First Offering

• The 1989 Hyundai Sonata was the first model year to go to the United States.
  
  The Sonata debuted in the United States market with a 110-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, upgrading to a 3-liter V-6 in 1990.
  
  

North America Market

• The 1996 Sonata sported a redesigned nose and rear deck.
  
  Sonatas were shipped to Canada in late 1987 for the 1988 model year, while the United States received the vehicle a year later.
  
  

Facelift

• The Hyundai assembly plant in Montgomery, Ala.
  
  The car received a makeover in 1996 with extensive redesigns of its nose and rear, boosting sales by 25 percent.
  
  

Lightweight

• The all-aluminum 3.3-liter V-6 engine appeared in 2002 models.
  
  A lightweight all-aluminum 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine generating 237 horsepower appeared in 2002. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency re-classified it as a "large" car.
  
  

New Look

• Interior of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata.
  
  The 2009 models received a second facelift--including new fascia and grille, front and rear lights, and a redesigned gauge cluster--from the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center design studio in Superior Township, Michigan.
  
  

Hybrid

• The 2010 Hyundai Hybrid.
  
  Hyundai introduced its Sonata Hybrid at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in 2008 for delivery to the public for the 2010 model year.