At the end of my last string of loaners from the press fleet, I got to test the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited. Sedans aren’t exactly the most exciting segment, but the best ones hold true to the mission of carrying people from one place to another with reliability, efficiency, and comfort. The Sonata Hybrid certainly ticks those boxes. However, it was also a lot cooler than I expected.

Hyundai cars and crossovers are known for their unbeatable warranty, value, and––more recently––safety. The Sonata joins the ranks of Hyundais chosen as a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). But lately, this Korean brand has ramped up its design, technology, and engineering to produce some of its best vehicles yet.

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

At first glance, I was impressed by how nice it looks. It’s a solid, sleek sedan that’s ready for the work commute for carpools to practice. The back seat feels huge and children’s car seats are a piece of cake to install.

From the driver’s seat, the entire setup is ergonomic and comfortable. The Limited trim I had the privilege of testing was far more luxurious than I anticipated. Every inch of my tester offered the latest technology and the entire system was simple to master. This is a car engineered for the people who are going to drive in it.

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid caters to both driver and passengers. From the climate to the comprehensive camera system to the sweet digital display, this car impressed me. While it’s a little rough over uneven terrain, overall the ride is smooth, quiet, and comfy.

Cool creature comforts

The Limited trim of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid boasts hugging leather seats that both my 6’1″ husband and I found to be plenty accommodating for long drives. There’s a setting for an ambiance that provides surround sound of various environments. Choose a peaceful forest or a gentle rainstorm. There’s even a crackling fire option that adds just a bit more coziness on cold days.

The boys had plenty of room in their child safety seats. In fact, with all four of us in the car there was minimal front seat bumping from little feet––even for the seat behind Dad, who set his passenger seat as far back as possible. It’s not hard to be happy in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.

Technology and driver assistance features

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited is equipped with a nice list of advanced safety technology. There are a blind-spot collision-avoidance assist and a blind-spot monitor. It also has parking collision avoidance assist for the rear and forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection. In addition, this model gets a surround-view monitor and parking sensors both for and rear.

The adaptive cruise control with stop/start capability is a game-changer in highway traffic. The heated side mirrors make driving on frosty mornings much easier. We don’t get a whole of those in this part of Texas, but this time of year it definitely comes in handy. Oh, and did I mention the solar panels up top that charge the hybrid battery? That’s one of the first cool features we noticed at first glance.

The heated and ventilated front seats aren’t a new innovation in the traditional sedan by any means. But we found that they were easy to use and set at just the right temperature. Our 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid also head alertness warnings and alerts the driver of precious precious cargo in the back after parking. After spending a week in this hybrid sedan, I’d recommend a test drive to anyone in the market for a new family car.