Hyundai’s first hybrid for the U.S. is the comparo- and 10Best-winning Sonata. The 2.4-liter inline-four is tuned to run on the more-efficient Atkinson combustion cycle, dropping output from 198 hp and 184 lb-ft to 166 and 154. In place of a torque converter, the Sonata hybrid has an electric motor that makes 40 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque and is disengaged from the gas engine by a hydraulic clutch during electrical operation. Together, the engine and the motor drive the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. A 1.4-kWh lithium-polymer battery pack lives behind the rear seats, where it gobbles about 5.5 cubic feet of trunk space, leaving the car with 11. The pack itself weighs about 96 pounds; the motor and the associated electronics add another 160 or so.
The hybrid adds about $5500 to the cost of a four-cylinder Sonata with the automatic, bringing the sticker to $26,545. In addition to the hybrid stuff-and the associated increase in EPA-estimated fuel economy from the conventional car’s 24 mpg city/35 highway to 35/40-the hybrid has aluminum wheels, heated power mirrors, auto on/off projector-beam headlights with LED taillights, Bluetooth, an eight-way power driver’s seat, keyless entry and starting, and more. The car tested here added a sunroof, 17-inch wheels-plus one over the standard rims-heated leather seats, touchscreen navigation, satellite and HD radio, and a backup camera in one huge $5000 bundle. None of this stuff is available a la carte, so you get it all or you get none. Floor mats for $100 and an iPod cable for $35 were our only stand-alone options and brought the total to $31,680.
The Difference between Hard-Working and Overworked
In many hybrids, particularly those with EV modes, we’ve wondered why we can’t get more effort out of the electric motor before the gas engine fires up. If the Prius’s electric motor makes 80 hp, then why does the gas engine step in when we’re only asking for 30 or 40? In the Sonata, we never asked this question. Hyundai’s system is remarkably aggressive in its adherence to electrical operation, and the Sonata’s 62-mph electric ceiling is tops among the current crop of hybrids. The 40-hp electric motor allows the gas engine to slumber during even moderate acceleration, and we drove nearly a mile at speeds between 30 and 50 mph without the engine starting-and more important, without driving like we were dreading our destination. Over its stay with us, the Sonata hybrid achieved 27 mpg, a reasonable figure for a sedan this size in our care.
The integration of the hybrid system is far less impressive. Regardless of throttle input, the car rolls away from stops in EV mode. At about 10 or 15 mph, the gas engine starts with a jolt, and the rate of acceleration changes abruptly. Under full throttle, engine startup often causes a tire chirp. When cruising with the engine off at higher speeds, acceleration happens in four distinct steps: 1. Max out electric motor. 2. Start gas engine. 3. Strain gas engine in higher gear. 4. Downshift and get moving. If this is what happens when you make your electric motor work harder, we understand why everyone else on the market takes it easier on them.
The stopping isn’t any better than the going. Try this: Hold your foot out in front of you and flex your toes. Congratulations! You’ve just approximated the brake feel in the Sonata hybrid. As you might imagine, smooth stops are a challenge, and rarely were we able to summon the exact amount of brake force we were looking for. It’s not just annoying, it’s dangerous. While driving on a gravel road, one of our editors had to stomp on the brakes when a deer jumped in front of him. The car seemed caught off guard by this action, taking a few moments before applying full braking force. Fortunately, the deer-not hindered by computers deliberating how to incorporate mechanical and electronic systems in its response-got the heck out of the way.
The best we can say of the brakes is that they are consistently bad. On entering the car, when you press the pedal before starting the engine, it sinks immediately to the floor as though someone had cut the brake lines. Those with a habit of dating people who become crazy exes will want to avoid this car, as it will resurface terrifying memories or feed the paranoia. Not just the feel, but the performance, too, will fuel your fears. The Sonata’s 199-foot 70-mph-to-0 braking performance is more of a full-size-pickup number than something we usually see from a family sedan.
You will find feeling in the steering, although only sporadically (just like your feelings for that crazy ex). Hampered by what our tester called “crippling understeer,” the Sonata lazily circled the skidpad at 0.73 g, another figure more befitting a full-size pickup. Most pickups would outperform the Sonata hybrid in a drag race, too. It needed 9.5 seconds to get to 60 mph and 17.1 to gasp through the quarter-mile at 83 mph. By the time the Hyundai accelerates to 100 mph (26.4 seconds), the 700-hp Lingenfelter Cadillac CTS-V we recently tested could probably accelerate to 100 mph and come to a complete stop twice. So, if you’re cross-shopping the two, go with the Lingenfelter.
As a Sonata, the hybrid has a lot going for it-rich styling inside and out, a spacious and comfortable interior, a strong value proposition-but the hybridization has adversely affected the driver’s every interaction with the car. Hyundai’s achievements with the gas-electric system are commendable from an objective standpoint, and with this car, the company has the (very) crude beginnings of an impressive hybrid sedan. But this hybrid doesn’t so much need a polishing as it needs its rough edges attacked with an angle grinder-or a sledgehammer. Hyundai has proven unusually quick to address the shortcomings of its products. It needs to put this car at the top of its list.
