the Ioniq 6 sedan.
The mainstream mid-size sedan segment has shrunk considerably in recent years, with Hyundai and Kia two of the key holdouts along with Honda, Toyota, and a few others. But even the well-established Sonata nameplate may depart Hyundai's lineup within the next few years, according to a report from Korean newspaper Chosun.
The report cites sources at Hyundai who say that the company is not developing a next generation of the Sonata, with the sedan slated to disappear after the current model runs its course, possibly as soon as 2025. It's likely to receive one last facelift before it bows out for good, as the eighth-generation Sonata that's on sale today debuted for the 2020 model year.
The Sonata, which offers two gasoline engines and a hybrid powertrain, will be phased out in favor of new EV models. The upcoming Ioniq 6 EV will be a sedan and may effectively replace the Sonata within Hyundai's lineup, although it's likely to cost significantly more than the current Sonata's base price of $25,545. Hyundai also recently announced plans for a new factory in the U.S. that will build electric vehicles and batteries; it's unclear at this point exactly which models will be built there.
There's also no word on how this might affect the future of the Sonata's corporate cousin, the Kia K5 sedan. It will likely be a little while before Sonata production officially comes to an end, so we expect to hear more over the next year or so. We've reached out to Hyundai for comment and will update this story with any further developments.
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