Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, unveiled a face-lift of the current generation of the Sonata LF on Wednesday, with an aim to revive its once-dominant presence in the midsized sedan category here.

The South Korean carmaker applied a dramatic twist to its existing design and added a list of smart features. Calling it Sonata New Rise, the carmaker plans to sell 92,000 units in the local market this year.

Since the launch of the first generation of Sonata in 1985, the midsized sedan has long dominated the market. But it has been losing its presence to other competitors from in and out of the country. The carmaker attempting rather drastic changes for a face-lift, both in design and mobility, comes as it aims to take its market reputation back.

“Transformed completely (to suit the needs of) customers, Sonata New Rise will blow a fresh breeze to the competitive local market for mid-size sedans,” said Lee Kwang-guk, executive vice president in charge of Hyundai Motor’s domestic sales division.

The updated sedan is “the beginning of the post-Sonata” era and is in line with Hyundai’s new design identity, said Koo Bon-jun, head of Hyundai exterior design group.

“The key concept was to make the sedan sportier while keeping Hyundai‘s design identity of fluidic sculpture and applying ideas inspired from nature at the same time,” he said after the show.

It adopted a larger cascading grille outlined with a thicker chrome line to make it look sportier, stronger and slimmer. Hyundai has lowered the position of the grille, connecting the front facade with chrome garnishes from the right and left of the body.

Presented in four engine types -- 1.6-liter turbo gasoline, 2.0-liter turbo gasoline, 2.0-liter gasoline and 1.7-liter gasoline-- the sedan also features smart sensors including a lane keeping assistance system, advanced smart cruise control and an autonomous emergency braking system. It also has an air purifier built in to its air conditioner to offer a fresh driving experience, officials said. Eco-friendly versions including Sonata hybrids and plug-in hybrids will be released within this year, the company said.

Rather than promoting more on achromatic colors, Hyundai offers a variety of colors, including grand blue, valentine red and blue sapphire, highlighting its attempt to appeal to younger motorists looking for affordable and sleek cars.

Asked of its debut on the US market, a Hyundai official said it may take a few months to gain approval from US authorities, but that the carmaker will actively target the world‘s biggest market with the latest Sonata face-lift.

The price of Sonata New Rise ranges from 22.5 million won ($19,600) to 32.5 million won.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com) and Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)