It seemed only like yesterday when Hyundai surprised the world with its curvy new Sonata (also known as the I45 in Singapore). Now, the Korean Giant has released its mildly face-lifted Sonata in its home market. Can you spot the difference?

The light cosmetic surgery on the exterior brings a revamped front grille with slightly less chrome on top and around the sides. In addition, the rear benefits from new LED taillights. The reshaped mirror casings and a fresh choice of 18-inch alloy wheel designs complete the exterior updates. The mild interior tweaks include new trim options, higher quality materials, addition of LED spot lights and improved standard equipment throughout the range.

In South Korea, while the Sonata continues with the 165 hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit, the 2.4 liter gasoline engine gets replaced by a more potent 2.0-liter turbocharged 4 cylinder power plant with a rating of 271 hp. I believe this is the same direct-injected unit that is currently available for the North America market. It is rated at 274 hp in the US. Hyundai has another 2.0 Turbo engine that is utilized in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe but it