Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Turbo Debut in NYC
Filling out one of the best mid-size lineups in the industry, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Turbo were recently introduced at the New York International Auto Show.
The hybrid Sonata, slated to arrive in dealerships later this year, takes a different approach from the competition to deliver very impressive results. For one thing, the Hyundai uses a full-parallel hybrid-drive system'”instead of the split system found on cars like the Ford Fusion hybrid'”to optimize power coming from its electric motor and its 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. In addition, the Sonata Hybrid offers a lithium-polymer battery pack that's some 200 lbs lighter than the nickel-metal hydride units used by the Ford and similar competitors. Putting this all together, the results include 209 hp, fuel economy of 37 mpg city/39 mpg highway and the ability to top 60 mph in all-electric driving.
Notably, none of the Sonata's stated rivals'”hybrid versions of the Fusion, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima, as well as the hybrid Lexus HS 250h'”can top any of these numbers, except for the Fusion, which bests the Hyundai by 4 mpg in city driving.
Also noticeable is a new grille treatment for the hybrid Sonata, part of a significant overhaul of the standard Sonata's aerodynamics. Gone is the latter's imposing swath of chrome, replaced by a look that mimics the "wide-mouth" appearance popularized by Audi on its sedans.
Working the other side of the street is the Hyundai Sonata Turbo, also scheduled to go on sale later in 2010, which puts the emphasis on a different kind of performance'”although it's still capable of an estimated 22 mpg city and 34 mpg highway.
That kind of fuel-efficiency comes courtesy of the Sonata Turbo's new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, which uses an advanced twin-scroll turbocharger'”usually found only on premium sports models from the likes of BMW'”to also make a segment-leading 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. Those kinds of figures, combined with a focus on reducing excess poundage throughout the Sonata lineup, give the Turbo model a better power-to-weight ratio than a V-6 Chevrolet Camaro.
On the other hand, Hyundai's quest for fuel efficiency also informed a decision to skip a manual transmission for the Turbo. Instead, it relies on an all-new six-speed that was designed in-house by Hyundai and offers light weight, a compact design and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Still, there's no denying the Sonata Turbo looks like it will be a powerful performer, both on the road and on the sales charts, when it launches later in 2010.
(Note: MSRPs on the Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Hyunda Sonata Hybrid were unavailable at press time.)