The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which just debuted at the Detroit show is not an exciting car, but it can do a claimed 44 mpg US on the highway (5.3 l/100km / 52.8 mpg UK) – that’s 10% better than its predecessor. It doesn’t look bad either, sporting the sleek look of the all-new Sonata sedan with subtle hybrid tweaks.

The changes brought to its body aren’t meant to just set it apart visually and actually improve the drag coefficient – it’s 0.24, the same as a Tesla Model S. The improvement is achieved through the use of a larger grille, revised front and rear bumpers and side sill moldings. Even the unique wheels appear as if they aid the aerodynamics in some way…

The powertrain is comprised of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s coupled to a six-speed automatic that also houses the electric motor for the hybrid system. Together, the two power plants make 193 hp and are claimed to offer 42 mpg US combined, or 5.6 l/100km / 50.4 mpg UK.

The system allows for electric only driving at up to 75 mph or 120 km/h, although the range can’t be very impressive, as the battery pack is only 1.62 kWh. That does mark a 13 percent improvement over the previous model in terms of electricity storage capacity, though.

The Sonata Hybrid comes with what Hyundai calls “convenient technology.” You get hands-free Smart Trunk access as an option, electronic parking brake, hill hold, memory driver’s seat, rear window sunshades, heated steering wheel, LED interior lights, cooled and powered front seats, as well as smart cruise control.

Despite being launched at last year’s New York Auto Show, Hyundai has decided on giving the Sonata a makeover because its more conservative looks didn’t gel with customers.

The previous Sonata, which ran from 2010 to mid-2014 in the US, had a more aggressive exterior design based on the company’s “fluidic sculpture” design language. It was also Hyundai’s first model to sell more than 200,000 units in a year in the US.

Unfortunately, its successor toned down that looks quite a bit, resulting in a disappointing 6.5 percent 2014 sales increase over 2013. Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski told WardsAuto the new mid-size sedan has gone down well with brand loyalists but failed in the conquest buyers’ front, the one the old model had nailed down.

“I told the story to our parent company, of driving the old Sonata home and people rolling down their windows at stop signs, following me, asking ‘What is that? Where can I get it?’””, Zuchowski said. “That was free advertising, right? People would seek us out because we look different and we don’t get that now.”

Hyundai probably thought that the previous-gen Sonata had established the nameplate enough to be compared to the segments best-sellers, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which also have conservative looks.

Apparently, that was a mistake and dealers had to throw in larger than expected incentives to move the 2015 Sonata out of their showrooms.

Even so, the redesign won’t happen before the ’17 or ’18 model year, when the mid-cycle facelift was already scheduled: “It’s hard to get anything done sooner than mid-cycle with the tooling involved”, said Zuchowski. He added that Hyundai “knows exactly what we want to do. The more important thing to understand is we always need to keep our styling edge. We can’t let ourselves get closer to the pack.”

He added that Hyundai “knows exactly what we want to do. The more important thing to understand is we always need to keep our styling edge. We can’t let ourselves get closer to the pack.”

The changes brought to its body aren’t meant to just set it apart visually and actually improve the drag coefficient – it’s 0.24, the same as a Tesla Model S. The improvement is achieved through the use of a larger grille

If you've recently acquired a 2015 or 2016 Hyundai Sonata, beware that the sunroof may fly off. Apparently some of them may not have been attached properly, so the Korean automaker has issued a recall.

The issue affects an estimated 62,811 examples of the Sonata sedan manufactured between May 28, 2014, and March 18, 2016, as well as Sonata Hybrids built between December 8, 2014, and August 18, 2015. Of course it only affects those fitted with the sunroof option, so if yours has an uninterrupted tin top, you needn't worry.

The problem, according to the recall notice, apparently stems from the wind deflector attached to the panoramic sunroof. So to fix it, dealers are being advised to repair the deflector anchor plate. The recall gets underway on December 2.

This latest campaign follows an earlier one for MY2016 Sonatas issued less than a month ago regarding defective driver's side airbags, and another ongoing investigation by the NHTSA over the vehicles' brakes locking up.