Pros:
- Seamless gas-electric hybrid system
- Smooth shifting 6 speed automatic transmission
- Eye-catching exterior design
- Spacious interior with lots of features
Cons:
- Less than sporty handling
- Automatic transmission robs a few MPGs
- Drab interior gray color
It seems like almost every major car company has at least one hybrid model on the road these days, and why not, with gas prices still clinging to almost $4 a gallon. Although a bit late to the party, Hyundai finally has its own hybrid sedan with the new Sonata Hybrid.
The attractively styled and compellingly priced Sonata has elbowed its way into the competitive mid-size sedan market and convinced more than a few Camry and Accord buyers to jump ship over the past year. Will this new Hybrid version make an equally large impression on prospective car buyers? After driving the Sonata Hybrid for five days, we can definitely say this is another excellent option for mileage conscious car buyers.
A New Kind of Hybrid
By now, hybrid cars are no longer a novelty and with the maturation of this technology come expectations that the system work seamlessly. On this front, the Sonata Hybrid is a definite success. The 2.4L gas engine, electric motor and next-generation lithium polymer battery all work together smoothly to propel the car forward. You can barely tell when the engine turns on or off, especially when driving at a relaxed pace around town.
Unlike most other hybrids, the Sonata Hybrid utilizes a regular 6 speed automatic transmission, rather than a CVT, or continuously variable transmission. Although you can tell when the car shifts gears, the shifts are very smooth and allow for the car to accelerate more like a normal sedan, which is a nice change of pace from the high rpm droning you often experience with a CVT. Feeling the car shift gears gently while cruising silently under electric power is also quite cool.
To help maximize fuel efficiency, the Sonata Hybrid defaults to “Blue Drive” when you start the car, which is basically an Eco mode that restricts throttle response to help discourage the driver from using the gas too aggressively. Although it does help keep the speed slow, the feeling is quite artificial and we often switched it off.
Like other hybrids, the display panels also offer some visual aids to help maximize efficient driving, although these are on the goofy side for our taste. In particular, one display setting shows an image of the car with leaves being ejected from the rear. The more efficient you drive, the more leaves are blown out the back, which makes the Sonata Hybrid look like a glorified lawnmower.
The EPA grants the Sonata Hybrid a 35 city, 40 highway rating. Our test confirmed that these are potentially realistic figures; we averaged around 35 mpg during mixed driving. To get close to the 40 mpg mark would take some deliberate hypermiling, though, and we have a hunch that the use of a conventional automatic does hurt fuel efficiency a bit, since the engine can’t always be in its optimal rpm range.
Driving Impressions
One of the first things you’ll notice while driving the Sonata Hybrid is that she sits quite low to the ground, almost sports car low. This is primarily to enhance aerodynamics, but unfortunately it makes it easy to scrape the front lip on curbs or steep driveways.
The suspension is tuned a bit firmer than you might expect for a hybrid sedan, which means less body roll when cornering, but it does pitch back and forth a bit, especially over dips and bumps. Tackling a windy road also reveals a steering feel that is a bit numb and doesn’t communicate much about what the front wheels are doing.
While the hybrid system is very seamless when driven lazily, once you start to hurry things get a bit unglued. If you stand on the gas while in EV mode, there is a brief delay, and then the thrust from the engine comes on abruptly, sometimes so much so that you’ll chirp the tires. The brake pedal is also a bit mushy and the low rolling resistance tires start to squeal when cornering even moderately hard.
All of this is really beside the point, given that few drivers buy a hybrid sedan for the handling. For everyday driving, the Sonata Hybrid works perfectly fine, but we do hope Hyundai can take a bit more of the sportiness we witnessed in the regular Sonata and put it in the hybrid version.
Interior/Exterior
Luckily the Sonata Hybrid does inherit the Sonata’s spacious, comfortable interior. Build quality is very good and the car has a lot of equipment for the money. Even the base model includes such features as dual automatic climate control, power driver seat with power lumbar support, and an integrated Bluetooth handsfree phone system.
Our tester came with the Hybrid Premium Package, which costs a cool 5 grand, but gives you leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, touchscreen Navigation, and Infinity premium audio system. Our only real criticism of the interior is the choice of colors, which was a rather drab gray on gray. A bit more contrast in the color scheme would highlight the otherwise excellent interior design.
The outside of our test car couldn’t have been more eye-catching. From the striking Blue Sky Metallic paint, to the unique alloy wheels and dramatic gaping front grill, which is unique to the hybrid model, our test car attracted quite a bit of attention wherever we went. Although some might find the Sonata’s fluid, sculpted shape to be a bit too artistic, you can’t help but marvel at how far Hyundai has come, in terms of design, in just the past few years.
Sonata Hybrid or Optima Hybrid?
With its attractive looks, seamless performance, and excellent value, the Sonata Hybrid will no doubt compete well against competitors like the Camry Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid. The most intense competition, however, might very well come from its sister car, the Kia Optima Hybrid. The two cars share the same chassis and powertrain, but the Optima Hybrid features a completely different exterior and interior design.
Having recently driven the new Optima Hybrid, we can verify that the two cars are very similar in terms of how they drive. The Sonata Hybrid is priced a few hundred dollars less, starting at $25,795, but for most customers pricing will be similar enough to not make a difference.
That leaves the interior/exterior design aesthetics, which is a very subjective decision. This author prefers the Optima and its linear, muscular design, but when asked to compare, many others preferred the Sonata and its more swoopy, fluid design. Either way you choose, it’s nice to see several compelling new entries in the mid-size hybrid sedan segment.
