Rent Hyundai Sonata 2020 in Dubai

The Hyundai Sonata 2020 is the mid-size step up from an Elantra or a Kia K5, and in Dubai that extra size is the whole argument for booking one. All three share Hyundai and Kia parts bins and similar four-cylinder engines, so the drive itself doesn't change much between them. What changes is the wheelbase, the boot and the sense of space once you're inside, and that's exactly where a compact sedan starts to feel small on a longer trip. We deliver this Sonata to your door within one to two hours of booking, wherever you're staying. This page is about where that extra length actually earns its keep, and where a smaller sedan would do the same job for less.

Same engine as its cousins, a different feel on the road

Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder Hyundai and Kia use across this generation of Elantra, K5 and Sonata, making 150 hp and 192 Nm through a 6-speed automatic to the front wheels. The size upgrade doesn't come with a power upgrade: this isn't a quicker car than its smaller cousins, it's a roomier one. The gearbox shifts early and stays smooth rather than urgent, and the Sonata settles into a 120 km/h cruise on Sheikh Zayed Road without fuss. Ask for a full-throttle overtake past 100 and it takes a moment to drop a gear and find the power, so plan the move early rather than trusting a late gap. Around town, the extra length is barely noticeable from the driver's seat. The Sonata steers and brakes like the Elantra it's related to, just with more car ahead of you and behind you.

Extra room in the boot and the back seat

The boot holds 453 litres, enough for two large suitcases and a soft bag without wrestling the lid shut, so a DXB or DWC pickup for a couple with a week of luggage works cleanly. Add a third case or a stroller and something is moving to the back seat. That back seat is the real reason to pick the Sonata over an Elantra: the wheelbase runs to 2,840 mm, noticeably longer than a compact sedan's, and it shows up as genuine knee room for two adults on a run to the coast or up toward Al Ain. The trade-off is the roofline. It slopes for the coupe-like look this generation is known for, and that costs some rear headroom, so a tall passenger will feel the ceiling closer on a long trip than they would in a boxier Camry or Accord. Three across the back works for a quick transfer, not for a full day.

At close to 4.9 metres long, this is a genuinely big sedan, and tight multi-storey bays or a sharp U-turn on a Marina ramp ask for more care than a compact needs. Ground clearance sits around 134 mm, enough for standard speed bumps without drama, though a steep mall ramp is still the place to slow down and take gently. This is a front-wheel-drive road car, not one for Hatta tracks or any unpaved detour.

Fuel, mileage and keeping the cabin cool

Fuel economy sits around 12 km/l in the mixed city and highway driving you'll actually do here, and the 60-litre tank is good for close to 700 km between fills, so a daily commuter is looking at roughly one stop a week. The mileage allowance is 250 km a day, reset every 24 hours rather than pooled across the whole rental, and anything past that is 50 fils a kilometre, cheap enough that one heavier day, an airport run plus errands, rarely troubles it. Salik tolls are on the renter, as are any RTA fines, and you'll need to be 25 to take this one out, older than the minimum on some of our smaller sedans.

Heat is the honest part to plan for with a cabin this size. A car left in a midday car park takes a few extra minutes to cool down compared with a small hatchback, simply because there's more air inside to chill. Once you're moving, the front vents pull the temperature down quickly, and rear passengers get their own vents too, which matters with a full car on a 47-degree afternoon. Park in shade where you find it, and crack the windows for a few seconds before you climb back in, to let the worst of the trapped heat escape first. It's an effective setup for the class, not a luxury climate system, and it copes with a Dubai summer.

Who should book this Sonata, and who shouldn't

Rent the Sonata 2020 if you'd otherwise book an Elantra or a K5 but need more back-seat room, a bigger boot, or simply more presence for the same easy running costs. The engine and gearbox are shared with those smaller cars, so this size upgrade buys you space, not speed, and on a wheelbase like this the difference is real once passengers are actually sitting in the back seat.

Size up or pick a rival in two cases. If four tall adults need to sit comfortably for a full day, the sloping roofline's headroom cost will bother the back-seat pair, and a boxier sedan or a crossover suits better. If your plan involves Hatta, the dunes or anything off tarmac, this front-wheel-drive sedan on 134 mm of clearance isn't the car, no matter how roomy the back seat is. For a couple or a small family wanting a bigger, calmer sedan than an Elantra without stepping up to SUV money, the Sonata 2020 is the sensible upgrade, and the minimum age of 25 is the one detail worth double-checking before you book.