2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Review
The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is available in just one trim. The Sonata is also available as a gas-only model that starts at about $6,000 less than the Sonata Hybrid.
The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, expected to hit dealerships later this year, is the South Korean company’s first hybrid in the US market. Hyundai expects the Sonata Hybrid to achieve 37 miles per gallon in the city and 39 mpg on the highway.
The company is taking direct aim at the Toyota Camry Hybrid (33/34) and Ford Fusion Hybrid (41/36), the two most popular regular-looking mid-size hybrid sedans.
The Sonata Hybrid's six-speed automatic transmission could be its powerful secret weapon.
“Unlike traditional [power-split] hybrids that trade off highway fuel economy for higher city ratings, the Sonata Hybrid delivers best-in-class highway fuel economy, while still delivering about a 40 percent improvement in city fuel economy compared to a Sonata equipped with the Theta II GDI engine,” said Krafcik.
The lighter batteries, and other weight reductions make the Sonata Hybrid the lightest vehicle in the segment, at just 3,457 pounds—263 pounds lighter than the Fusion Hybrid. Combined with Sonata’s best-in-class horsepower rating, Sonata Hybrid has a significant advantage in power-to-weight ratio.
The Sonata Hybrid’s 1.4 kilowatt-hour pack battery pack weighs just 95.9 pounds versus the Camry Hybrid’s 123.9 pounds.
While the Camry Hybrid and Ford’s Fusion Hybrid are virtually identical to their conventional counterparts, the Sonata Hybrid takes a page out of the Prius playbook by adopting a distinctive look that sets it apart from other Sonatas. It goes without saying that much of the fuel saving technology lies under the skin of the Sonata Hybrid, but Hyundai has taken an innovative route to furthering the car’s fuel economy. Rather than focus solely on the hybrid system, Hyundai has also tackled one of the chief criticisms of hybrid cars – their substantial curb weight.
Weighing in at 3,457 lbs, the Sonata Hybrid is 263 pounds lighter than the Fusion Hybrid and 223 lbs less than a Camry Hybrid. Other fuel economy savings have been made up thanks to electric power steering, regenerative braking and a start-stop system for the gasoline engine.
HYBRID DRIVE DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM REAL WORLD FUEL ECONOMY
Hyundai claims the Sonata Hybrid returns 36-mpg in the city and 40-mpg on the highway, while the Fusion returns 41-mpg city and 36-mpg highway. The Camry Hybrid is a distant competitor with a 33-mpg city and 34-mpg highway rating. The Sonata Hybrid also does away with the gearless CVT transmission of other hybrids and swaps in a 6-speed automatic gearbox. On the road, there are some noticeable differences between the Sonata Hybrid and the base car. While Hyundai claims that the Sonata Hybrid can run on battery power up to 62 mph, the EV mode stayed engaged up to 70 mph on some flat and downhill portions of the test route – meaning we achieved above the claimed fuel economy ratings with a 44-mpg average.
FAMILIAR ON-ROAD FEEL, BUT SEAT FABRIC NEEDS UPGRADING
No pricing has been announced by Hyundai, but there’s no reason to think that the Sonata Hybrid will be anything but aggressively priced against its rivals from Ford and Toyota. While the Sonata Hybrid won’t unseat the Prius as the king of hybrid cars, it should do damage to the Camry Hybrid as well as the Fusion, which have become the green vehicle of choice for those seeking something a bit less harmful to the planet, that’s also a bit more conventional.
