2020 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID ADDS
FUN TO FUEL-SIPPING PERFORMANCE
If you still cling to the notion that a gas-electric powertrain has to be a boring vehicle that is no fun to drive, you need to check out the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. You will likely change your mind.
The Sonata offers a different kind of hybrid performance. Though it wouldn’t be your first choice for a drag race, it is a peppy performer around town and a steady cruiser on the highway.
Part of the eighth generation Sonata the South Korean automaker introduced for 2020, the Sonata Hybrid comes in three trims, starting with the base Blue and continuing with the upgraded SEL and Limited models. A plug-in Hybrid was dropped from the lineup.
The Limited that served as my test vehicle for the week comes with a long list of standard equipment.
All models are front-wheel drive with a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder gas engine (150 horsepower, 139 pound-feet of torque) paired with an electric motor (51 hp, 151 lb.-ft) for a net 192 horsepower at 6000 rpm.
Rather than a continuously variable transmission (CVT) often found in hybrid drivetrains, the Sonata gets a 6-speed automatic with manual shift mode. It also includes a Sport mode, which adds to the driving experience.
The Blue earns the top EPA mileage figures of 50 miles-per-gallon city, 54 highway, and 52 combined. The slightly heavier SEL and Limited’s numbers are 45/51/47, all an increase over the previous model’s 41/42 figures.
Included in the Limited’s base MSRP of $35,300 are such niceties as LED headlights and taillights, proximity key entry and push-button start, adaptable cruise control, hands-free trunk release, leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated front seats, power front seat with memory settings for the driver, Bose premium sound system, dual automatic climate control, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Hyundai’s Blue Link system, and a solar panel roof that feeds the lithium-ion battery.
Safety features include a blind-spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, parking assist, and around-view monitor. A lane-keeping assist system can be a bit on the sensitive side with its annoying beeps, but it can be turned off.
Also included is Hyundai’s Blind Spot View Monitor that shows any traffic that may be in your blindspot via an image projected in the tach or speedometer gauges’ spot in the instrument cluster when the corresponding turn signal is activated. It’s a nice touch that seemingly has limited appeal, but I find a nice addition.
The only extra on my test Sonata was $135 for carpeted floor mats, making the final total $36,430.
The Limited’s interior has a nice, comfortable feel about it with good legroom both front (46.1 inches) and back (34.8). Truck space is a very generous 16 cubic feet, which matches that of the gas-only Sonata.
The Limited’s overall cabin ambiance has a premium feel about it, and the exterior appearance rivals that of luxury models costing thousands of dollars more. It’s an eye-catcher, for sure.
A friend of mine and fellow reviewer, someone who gets a new vehicle in his driveway every week, summed up the whole package.
“This,” he said, “is what I would buy if I needed a personal car for my family.”
What I liked about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited: In addition to the performance, the ride is quiet and comfortable, and the cabin is roomy and nicely appointed. Fuel economy is excellent, and I love that you don’t have to plug it in to recharge. It has lots of technology that is intuitive to operate, and the annoying whine that is typical to hybrids when they are coming to a stop is absent.
What I didn’t like about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited: Although the infotainment system is very user friendly, I missed having a knob to surf the radio dial. There is one to control volume. Why get rid of the one to change stations? I just hope it is not an indication that designers are going to follow competitors with unnecessary “updates” to infotainment features.
Would I buy the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited: Without a doubt, yes. If you haven’t been completely taken in by the trend to crossover SUVs and are open to a sedan, this one should be on your list. The only drawback would be that the Hybrid Limited is at the top of the Sonata’s price range. But the base Blue trim starts at under $28,000, and the SEL under $30,000 (not including destination and delivery). The 2020 Sonata Hybrid carries over to 2021.
REDESIGN TAKES 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA SEDAN INTO ITS EIGHTH GENERATION
A redesign for the 2020 model moves the Hyundai Sonata into its eighth generation as what the South Korean company heralds as its “longest standing and most successful model” globally.
With a svelte, coupe-like profile, classy interior, and lots of standard features, the 2020 Sonata makes for a compelling competitor in the affordable midsize sedan segment long dominated by entries from Toyota and Honda.
It comes in four trims with SE and SEL models powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and SEL Plus and Limited getting a new 1.6-liter turbo-4. The 2.5 enjoys a slight horsepower edge (191-180) while the turbo has the advantage in torque (195 pound-feet to 181)
All Sonatas come with an 8-speed automatic transmission with drive mode select, and the difference in mileage numbers is negligible (28 mpg city, 38 highway, 32 combined for the SE, 27/37/32 for SEL and 27/36/32 for SEL Plus and Limited).
The updated styling is what Hyundai trumpets as an example of the company’s “Sensuous Sportiness design language” with cues and touches that depart from the usual Hyundai look, starting up front with a new mesh grille. Overall, the Sonata has a sportier appearance than its predecessor.
The Limited version, which served for my test vehicle, has a long list of standard technological features that include Hyundai’s new remote parking assist. As you have likely seen in TV ads, it allows you do stand outside and maneuver the Sonata into particularly tight parking spaces so you don’t have to worry about door dings or squeezing into and out of the car.
The Limited also gets Hyundai’s advanced blind spot warning system that includes a camera that flashes an image in the instrument panel of what is trailing you to the side you are turning. When turning left, the image appears in the speedometer. When the right turn signal is activated, the image appears in the tachometer.
