Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
by Zach Bowman on Oct 18th 2010 at 11:57AM
Hyundai Aims To Lead The Mid-size Hybrid Pack
2011 Hyundai Sonata HybridAt some point, the minds at Hyundai got serious about the company's mid-sized sedan game. Seemingly in a
heartbeat, the Korean manufacturer went from being completely under the radar of the average American
family sedan buyer to a viable alternative to default buys like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. That jump
fell solely on the shoulders of the all-new 2011 Sonata, a sedan that has so far delivered the kind of styling,
efficiency and low MSRP that sends consumers scrambling for their checkbook. But if you want to go the full
distance in this segment, you had better come to the fight packing more than just a competent base model.
That's something you don't need to tell Hyundai. The company has shored up its Sonata line with a potent
turbocharged 2.0-liter model designed to tango with V6-equipped competitors as well as the car you see above
– a hybrid model that comes loaded with nearly all of the latest and greatest tech to keep fuel consumption at a
minimum. Is it enough to put the Sonata Hybrid ahead of the electrified versions of the heavy hitters already
prowling the scene? We took the wheel to find out.
Continue reading...
Photos copyright ©2010 Zach Bowman / AOL
The mid-size hybrid segment is a funny little corner of the automotive world. Most of the players at this table
are little more than standard sedans that have had their mechanical innards gutted and replaced with mutant
internal combustion/electric motor mashups. From their exteriors, there's generally been little to distinguish
hybrid from V6 models other than wheel options and maybe a badge or two. But Hyundai has waded into
somewhat uncharted waters by offering the hybrid version of the Sonata with bodywork that goes a long way
toward separating the car from its siblings.
The keen-eyed out there are likely to pick up on a handful of small details that both add a bit of funky, slightly
futuristic styling to the mix and help slim the vehicle's shape as it cuts through the air. Up front, Hyundai's
designers and engineers worked together to come up with that slightly agape front fascia. There's more than a
little catfish in that hexagonal opening, but it serves the purpose of setting the Sonata Hybrid apart from the
rest of the family. (Note, too, that the 'bumper' bar has been subtly altered from the model that debuted at the
New York Auto Show). Additionally, LED daytime running lights grace the front headlights and the low-set fog
lights now boast a stylish upkick that wraps around the front fascia.
The profile of the 2011 Sonata Hybrid reverts to more well-established tricks of the mid-size hybrid trade,
including re-sculpted side skirts and small but effective badges on the front fenders. Hyundai has also graced
its hybrid with two unique wheel selections, a smaller 16-inch roller that shouts, "I'll see you at Mac World," and
an optional, more attractive 17-inch five-spoke design like the one on our tester.
Move around back, and if you're paying close attention, you'll notice that the rear fascia is slightly squared-off
on both sides. Those sharp edges help the Sonata Hybrid achieve its dizzyingly low .25 coefficient of drag. The
standard Sonata makes do with a still enviable .28(Cd). To complete the futuristic picture, Hyundai has also
thrown in reworked taillights that are designed to evoke the image of an atom when lit.
But as different as the exterior of the Sonata Hybrid is from its standard internal-combustion brethren, things
have been left largely untouched inside. Buyers will still find the comfortable thrones, attractive dash and heaps
of soft-touch goodies layered over almost every surface just like in the base Sonata. One difference between
the base Sonata and the hybrid comes in the form of decreased trunk space. While the standard Sonata yields
an EPA-rated cargo volume of 16.4 cubic feet, the compact battery pack soaks up a full 5.7 cubes all by itself.
But the largest change comes at the instrument cluster, where a helpful full-color LCD screen delivers pertinent
information on the vehicle's battery state of charge, fuel economy and an "Eco Score." Likewise, the left
instrument bezel has forsaken the standard tachometer in favor of a helpful guide that lets drivers know when
the vehicle can be driven in all-electric mode.
And when is that, exactly? Officially, Hyundai says that the Sonata Hybrid can cruise on all-electric go-go at
speeds of up to 62 mph, though in our testing we saw electric-only driving at 65 mph under light acceleration
downhill. and there was some indication from the company's engineers that the car may be capable of doing
even better. How do they do it? Under the hood, Hyundai has converted its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to the
Atkinson Cycle and added a 40-horsepower electric motor. The duo is good for a combined 206 horsepower
and 193 pound-feet of torque, but the real star of the show is the car's battery pack.
Instead of opting for the cheaper nickel-metal hydride cells used in cars like the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota
Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid, Hyundai has gone for costlier lithium-polymer cells. The company has
crammed a total of 72 cells into the pack, each about the size of a cigar box lid and the weight of a roll of
quarters. Throw in all of the necessary electronic wizardry to manage the LiPo goodies and a structure to
support them, and you're looking at a battery pack that weighs a relatively svelte 96 pounds.
