We spent a week in the all-new and vastly improved Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
Pros:
Impressive fuel economy
Real 6-speed transmission
Quiet and versatile interior
Cons:
Steering feedback
Average handling
Only adequate power
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited
The Sonata Hybrid is all-new for 2016. Its gas engine is smaller, its electric motor is more powerful and its battery pack offers more storage. It also now shares most of its body panels with the rest of the Sonata lineup.
Exterior
We say "most" because, the Hyundai's latest hybrid is distinguished with sleeker front and rear fascias, reducing its coefficient of drag to just 0.24, tying it with none other than the Tesla Model S. The larger grille (which, on the hybrid more closely resembles that of an Audi, rather than the rest of the Sonata lineup) features grille shutters that, along with new "eco-spoke" alloy wheels, contribute to its improved aerodynamics.
Interior
Aside from a more formal (one even might say "conservative") look inside, the big news is that the Sonata Hybrid's lithium-polymer battery pack, with a 13 percent improvement in capacity, has been moved from behind the back seat to under the trunk floor. Needless to say, this allows either or both parts of the 60/40 rear seats to flip forward for more storage versatility – just like a real car. The downside to the added utility is fairly minimal given the obvious advantages, as the trunk, itself, sacrifices a mere 3 cubic feet for this feature, checking in at a very acceptable 13.3 cubic feet.
Outside of that, the overall fit and finish of the cabin is impressive, with even the gray wood trim not looking obviously fake.
The gauges and controls, themselves, are large, easy to read, and within easy reach of the driver and all the switchgear is buttery smooth. The new center stack on all Sonatas is slightly angled toward the driver, while the display screen and instrument cluster are placed at the same level for better driver ergonomics. In addition, there are buttons for all the main touchscreen functions and they’re grouped in both infotainment and HVAC clusters.
The cabin is large for this class with an EPA passenger volume of 106.1 cubic feet which, with the trunk's 13.3 cubic feet of storage, places the Sonata Hybrid at the very upper end of the EPA midsize sedan category (the larger trunk of the non-hybrid Sonata places it in the EPA's large sedan category). The front seats are firm, supportive, nicely bolstered and provide excellent lateral support. There’s also plenty of room in the back seat for three adults.
The view from the front and sides is excellent, and the view out the rear three-quarters is also improved, thanks to a larger window in the C-pillar. A rearview camera is also standard on hybrid models.
Under the hood
The 2016 Sonata Hybrid is equipped with a new all-aluminum 2.0-liter Nu, direct injected inline-4 with variable valve timing that generates 154 horsepower ( 5 less than last year) and 140 lb.-ft. of torque (down 14 from last year).
On the other hand, a 6-speed automatic transmission (rather than one of the soul-sucking CVTs found in most hybrids) houses a more powerful 38 kW electric motor (up 4 horsepower). Overall system output is 193 horsepower – down 6 hp from last year.
Fuel economy, as you might expect, is one of the Sonata Hybrid's high points. But while it's rated by the EPA at 39/43/41 city/highway/combined mpg, we experienced an even more impressive 46 miles per gallon on the highway and averaged 42 mpg in city driving.
On the road
The 2016 Sonata Hybrid's ride feels very compliant with routine handling that's well controlled. Road imperfections and even larger potholes are absorbed nicely by the suspension. Tossing it into a corner elicits very little body lean, although it also manages not to encourage any form of spirited driving. The steering has a good weight to it with no dead spot on-center, although the system could use more feedback through the steering wheel.
Overall braking performance, however, is very good and the brakes are fairly easy to modulate. There’s good feedback through the pedal to the driver and the regeneration feature is never distracting.
On the highway, the Sonata's suspension soaks up both minor pavement irregularities as well as most large bumps. There is never a problem passing or merging into traffic and it's not affected by crosswinds. The transition between gasoline and electric power is seamless and at 75 mph on the expressway we even noticed (via the dash display) the Sonata cruising along in all-electric mode for short periods of time (the only way we could tell the difference).
Overall interior sound levels are excellent with very little outside noise, even at highway speeds – making the Sonata one of the quietest vehicles in the midsize class we have ever driven.
2016 Sonata Hybrid pricing
The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is scheduled to reach dealers sometime this summer and as of this writing, 2016 prices had yet to be released. We do expect, however, that pricing of the 2016 Limited trim level to be close to that of last year's model, which means that the MSRP of this tester should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $33,000.
The Bottom Line
There is a lot to like about the 2016 Sonata Hybrid. Fuel economy is excellent for a sedan this size, it has better handling and steering feedback and the interior is as quiet as many luxury sedans we've driven. Its exterior is also better-looking than the rest of the Sonata lineup and it comes with a 6-speed transmission, not the buzz- kill CVTs you typically find in most hybrids.
On the other hand, its handling is far from sporty and power, though adequate, is hardly what you would term thrill-inducing.
But the fact is that the latest Sonata fuel-sipper is one of the best hybrid offerings in the midsize segment and, taking everything into account, new car shoppers should now consider it an equal to those offered by Toyota, Honda and Ford.
