42
HYUNDAI
PALISADE,
SONATA,
VENUE
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata
represents a new design
direction for Hyundai’s veteran
midsizer and vindication for
those who think the current
car is too conservative. The big
grille, bumperless styling, and
fastback roof profile may look
like a radical departure from
other Hyundai cars, but if you
park it next to the Elantra GT
and Veloster, there’s a clear
family resemblance.ON SALE:
Palisade: Now
Sonata: October 2019
Venue: Late 2019
BASE PRICE:
Palisade: $32,595
Sonata: $24,000 (est)
Venue: $18,000 (est)lb-ft of torque out-twists
the bigger engine by 14
lb-ft. Both engines share an
eight-speed torque-converter
automatic.
Meanwhile, Hyundai is
expanding its SUV family
with two new bookend
vehicles. On the small
side is the 2020 Venue, a
subcompact cute ute that
shares styling cues with the
larger Kona and basic bones
with the subcompact Accent.
At the other end of the
scale is the three-row 2020
Palisade, which replaces the
Santa Fe XL as Hyundai’s
largest SUV. With minivan
functionality and a 3.8-liter
V-6 under the hood, the
Palisade seems well equipped
to take on the Pilot, Explorer,
and Atlas, but its stiffest
competition might come
from its Korean frenemy—
the new Kia Telluride looks
to be a tough competitor.SonataPalisadeVenueJAGUAR
XE, XJ
We have good news and
better news for the future
of the XE, Jaguar’s compact
sport sedan launched in- For the 2020 model
year, the XE gets the old
nip/tuck treatment with
attention paid to the front
grille, bumpers, taillights,
and interior materials—
effectively making a
good-looking sedan even
better. Enthusiasts might
bemoan Jaguar dropping
the supercharged V-6
engine from the XE range,
but a pair of turbocharged
four-cylinder options
producing 247 hp to 296 hp
depending on trim is really
all the oomph Jaguar needs
in this segment.
Unless, of course, it isn’t.
In that case, you’ll want to
order the upcoming XE SV
Project 8, an honest-to-
goodness 592-hp, 200-
mph extreme XE variant
that set a Nürburgring
record lap time some 11
seconds quicker than the
stellar Alfa Romeo Giulia
Quadrifoglio. With sport-
tuned all-wheel drive,
panels made from carbon
fiber and aluminum, a
sharply tuned suspension,
six-piston brakes, and a
supercharged V-8 engine
under the hood, this is a
small sedan that drives
like a supercar, and it’ll
undoubtedly be too wild
ON SALE:
XE: Now
XJ: Late 2020 (est)
BASE PRICE:
XE: $40,895
XJ: $100,000 (est)The upcoming Sonata’s
new platform was tuned
under the watchful eye of
Hyundai R&D chief (and
former BMW M head
engineer) Albert Biermann.
Tightening the chassis and
speeding up the steering
has done wonders, as we
learned during a quick
preview drive at Hyundai’s
Korean R&D center. Ride
comfort remains a priority,
but better body control
gives the Sonata more
than a whiff of enthusiast
appeal. Expect a boatload
of tech, including a “digital
key” that allows access to
the car with a smartphone.
The Sonata’s base
engine is a 191-hp 2.5-liter
naturally aspirated I-4, an
update of the outgoing 2.4,
while the sportier option
will be a turbocharged
1.6-liter. Its 180 hp is less
than the 2.5, but its 195