2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - Fuel-Sipping Family Hauler (with video) - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited 2.0-liter DOHC I-4, CVVT,...
2.0-liter DOHC I-4, CVVT, hybrid (petrol engine: 154 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 140 lb-ft at 5000 rpm, electric motor: 51 horses @ 1.770 to 2.000; 151 lb-ft @ 0 to 1.770 rpm)
6-speed automatic
lithium polymer battery
40 city / 44 highway / 42 combined (Hybrid SE, EPA Rating, MPG)
39 city / 43 highway / 41 combined (hybrid Limited, EPA Rating, MPG)
40.8 mpg (observed MPG)
tested options: Limited trim, final package
base price:
$ 26,825 *
As Tested :.
$ 35,425 *
* Prices include $ 825 destination charge
Hyundai hit the ball out of the park style with the latest generation Sonata. The 09 model was as dramatic and exciting as previous models were dull and boring. Although 09 has not changed the value proposition of Hyundai, nor does it really break any new ground in the segment family car, the sexy curves were responsible for almost double the sales of the Sonata poor 0,000 per year to over 0,000. The design is widely credited for putting Hyundai firmly in the top 5 for midsize sedans and # 8 on the table of car sales in general.
The new seventh generation Sonata, Hyundai is working to prove that they are a marvel of a sudden. The 2015 model launched its latest design school and a new turbo model "Eco" which uses a 1.6L engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission to the net combined 32 MPGs. Just one thing was missing in 2015: a hybrid model to compete with the big names of Ford, Honda and Toyota
is where 2016 Sonata Hybrid and 2016 Sonata Plug-In comes in
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Exterior
Although Hyundai calls the design of the Sonata "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" in tribute to the last Sonata generation who wore "Fluidic Sculpture 1.0", the designs could not be more different. Personally, I never liked the old design. Rustling and curves looked almost like a caricature of modern automotive design and I still do not think the general appearance will age well. The new model is running in a different drummer, with nearly Volkswagen-meets-Honda levels of design constraint. We get a trapezoidal grille at the front with simple and aggressive lines, headlights that seem more grown up than before and a side profile that is simple and elegant. This Sonata plays straight from my heart conservative.
The back of the new design is a little more exciting than before with deliberate lines and lamps angry tail looking. Hybrid models ditch tailpipes visible for improved wind resistance figures. With a drag coefficient of only 0.24, the Sonata is almost as slippery as Tesla Model S and especially less than the Prius c .26 of .
inside
new interior styling of Hyundai reminds me of the Passat. The dashboard is dominated by a large trapezoidal infotainment console box and two temperature control zones. The style is simple, elegant, and very different from that of the 2016 Ford Fusion Agreement. The dashboard and doors are lined with faux metal or faux wood fair in the Limited. If models get cloth seats while Limited models get standard leather upholstery, seat heating and ventilation. Although some disagree with a good heart, I put inside the Sonata on Fusion, which starts to feel a bit dated, and the new agreement, which still bears the unusual 2 page layout on the screen. [ I just conducted a limited Sonata Hybrid last week and the interior is breathtaking beautiful breath. - Mark ]
If you have not watched a Sonata in a short time, it may surprise you to know this is one of the largest midsize sedans around. In fact, the 2016 Sonata is longer than all the competition save Chrysler 0. This extra length translates directly into a more spacious cabins with 81.1 inches of space for the combined legs. Although hair slots below the Passat in the real world there is not much difference, and because of sitting in the Sonata, it felt more spacious. Like the Passat, Camry and Accord, Hyundai engineers have kept the high roofline to the rear direction, there is much more room in the back that the 0 or Fusion.
The other beneficiary of the extra length is the trunk. Although the cargo space a three cubic feet of gas only Sonata, 13.3 cubic is the largest in the class - just. Although the overall size of the trunk does not vary much from Camry hybrid, Fusion or Accord, the Sonata retains full trunk pass through. In addition, the shape of the trunk is more convenient. Hyundai shoves the battery in the spare tire rather than a rectangular block that chews trunk space. This means that the trunk is the same general shape as the standard Sonata, but a shallower inch. On the down side, it means the loss of the spare wheel. On the upside, this means that you can block more bags in the trunk of the Sonata competition despite having a similar volume measurement.
Infotainment
the big news for 2016 is the support of Hyundai Auto Android and Apple car Playback on LCD screen 8-inch infotainment option. Unfortunately, the car we did not test the latest version of Hyundai BlueLink software, and even if it is updatable by the user, it is necessary that owners register the car and create an online account. (So I could not do it while I had the car.) Once registered you need is a phone running Android 5.0 or higher. Carplay is another story. Although Hyundai has announced support, the software is not yet ready and it seems that we can blame Apple to change specifications at the 11th hour. In an unusual move, Hyundai is committed to enabling all 2015+ Sonata models with LCD 8-inch upgrade to the latest software version.
