Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs BMW 2 Series

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid showcased a modern and sleek design with significant styling updates. Its front fascia was streamlined, featuring a slim lightbar known as the “seamless horizon lamp,” which added a contemporary touch. The badge was repositioned above the grille, and the headlights were placed independently below it, creating a distinct look reminiscent of the Hyundai Ioniq 6, yet avoiding its more polarizing elements. The rear end maintained its lightbar but adopted a wide “H” shape similar to the new Hyundai Santa Fe. From the side, the 2024 Sonata closely resembled its 2023 predecessor, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels on the Preferred-Trend trim and 19-inch wheels on the N Line trim in Canada. The interior saw changes with a redesigned dash featuring vents that spanned across, a new gear shifter on the steering column, and a T-shaped steering wheel with a Morse code “H” logo. The Preferred-Trend trim offered a basic black interior with leather upholstery, while the N Line trim included a light grey option with Nappa leather, suede inserts, and red accents.

The 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, a four-door model, stood out as an anomaly in BMW's lineup, built on a different platform than its two-door counterpart and sharing underpinnings with the Mini Cooper. This made it the most affordable BMW, though it impacted its appearance. The front-wheel-drive platform required a taller hood, adding visual weight above the wheel wells, giving it a profile more akin to a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Despite lacking the athletic stance of its two-door sibling, the Gran Coupe retained a traditional BMW twin-kidney grille, avoiding the oversized nostrils seen in recent models. Its interior aligned with BMW's design language, featuring a large glossy panel enclosing the digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen. The cabin boasted sturdy, soft-touch materials and metallic accents, with little trace of its Mini Cooper origins, except for the steering wheel buttons. The Gran Coupe's cabin exuded the sporty seriousness typical of BMW models.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid introduced an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system for the first time, available on the Preferred-Trend trim for an additional $2,000. The N Line remained front-wheel-drive (FWD) only. The Preferred-Trend trim featured a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The N Line offered a turbocharged version of the same engine, delivering 290 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, available from 1,650 to 4,000 rpm, with power transferred via an 8-speed wet-clutch dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The Sonata's steering feel and handling were praised, along with its configurable driver-information display.

The 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with the 228 xDrive Gran Coupe model available in Canada, rated at 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It featured a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with standard AWD. BMW claimed the 228 could reach 100 km/h in six seconds. The xDrive AWD system effectively eliminated front-end traction issues, providing ample grip for cornering, though the Gran Coupe retained a hint of nose-heaviness due to its FWD-derived platform. All models came with adaptive dampers, offering softer or firmer settings. The ride quality was comfortable for long drives, with minimal wind noise and road noise only noticeable on coarser asphalt. The engine's four-cylinder nature was evident under aggressive acceleration.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid offered competitive interior space, with the driver's seat adjustable for exceptional visibility. The standard panoramic moonroof provided 975 millimetres of front-seat headroom, slightly above the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and just below the Nissan Altima. Rear-seat headroom was 950 mm, and front-row legroom was prioritized with 1,170 mm, while rear-seat passengers had 885 mm. Heated and ventilated front seats were standard in the Preferred-Trend trim, with ventilation omitted in the N Line's sport seats. The slimmer steering wheel rim was appreciated for comfort, and the trunk close button added convenience.

The 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe featured an attractive and intuitive gear selector lever on the centre console, surrounded by capacitive-touch buttons that were occasionally activated accidentally. The instrument panel was well-placed within the driver's sightline, with an available head-up display reducing distraction. The minimalist air vent slots added to the modern look, though the remote toggle for flow direction seemed over-engineered. Storage space included a small tray, a large wireless charging pad, and small cup holders, with moderate centre armrest bin and door pockets. Rear-seat legroom was adequate, but headroom was limited, and the narrow door opening required care to avoid bumping into the roofline. The trunk, listed at 340 litres, appeared more accommodating in person, with seatback release levers for additional space.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid featured a selectable functionality for the driver's side front USB-C port, allowing it to switch between data-transmitting and charging-only modes. This was particularly useful for wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, available on all trims. The curved display combined the infotainment touchscreen and driver-information display into a single panel, with the N Line offering a pair of 12.3-inch screens. The Preferred-Trend trim had a smaller digital instrument cluster. Hard controls were minimal, but climate control and media functions had dedicated haptic buttons. The N Line included navigation and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, while a six-speaker sound system was standard, along with HD Radio, Sirius XM, and two rear-seat USB charging ports.

The 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe came standard with a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, and a Harman Kardon premium sound system. The infotainment system was intuitive for basic functions, but some secondary features required navigating through menus. Adjusting the adaptive cruise control following distance was cumbersome, with no dedicated button on the steering wheel. Physical climate control buttons were moved to the touchscreen, anchored to the bottom for consistent access. Voice-activated controls helped alleviate some frustration, though they didn't cover all user settings. The Gran Coupe featured remote monitoring and control via a smartphone app, with the BMW Digital Key allowing the phone to double as a key fob. Over-the-air software updates kept the system and maps current, with streaming audio and video services available.

The 2024 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid included standard safety features such as blind-spot collision warning with rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist with junction turning detection, safe exit warning and assist, lane-following and lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, automatic emergency braking, and rear occupant alert. The infotainment system made it easy to find and manage safety features, with clear graphics explaining each function.

The 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe offered standard advanced safety features, including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, front and rear parking proximity sensors, and a semi-automated parking system. The optional Driving Assistant Professional package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, evasive steering assist, and traffic jam assist. The adaptive cruise control's automatic setting allowed too much space between vehicles, inviting other drivers to cut in, so manual settings were preferred. Crash test results were not available at the time of writing, but the Gran Coupe was expected to achieve similar ratings to the first-generation model, which earned top scores in IIHS crash tests.