Spy Shots: Next-gen Hyundai Sonata going four-door coupe route

With the Genesis Sedan and Coupe both finally on sale, Hyundai has a moment to breathe. OK, done. Back to work. Next up is a complete redesign of the Hyundai Sonata, which is one the South Korean brand's big sellers that competes in a very crowded, competitive segment against the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion, among others.

The next Sonata will be a total rethinking of the mid-size sedan's packaging. Based on these spy shots taken while a prototype was out testing on what appears to be a frozen lake, we can clearly see that the profile of the next Sonata will move farther towards the four-door coupe end of the spectrum where vehicles like the Volkswagen CC live. The severely sloping roof line now meets the trunk lid much farther back leaving just a short length of rear deck lid. Overall, it appears as if the next Sonata will be a larger, yet much more visually interesting vehicle than the one it replaces. The only question is, where does that leave the Azera?