Hyundai Sonata Active 2018 review

Hyundai has given the Sonata a good old fashioned facelift, with a new front and rear end to liven things up a bit. The old car was sleek but not at all sporty, so the new look is designed to match the dynamism that is steadily creeping into the Hyundai line-up. The big new grille, angrier headlights and kicked up bootlid with new taillights combine to make the Sonata look sportier, saucier and, oddly enough, shorter.

Peter Anderson Auto headlights come as standard.

The grille is different between the entry-level Active and top-spec Premium, with the latter scoring a more interesting 3D look, while our Active made do with a slightly more conventional one. The effect is a bit trout-lippy, but it grew on me.

The cabin didn't need much work, with just a few materials swapped out and made to look and feel a bit more upmarket. The dash is a very conventional design - clean and clear with big dials and a small digital screen for extra information. The general fit and finish is good and my newly re-discovered fandom of cloth trim was given a boost by a rather fetching textured interior.

Peter Anderson The new kicked up bootlid with new taillights help to make the Sonata look sportier.

The Sonata is one of the roomiest cars I've ever been in, save for properly big cars like the Audi A8 or BMW 7 Series. Rear-seat passengers cheerfully loll about with tonnes of leg and headroom. The bench seat is comfortably padded and it's probably the best spot in the house for long journeys. If you were a ride-sharing driver who specialised in basketballer transport, this would be the car for you.

Storage isn't bad either, with four cupholders, pockets and slots scattered about and a bottle holder in each door. The boot is a solid 510 litres - drop the 60/40 split-fold rears and you'll have a seriously large load area.

As before, the Active opens the range, now priced at $30,990, a rise of $400 over the MY17. Hyundai reckons there is an extra two grand of included gear, though, so let's have a look.

Peter Anderson 17-inch alloys come as standard.

Standard are 17-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control (new), 8.0-inch media screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (new), leather steering wheel, cloth trim, reversing sensors, full-size alloy spare wheel, auto headlights and wipers, six speaker stereo, sat nav, keyless entry (new) and start, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control.

Yes, that is a reasonable amount of new stuff for your money.

Peter Anderson Rear-seat passengers cheerfully loll about with tonnes of leg and headroom.

The Active soldiers on with Hyundai's 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder, which is good for a reasonable 138kW and 241Nm. The front wheels are driven by the same six-speed auto as before, pushing the Active's 1587kg kerb weight along at a reasonable clip.

Towing capacity is rated at 1300kg braked and 400kg unbraked.

Peter Anderson The Active soldiers on with Hyundai's 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder, which is good for a reasonable 138kW and 241Nm.

Hyundai claims 8.3L/100km on the combined cycle for the Active. I've always found Hyundai figures unusually accurate and we got 8.7L/100km in the week we had it. There is no stop-start trickery to reduce consumption, which explains the baseline figure. It's worth noting that the Sonata makes do quite happily on standard 91 RON fuel, which is a good saving.

Hyundai's Australian suspension tuning team gave the Sonata the once over first time around, so the tune hasn't changed for the facelift. That means a plush, easygoing ride that dismisses potholes and speed bumps the way polite company ignores something in your teeth.

It's an effortless thing to drive around in, with smart response from the gearbox and engine when you want a bit of go, yet both are completely unobtrusive otherwise. Passengers will enjoy that ride and while the handling is pretty tidy, it's not going to excite the keen driver. The turbo-engined car is the one to go for if you're a fan of chirping front wheels and powerful overtaking urge.

Peter Anderson The cabin didn't need much work, with just a few materials swapped out and made to look and feel a bit more upmarket.

City driving is as serene as highway running, with little in the way of any wind noise. The engine is a distant drone, easily overcome with the stereo.

The only quirks are the slightly grabby brakes (which require some getting used to), the halogen headlights are still a bit ordinary and the steering is still absurdly light, but that's about it.

The Sonata's five-star ANCAP rating from February 2015 continues unchanged, with six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls.

The little ones are looked after with three top-tether anchors and two ISOFIX points.

Irritatingly, the rather more expensive Premium is fitted with blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, reverse cross traffic alert and active cruise, none of which is even optional on the Active. And none of them have AEB, because the South Korean factory doesn't fit it, although the US factory does.

The Sonata is covered by Hyundai's impressive five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with 12 months of roadside assist. The Active requires a trip to the dealer every 12 months or 15,000km (the turbo Premium needs a visit every 10,000km).

Hyundai also offers lifetime capped-price servicing. For the first five years, you'll pay $1425 all up - four of the five services are $265 each while the third service jumps to $365.