Hyundai has had a good couple of years. Sales are surging. They’re catching up with the competition, and people are more widely accepting Hyundai as a mainstream brand.

The upsurge started with a completely redesigned Sonata last model year. I drove the 2011 Sonata and was very impressed with it. So I was eager to see what was new with my tester this week, the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0T.

The exterior of the Sonata remains intact, with its sleek, modern appeal. Despite no real cosmetic change to its appearance, I was still impressed with the midnight black paint color and the panoramic glass roof of my tester. It was fresh, modern and eye-catching.

The other noticeable thing that made me quite happy was the 2.0T badging on the back. This means it’s a turbo-charged gasoline direct injection vehicle.

The turbo was quite evident on my first drive. The Sonata boasts rapid, smooth acceleration with no noticeable lag. The 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine creates 274 horsepower and 269 lb./ft. of torque.

A six-speed automatic transmission is well-tuned for seamless, efficient shifting.

Where the Sonata further excels, when compared to some of the leaders in the midsize sedan segment, is in the quality of the interior. Beyond just having excellent touchpoints (which it most certainly does), the Sonata has a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, door sill plates, lumbar-supported leather seats, dual climate controls with rear seat vents and heated front and rear seats, all included in the Sonata Limited.

I’ve driven other top-of-the-line midsize models and they did not include nearly as many amenities.

All of this adds to the driving experience of the Sonata.

The comfortable back seat affords ample legroom for adults. A 60/40 split folding option boosts cargo space from the trunk.

In the midsize segment, fuel economy is vital, and the Sonata more than holds its own. The turbo engine gets nearly the same fuel economy as the non-turbo, 2.4-liter engine. My average combined fuel economy in a week’s worth of mixed driving yielded just under 26 MPG. The Sonata Limited 2.0T has an EPA rating of 22 city and 34 highway. The 2.4-liter Sonata is rated 24/35.

The Sonata has five trim lines, from the base GLS to the top-of-the-line Limited. Prices start at under $20,000 for the GLS to more than $30,000 for the Limited.

In the hyper-competitive midsize sedan segment, the Hyundai Sonata more than holds its own. It has managed to raise the bar and the challenge the competition.

Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor