HYUNDAI · HYUNDAI SONATA · Cars
HYUNDAI SONATA Rare
As of 2026 Q1, 636 HYUNDAI SONATAs remain registered in the UK — a genuinely rare sight on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 3,016 in 2014 Q3 — only 21% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 2,380 cars. They're disappearing at roughly 98 a year (15.4% of what's left), a pace that would halve the survivors by around 2030 if it held — though in practice the last, most-cherished examples tend to linger far longer. Tellingly, 49% are declared SORN — kept off the road in garages and barns rather than driven, the signature of a car being looked after rather than used up.
Survivors over time
How rare is it?
Rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (636 in the latest data).
Rarer than 40% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.
Fuel breakdown
📉 Rate of decline
Disappearing at about 98 a year (15.4% of survivors). At that pace roughly 275 would remain in 5 years, and half the current fleet is gone by around ~2030.
About the SONATA
The Hyundai Sonata (Korean: 현대 쏘나타) is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted version of the Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two years due to poor customer reaction. While the nameplate was originally only sold in South Korea, the second generation of 1988 was widely exported. The Sonata is currently manufactured in South Korea, China, and Pakistan. It was named after the musical term, sonata. It was formerly manufactured in the United States from 2005...
HYUNDAI SONATA — questions & answers
How many HYUNDAI SONATA are left in the UK?
As of 2026 Q1, 636 HYUNDAI SONATA were still registered in the UK — 324 licensed and on the road, plus 312 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
Is the HYUNDAI SONATA rare?
The HYUNDAI SONATA is rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (636), making it rarer than 40% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.
Is the HYUNDAI SONATA increasing or decreasing?
Over the last year the number of HYUNDAI SONATA on UK roads fell by 69 (9.8%). At the current rate of decline, roughly 275 would remain in 5 years.
What fuel do most HYUNDAI SONATA use?
Most HYUNDAI SONATA run on petrol — about 76% of those still registered, with the rest split across diesel.
When did the HYUNDAI SONATA peak?
The HYUNDAI SONATA peaked at 3,016 registered in 2014 Q3, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.