Also new and standard on the Limited is a Digital Key System that lets you start the Sonata via an app on your Smart phone (Android, not iPhone at this time) and an adaptive cruise control that will set your speed to the posted limit (which some, ahem, might consider annoying).
A very clear surround-view camera system, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats and leather seating surfaces, push-button start, dual automatic climate control, and a Bose premium sound system also are standard on the Sonata Limited.
You can get some of those functions on other trims by adding Convenience and Technology Packages, but the only extra for my Sonata Limited were carpeted floor mats for $135, which with the $930 destination and delivery charge ran the final MSRP up to $34,365.
Sonata SE models start at $23,600, the SEL at $25,700, and SEL Plus at $27,650.
What I liked about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited: It looks great, and the upgrades have given the interior a classy appeal. The ride is very smooth and quiet. Safety features like blind-spot warning and smart cruise control are standard on the Limited.
What I didn’t like about the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited: It’s a small thing, tiny really, but I don’t like the elimination of a knob to change radio stations and surf the dial. In itself it is not so bad, but it is a step in the wrong direction for a company known for user-friendly technology. A more powerful engine option also would be a nice addition for a sportier performance.
Would I buy the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited? Yes. It’s a good looking sedan with a long list of standard features and though it doesn’t rate high in performance, it is up to most daily challenges.
HYUNDAI GIVES REFRESHED SONATA SEDAN UPSCALE TREATMENT FOR 2018
When it comes to midsize affordable, family friendly sedans, Toyota’s Camry and Honda’s Accord have been the traditional sales leaders in the U.S. for years, but they aren’t the only good choices in this shrinking segment.
In fact, they’re not even the only good one from an Asian automaker.
The Hyundai Sonata, made in the South Korean company’s assembly plant in Montgomery, Alabama, combines comfort and convenience in a vehicle with sharp, eye-catching styling.
Working in Hyundai’s California Design Studio, which was opened in Fountain Valley in 1990 and moved to its present site in Irvine in 2003, designers gave the Sonata a more refined look and larger cabin to move it into its seventh generation in 2015, and they have continued their tinkering with several updates for 2018.
They gave the exterior a new grille and more aggressive look overall, restyled the inside, updated the suspension, and made blind-spot warning and cross-traffic alert standard on all the trims, a nice touch when the usual practice is to make the bare bones model in the lineup just that.
Three different 4-cylinder engines are offered in the seven trim levels with the 2.4-liter serving as the standard power source. It is rated at 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, enough for a confident performance for everyday chores.
It is mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Also available are 2.0T models with a turbocharged 2.0-liter that ups the ante to 245 hp and 260 lb.-ft. and gets a new 8-speed transmission. Eco trim gets a turbo 1.6-liter paired with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that acts like an automatic for the best fuel economy of the group (28 miles-per-gallon city, 37 mpg highway), though the 2.4L Limited isn’t much thirstier with numbers of 25/35.
My time was spent in the Limited trim with the 2.4L engine. It carries a starting MSRP of $27,400 over the base model’s $22,050, but your reward is a long laundry list of standard equipment and other features available for no charge.
These include safety technology like the blind-spot warning and cross traffic alert system cited earlier as well as headlights with what Hyundai calls Dynamic Bending Light to illuminate the path in the direction you are turning. Government crash ratings are 5-star across the board with rollover risk rated at 4 stars.
Among other items on the list the Limited’s standard or no-charge equipment are 17-inch alloy wheels, power sunroof, push-button start, heated side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, hands-free trunk with auto open, LED headlights and taillights, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual automatic climate control, 7-inch color touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, three years of Blue Link services, and heated and ventilated front seats.
Going for an optional Ultimate Package adds navigation with a 8-inch screen, automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection (an Uber self-driving test model could have used that recently), lane-keep assist, automatic high beam assist, an Infinity premium audio system, rear parking sensors, and more for an extra $2,900.
With $885 for destination and delivery, that runs the total for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited to $31,310, which is near the bottom of the top offerings in its class.
What I liked about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited: A lot, really. Legroom is generous (45.5 inches in the front, 35.6 in the back), and trunk space (16.3 cubic feet) rivals some full-size sedans. The Sonata is big enough that the government (EPA) actually includes it in its list of “large cars” when comparing fuel economy.
The technology is very user-friendly (I love the small knobs for adjusting audio and larger ones for climate control temperature), and the optional 8-inch screen for navigation included in the Ultimate Package makes it easy on the eyes. The interior has a premium feel about it, and the touchscreen is nicely integrated into the flow of the dash. Plus I just like the way it looks.
What I didn’t like about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited: I would like to drive it with the 2.0L turbo just to see the difference in performance. The standard engine is far from sluggish, though, and I never really felt I was lacking power. I would just like to see what more power would give it.
Would I buy the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited? Unequivocally, yes. It’s ironic that as the overall quality of affordable sedans continues to improve, the number of people buying them continues to decrease. Sales of midsize cars in 2017 were down just over 16 percent compared to 2016.
Only the Camry showed a gain while the Sonata was with all the others with a decline of 33.9 percent, ranking behind sales numbers for the Santa Fe SUV for the first time in the Hyundai stable. Frankly, it deserves a better fate, but buyers have an undeniable infatuation with SUVs/crossovers. Maybe the Sonata will help buck the trend.
