1996 Hyundai Sonata Photos, engines & full specs

Hyundai refreshed the third generation of the Sonata in 1996, trying to keep up with the latest design trends in the automotive industry and slightly refreshing the engine lineup.

The third generation of the Sonata, known as the Y3 model, was introduced by the Korean automaker in 1993. However, the car manufacturer didn’t want to wait too long before upgrading its flagship model for the European and North American markets. As a result, the refreshed version came with a polarizing styling that could hardly go unnoticed. Its predecessor was well-designed but was somehow bland. In addition, the car manufacturer found what customers complained about the vehicle and adjusted where it could. Where it couldn’t, it introduced them in the theme package for the fourth generation of this nameplate, which was already on the designers’ drawing boards. Another key element that went through some updates was the engine option. Hyundai struggled to create in-house powerplants, but these were not on par with what the Sonata’s main competitors provided.

At the front, the unique-shaped headlights sported a wider rounded section for the high beam headlamps. Between them, the 1996 Hyundai Sonata had a chromed grille that started to look like a shield and not a smiling face like on the non-facelifted version of the vehicle. Furthermore, on the lower side of the bumper, in the apron, the car manufacturer installed a narrower air intake divided by two oblique slats and a horizontal one. It was flanked by a pair of side scoops that cooled the front rotors.

From its profile, the 1996 Hyundai Sonata sported new front fenders to accommodate the reshaped headlights and wrapped-around plastic bumper. In addition, these also sported round turn signal lamps, which were unavailable on the non-facelifted model. The automaker also introduced new options for alloy wheels, depending on the trim level. Another significant difference was for the rear side of the vehicle, where Hyundai replaced the quarter panels and the taillights. These no longer resembled those from the Mitsubishi Galant, like its predecessor, and were taller, with rounded edges, and had an almost triangular shape.

Inside, customers could enjoy the new wood trims on the dashboard, door cards, and center console instead of the plastic ones from the 1993 model year. But still, the driver fronted the same rounded and wide instrument cluster, which covered not just the instrument panel but also the center vents. Fortunately for the Korean car manufacturer, the third generation of the Sonata was no longer criticized for its front bucket seats, so it didn’t replace them with newer ones. In the back, it was challenging to put three adult-sized occupants on the bench seat due to the tall tunnel that crossed the car front to back, even though the 1996 Hyundai Sonata wasn’t an all-wheel drive or a rear wheel drive vehicle.

Depending on the market and options, Hyundai installed a choice of two engines for the Sonata. The base version was fitted with a 1.8-liter powerplant that wasn’t offered in many countries. At the same time, the automaker kept the 3.0-liter V6 engine carried over from the carmaker’s long-time partner, Mitsubishi. Power was sent to the front wheels only via either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic with manual override.