Hyundai decided to opt for the more expensive battery cells for several reasons, the largest of which is the fact
that the lithium-polymer pack weighs considerably less than other materials available right now. In addition, the
automaker's engineers note that the cells have no memory, generate less heat than comparable tech and take
up less room. Unfortunately, the lithium-polymer tech is also expensive. Hyundai isn't saying how much the
company is shelling out for the battery pack in the Sonata Hybrid, but other automakers are looking to use
lithium-based cells in their new vehicles, so the automaker is just riding the edge of the technological curve
here.
Hyundai says that the Sonata Hybrid is good for 36 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway,
and the high-tech battery pack is only a portion of that story. The company's engineers have also rolled in a
host of tricks to keep the fuel-economy numbers as high as possible, including what they call an "active air
flap" behind that gaping hexagonal inlet in the front fascia. At low speeds, the flap is open to assist in cooling
the gas engine, but once the vehicle speeds up, the flap closes to decrease the Sonata Hybrid's coefficient of
drag by as much as 10 percent.
In addition, the sedan makes use of an engine clutch that can separate the gasoline engine from the electric
motor, helping the hybrid to clip along on electric power even at highway speeds, all without using an ounce of
fuel. Hyundai has also made the interesting step of shutting off the gasoline engine entirely when the vehicle
decelerates, further conserving fuel and allowing the regenerative brakes to recharge the batteries.
And what does all of that translate into once on the road? During our time behind the wheel, we saw just over
36 mpg in intermittent stop and go driving, though if you're ginger with the accelerator, numbers closer to 40 in
combined driving weren't unheard of among the gaggle of writers the company had out to sample the Sonata
Hybrid. Just out of morbid curiosity, we spent the last 30 miles of our drive hypermiling the hybrid. When all
was said and done, we walked away with a sweaty 60 mpg, further proving that by and large, fuel economy
falls on the shoulders of the nut behind the wheel.
When you're not treating the throttle like a hair trigger, the Sonata Hybrid rewards with a surprisingly normal
driving experience. The run to 60 mph takes around 9.2 seconds, and thanks to the clutch separating the
engine from the electric motor, transitions between internal combustion power and electric go-go are some of
the most seamless in the industry. Part of the sensation that you're driving a real vehicle and not some slot-car
track escapee comes from the fact that Hyundai opted for the company's proprietary six-speed automatic
gearbox instead of a continuously variable transmission. Engineers may have been able to eek out a bit of
additional fuel savings had it gone with a CVT, but selecting a conventional torque-converter equipped cogbox
has gone a long way toward making this hybrid a more satisfying craft to pilot.
Impressively, despite the fact that this is Hyundai's first shot at a production hybrid, the electrified Sonata
successfully avoids one of the biggest pitfalls of throwing an electric motor into an otherwise solid chassis. The
regenerative brakes are progressive and feel just like what we expect stoppers to feel like. There's no danger
of having your dental work ripped from your mouth thanks to an overly sensitive second pedal.
But that's not to say that Hyundai hasn't left room to grow in the Sonata Hybrid. Interestingly enough, the
company chose to forsake its new line of direct-injection engines in favor of its old 2.4-liter mill. A little bit less
displacement paired with forced induction would probably help squeeze a few more mpgs out of this equation,
but it undoubtedly would have swelled the per-unit cost on a model that's unlikely to make any money to begin
with.
Even with that shortcut under its belt, the 2011 Sonata Hybrid is an impressive first showing from Hyundai in
the hybrid game. As it sits, the car is eligible for a $1,300 federal tax credit, at least for the first month it's on
sale. Hyundai says that buyers can snap up their own Sonata Hybrid starting this December, but unfortunately,
the federal tax incentive program for hybrid vehicles is scheduled to dry up at the end of 2010, so interested
parties would do well not to dawdle.
Hyundai hasn't yet said how much we can expect to pay for its new hybrid four-door, nor what kind of warranty
the model will carry when it does hit dealer lots. Given the company's long history of providing copious content
and an industry-beating warranty for reasonable money, we're guessing that neither will be a point of
contention when the car goes on sale. Even with those questions left blank, the 2011 Sonata Hybrid has
proven itself more than capable of running with the rest of the mid-size hybrids. Is it the best of the breed?
We'll need some back-to-back time to know for sure.
A report from PlugInCars.com suggests that Hyundai‘s endless march towards global domination isn’t letting up, and the next phase of their product strategy involves both a Prius competitor and a plug-in variant of the Sonata Hybrid. 
