Road test: Hyundai Sonata 2021 N Line

Being in Hyundai’s N Line range, this Sonata is characterised by specific design and performance-enhancing elements. All bells and whistles come standard except a black, red or white paintjob.

German-born Peter Schreyer, Hyundai Motor Group’s executive design advisor, haspreviously worked with Audi and Volkswagen. Since 2006, Schreyer has been responsible for the transformation of the brand and the Sonata’s identity.

From Cethana through Moina and beyond it's the most comfortable and fun driving experience I've ever had on this windy road.

We load the boot with gear and I punch Cradle Mountain into the touchscreen navigation system. It’s 140km west. Before I even reach the Bass Highway I’ve switched driver mode from normal to sport for a more responsive accelerator and to watch the dynamic display change with an entertaining flash.

This model is Hyundai’s most powerful front-wheel-drive sedan to date – hello high performance turbo engine. Torque comes on nice and early in the rev range and torque steer is minimal. The engine and exhaust have been so cleverly tuned my travel companion assumes it’s a 6-cylinder.

Heated front and rear seats and steering wheel make it a winner here in winter. There’s also front seat cooling. I find climate controls intuitive to use from the get-go.

A split-screen function allows me to simultaneously engage with both climate and the Bose sound system. Hyundai’s ambient sound options include Rainy Day, Lively Forest and Open Air Cafe, but I stick to my own tunes through Apple CarPlay. That function isn’t wireless, but there is a wireless smartphone charging pad.

Driving a sedan is making me nostalgic for an era in Australia when they were typical family vehicles, so I go for an 80s playlist. Turns out, so many songs from then are about cars.

In Deloraine, we beeline for Brush Rabbit coffees. In Sheffield, it’s venison and Guinness pies from Bossimi’s Bakehouse plus a hotdogshaped custard donut. After more dramatic peaks and some hydro retro around GowriePark, we stop briefly at Round Hill Coffee in Cethana.

Whenever I start the keyless ignition it reestablishes my pre-programed seat and mirror settings and reconnects to my phone. Most of its multitude of safety and driver assist features can be customised, including deactivation of the automatic door locking and that welcome sound. With headlights on auto, I’ll later discover, high beam assist flicks lights down and up when oncoming traffic is or isn’t detected.

The safety feature I most appreciate is my blind spot appearing on the dash when I’m indicating, courtesy of 360 cameras. This also means that, when parking, I can see the country town cobbled curbs and not scratch the rims.