In order to obtain the 8-inch LCD screen, you need to get the Limited trim the Sonata Hybrid and $ 4,500 "Ultimate package." Hopefully this will change as soon as Hyundai has hinted to make the 8-inch LCD screen and smartphone integration available as a standalone option. Also included in the package is a system 9-speaker Infinity sound with an amp 400W, speed control radar, collision warning, high auto beams, rear parking sensors, panoramic sunroof, electric parking brake, brake maintaining, HD Radio and LED interior lighting.
Training
With engines Atkinson cycle trickling down to even non-hybrid cars (such as the Lexus RX and RC) I was surprised that Hyundai jumped for the Sonata Hybrid. Hyundai seems to have done more than just tweak the outgoing system, instead of opting for a fairly major overhaul. A new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, direct-injection engine is the heart of the system (against 2.4 liters) and produces 154 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque itself. Power is low compared with the old engine, but the efficiency is above 10 percent according to Hyundai. Increase the motor is an electric motor capable of 51 horsepower and 151 lb-ft. the power of the system comes in a 193 with a total figure undisclosed torque. Thank you to the torque figures of 151 motor from 0-1770 rpm, we can guestimate the system reaches approximately 225-250 lb-ft total.
The design of the hybrid system is the key to understanding why the Sonata leads differently than Camry, Accord and Fusion. As before, the Sonata Hybrid uses a 6-speed automatic with a traditional engine speeds permanently coupled to the input shaft, not a global power distribution gear device as it is used by Ford and Toyota, or serial system / dual-mode parallel in the Agreement. This means the system is more like Hyundai Motor Honda Integrated system found in the Civic with a difference of assistance: Hyundai inserts a clutch between the engine and transmission so the engine can be completely disconnected from the drivevtrain. This increases the efficiency EV mode is EV / gasoline mode transitions more smooth and allows high speed EV travel.
Here's how it works. If the car is stopped, the battery provides the power needed to run air conditioning and accessories. If the battery is discharged, transmission in neutral, the clutch between the engine and transmission closes allowing the engine to run the motor / generator attached to the input shaft of the transmission. When the light turns green, the clutch opens to disconnect the engine, the transmission shifts to first gear and the engine starts the car in motion. (This design does not have a torque converter.) Once the vehicle reaches approximately 5 mph, the clutch closes reconnect the motor to the parallel hybrid mode and the engine and the engine work as well as to accelerate the car . While driving, the transmission moves like a normal sedan. During braking, the clutch is opened again, the transmission will downshift to increase the speed on the shaft of the motor / generator and the engine is used to generate electricity to charge the battery. If engine braking is required, or if the battery is full, the clutch pack is closed again so that the engine can be used for increased braking.
Opting for the plug-in engine swaps Sonata on 51 horses for the coils 67, bringing the total capacity to 202 kWh battery gets 1.6 upgraded to 9.8 kWh for up to 24 miles of EV range at highway speeds. This puts the EV range just above the Ford Fusion Energi and nearly twice that of the Honda Accord Plug-In. Unlike these two, the engine in the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid engine always sends its power if the 6-speed automatic, it moves like a regular sedan when sipping electrons. The loading occurs via a charger 3.3 kW arrives ahead of the pack in 9 hours and 3 hours on 0V 240V.
player
A common complaint hybrids in general is that they do not feel "normal." Thank you to the 6-speed automatic, the Sonata moves like an average midsize sedan. Although the transmission and motor are separated by a clutch, the electric motor is at low speed crawl a non-issue, something that can not be said of sedans with dual clutch transmissions. The hybrid model is quite impatient to go in pure EV mode, even at highway speeds, something also seen in the Fusion and Accord hybrids, but different from the Camry, which almost always uses the higher engine at 35 mph. The plug-in model, with its larger battery, is more willing to stay in EV mode, although it does not really seem to change the average fuel economy much.
Our tester scooted to 60 in 7.8 seconds, about 8 / 10ths slower than the Fusion, Accord and Camry, which are all in about 7 seconds. The main difference seems to be in the 0-30 time, which makes sense as the design of powertrain does not really allow the engine to directly power the wheels until the transmission input shaft is rotating fast enough to connect the motor via the clutch. This performance gap is the greatest thing you will notice when shopping cross-Sonata with the competition.
