Acceleration is more than ample in and around town and extremely quiet. There is no fandangled learning curve or set up to take advantage of the electric power. The Sonata Hybrid drives like its gas siblings. What is unusual is that Hyundai has chosen a conventional six-speed automatic transmission in favour of the more common CVT transmission associated with a hybrid drivetrain. Under the hood is a 2.0L four-cylinder engine that is linked to a 38kW electric motor that pushes out 192hp from both the engine and electric motor combined, torque has a combined rating of 290 lb-ft. The front seats are the only ones ventilated. The leather-liveried seats are comfortable and supporting, with both front and rear seats being heated. Simply, the whole layout of the dash is practical and it is obvious the designers have spent some time ensuring all controls are where they should be and make sense. The images are clear, and I found myself using these more that the external mirrors when turning. One great feature incorporated into it is the side-view cameras that show the blind spots along the side of the car when the indicators are used. The driver’s 12.3-inch instrument cluster is bright and easily read.
The dash is uncluttered with a 10.25-inch widescreen display sitting high on the dash. Hyundai claim that this can add up to 1,300km of electric driving range in one year.įor such a technically advanced car the Sonata’s cabin is fresh and minimalistic. Just parking the Sonata Hybrid in the sun for six hours can extend the electric range by just under 4km. This solar panel roof isn’t just a sales gimmick, as it not only charges the 12-Volt accessory battery but its tops up the lithium-ion battery as well, a first in the Canadian marketplace. This is an addition you would normally expect to find in a car twice or three times the price.Īnother visual difference between the regular gas-powered Sonata and the Hybrid is the addition of a standard solar panel roof. Where the chrome starts at the headlight it has an LED inlay that acts as a driving light, it illuminates and runs along the chrome and gradually fades out just behind the headlights.
#HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID FULL#
One of the most dramatic styling additions to the new Sonata is the chrome strip that runs along the waistband from the headlights along the full length of the vehicle.
Differentiating the Hybrid from its gasoline sibling is small (and lighter) 17-inch alloy wheels. The bumper is smaller and is split from the grill by a chrome strip that runs between the two smaller air intakes. The Sonata Hybrid is certainly pleasing to the eye, the large front grille on this hybrid is different from the regular model and is now made up of horizontal chrome-finished slats that incorporate active shutters to control airflow.
#HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID DRIVER#
Not only has the Sonata’s styling been changed inside and out, a wide range of electronic enhancements and driver assist technologies have also been added, especially in the Hybrid I was testing. The exterior styling is now as far removed from the earlier models as it could possibly be, and matched to a more refined interior. The Sonata has morphed from a follower to an outright leader in its category. The new eighth generation, introduced in 2019 as a 2020 model, is certainly turning heads. This was when the Sonata started to be taken seriously as a contender with its fresh body styling and competitive drivetrain. Since then the Sonata has gone through one of the most spectacular metamorphosis for a mid-sized sedan.īefore, the Sonata was always playing catch up with other European and Japanese manufacturers until the introduction of the sixth generation Sonata in 2009. The first generation had been available in Korea from 1985 and when it was first introduced into Canada the Sonata was popular because of its price rather than its styling and handling.
The Sonata was first introduced to Canada as a second-generation model way back in 1989.