| 777 | Date: Thursday, 28 Oct 2010, 13.52 | Message # 1 |
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| On the heels of its breakout Sonata, which trails only the venerable Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in family-sedan sales, Hyundai unveiled its Sonata Hybrid and Sonata 2.0T Turbo last Thursday in La Jolla, Calif.
Hyundai won’t reveal the hybrid’s price until it goes on sale in December, but it's likely to start at less than $30,000. That said, the Korean company did keep its public promise to bring the turbo version in at less than $25,000: The Sonata 2.0T, which produces a robust 274 horsepower from its 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo four engine, will hit showrooms at a base price of $24,865, with the deluxe Limited model commanding $29,865. That sub-$25,000 price is nearly $3,000 less than a V6-equipped Accord or Camry, though the Hyundai offers more horsepower and 10 percent better mileage than either.
In fact, the Sonata Turbo’s EPA-estimated 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway fuel economy -- on regular gasoline, not premium -- is on par with 4-cylinder family sedans with 70 to 90 fewer horsepower. The Sonata is also the lightest and most powerful car in its class; it weighs 3,483 pounds, about 250 less than the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and its 206 horsepower bests the Ford, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima hybrids. Official EPA economy ratings haven't been released, but Hyundai’s latest estimate pegs the hybrid at 36 mpg city and a class-best 40 mpg highway.
One of the more notable features of the Sonata Hybrid is its battery. According to Hyundai, the lithium-polymer design is one-third lighter than the Toyota Prius’ nickel-metal hydride batteries (96 pounds versus the Toyota's 124), in addition to being 40 percent smaller and 10 percent more efficient. It allows the Hyundai to store more energy from its regenerative brakes, store it longer -- as in when the car is sitting for several days -- and then propel the car farther with less use of its small 4-cylinder engine. Hyundai says the Sonata Hybrid will be able to reach as much as 70 mph, at least for modest distances, before its 166-horsepower gas engine is forced to kick in. That’s a higher electric-only speed than any hybrid I’ve tested. And when I drove prototypes of Ford’s upcoming Focus EV and Escape plug-in hybrid SUV last week, Sherif Marakby, Ford’s global electric-vehicle chief, said that raising electric-only speeds is a major goal: If a hybrid or plug-in can travel consistently at, say, 55 mph on batteries alone, then drivers might cover miles of commuting or suburban driving without ever using a drop of gasoline. And of course, that’s the ultimate goal.
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