2017 Hyundai Sonata facelift revealed in Korea

The facelifted 2017 Hyundai Sonata has been officially revealed in its home market of South Korea this week, ahead of an Australian release due before mid-2017.

Despite being a mid-life facelift, the mid-sized sedan has seen a pretty significant design overhaul, drawing upon the company's latest design language that was first seen on the new i30 hatch.

Up front is Hyundai's 'cascading' grille, vertical LED daytime-running lights and slim headlights, making the Sonata appear more aggressive and dynamic.

Out the back is a more noticeable difference, with a far cleaner design and new tail-lights with Audi-like graphics, and 'Sonata' lettering across the bootlid.

A choice of 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheel designs are available depending on model.

Meanwhile, the sporty 2.0-litre Turbo version gains a sports mesh version of the new grille, black bezel headlights, black daytime-running light surrounds, black trim on the lower front bumper and black side mirrors.

The Turbo also gets dark chrome moulding on the lower sides of the body, along with the door handles and rear lamp, while dual chrome exhaust outlets stick out of the rear diffuser.

Inside, the new Sonata features revised controls with 'piano key' buttons. An 7.0-inch central infotainment system is standard on all Korean models, while an 8.0-inch navigation-enhanced unit will also be available.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are included as standard across the range.

Wireless phone charging is available for the first time, along with an additional USB charge port at the rear of the centre console for second row passengers.

A new three-spoke steering wheel is standard in all models, while the sportier Turbo gets a flat-bottomed tiller. The Turbo also gets sportier front seats and gear knob.

Turbo models offer four driving modes - Comfort, Eco, Sport and Smart - with the later acting as an 'Auto' function that switches between the three options depending on the driving style.

Also new with the updated sedan are a suite of driver assistance technologies, including lane keep assist, high beam assist and dynamic bending lights - however, there's no mention of autonomous emergency braking.

Finally, the 2.0-litre turbo engine is now mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, up from six cogs, otherwise powertrains are carried over from the previous model.

Hyundai's local arm has confirmed the updated Sonata for Australia, with a launch scheduled "around the middle of this year", having previously said second quarter.

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