South Korea seems to be experiencing a decline in sales.
The Hyundai Sonata of the current generation isn’t new. The 2020 model was launched in 2019. It has a styling style that is either love-it-or-hate-it. Normaly, we would expect a midlife refresh in 2023. However, it seems that the Sonata has more haters than lovers. This fuels a rumor that Hyundai may skip the refresh to offer a completely new Sonata.
We should also note that there isn’t any specific source for this information. Therefore, we contacted Hyundai directly to find out if anything is official from them. It is rare to do such a quick change on a model in a declining market segment. You should take this information with a grain.
It’s not common, but it’s possible. After the Ford Five Hundred’s mid-2000 sales were disappointing, the 2008 facelift was quickly rebranded Taurus. Two years later, the same platform received a completely new exterior. If Hyundai does indeed plan such a redesign then 2023 is the same time frame Ford used with its Taurus.
The Sonata’s sales have dropped since the debut of the new model. This is not only in South Korea, where it was a best-seller. Last year, Hyundai sold only 76,997 Sonatas in the US, a decrease of over 200,000 in the previous few years. Although 2020 saw sales drop for almost all models, 2021 stats look better, with a 75 percent increase in year-over-year sales through July.
This could be why the rumor refers to a new Sonata design rather than an outright cancellation.