I'm not entirely sure why I liked to shift the transmission into the Sonata Hybrid so much, but the novelty is something that I feel compelled to comment. Hyundai programmed the car's transmission to not kick down, even when you fire pedal to the floor. This gives you full throttle on both the engine and the motor. The sensation is similar to a diesel, you can easily climb a mountain slope in 6th with lots of low-end torque. This also means that you can drain the battery of 1.6 kWh in short order when mountaineering. No, I do not know why you would do this, and I do not know why I liked to do so outside of the ability to exercise more control over the engine in the competition. (In case you were wondering, I noticed only a slight increase in the economy using 6th speed to drain the battery before the summit of the ascent of the mountain, then filling the battery completely on the way down vs just let the car do its thing.)
Thanks to aerodynamic profile and the new hybrid system, I easily averaged 41.2 mpg over a week and 824 miles of mixed driving. It's a better way of real world that I arrived in the redesigned Camry Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid. The biggest difference seems to be above 70 mph when the fuel economy of the Sonata was significantly better than the Ford or Toyota. Although the fuel economy of the Accord Hybrid greatly decreases more than 75 mph, the Agreement still beat the Sonata in my weekly test cycle of about 8 mpg.
Although the 6-speed transmission of the Sonata with clutch and the engine seems to be more complex than other designs, the essence of transitions in EV mode and regenerative braking friction are actually smoother than the other. The sweetness of this sonata is a striking improvement from the last generation that was less polite I had driven hybrid. The braking smoothless is particularly surprising because at highway speeds Sonata will downshift to improve regeneration efficiency from the 6th to 5th to 4th when taping the brakes on the highway. The system perfectly balance the friction brakes, while changes to transmission and the charge controller manages regeneration. I want the software engineer who had to work on this code.
The key to stellar mileage of the Sonata is more than just slippery drag coefficient of the hybrid system and a curb weight up to competition. the tire selection is key. Although each hybrid uses an efficient rubber compound, Hyundai also maintains close things with the base 205 / 65R16 tires. The Limited model gets the widest rubber (and 1 mpg in the EPA hit score) to 215 / 55R17. This is notably narrower than the rubber width 225 Honda and Ford set every Accord and Fusion Hybrid. The obvious disadvantage is that the handling and braking both suffer, especially in the SE trim. It is clear that Hyundai continued to improve the dynamics of the suspension in the Sonata, the suspension is still well composed, but when the road starts winding tires give up earlier than the Camry. The electric power steering Hyundai is just as numb as competition, but the grid is accurate and effort is moderately firm.
As usual, the value is the map that Hyundai plays well. The SE starts at $ 26,000 before destination, just $ 10 more than the Fusion, $ 760 less than the Camry and a whopping $ 3,305 less than the Accord (2015). long standard warranty gives Hyundai the base model a decent bump in value compared to the Ford and Toyota and economy of the real world is a notch higher as well. On the downside there is less variation in the price of the scale of the Sonata. While Ford offers three trim levels and a variety of stand-alone options, the Sonata comes only three ways: SE, Limited and society with the final package. Limited adds blind-spot detection, leather, HID headlights, rear blinds, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, passenger seat, heated steering wheel, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror for $ 30,100. At this level, the Sonata is $ 2,000 less than a comparable Accord and Fusion or $ 1,000 less than a Camry when adjusting for the content of the function. The next step in the Sonata is $ 34.0 Limited with Ultimate Package and adds the smooth cruise control radar system in the segment, a large panoramic sunroof, the infotainment screen 8 inches, parking sensors, HD radio and navigation. While the Sonata is an excellent value when compared feature for feature, the grouping means the top model is the only way to get things like pre-collision warning, sunroof, navigation or the elegant Droid integration / iOS.
Although the Sonata is one of the most spacious in the segment has the most practical safe, and I would like the exterior and interior design a bit more than the Honda Accord Hybrid is still the winner in this segment. ( Note: .. Yes, there will be a Hybrid 2016 Honda Accord as Their ad said 2016 Agreement in 2016 Hybrid details will be announced at a later date, which means they do not grow updating of a 2017 model ) The reason is pragmatic party and emotional part. Ostensibly, the reason to buy a hybrid sedan's fuel economy, an area where the Agreement shines above the competition by a wide margin. The Agreement is also faster and 60 and handles better. Although I was tempted to call the Hyundai vs Honda battle a tie, I must give the green light for Honda to combine sharp handling with the crown of the hybrid fuel economy. The Sonata is a solid hybrid sedan and a very close second, but more importantly it is a testament to the seriousness of Hyundai is to beat the Japanese at their own game.
Hyundai provided the vehicle insurance. and a review of gas
Specifications as tested
0-30: 3.0
0-60: 7.8
1/4 Mile: 15.86 seconds @ 87.5 MPH
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