According to a recent Consumer Reports review, the Hyundai Sonata hybrid comes up short in several areas—with the publication recommending that consumers steer clear of the model in favor of the gas-only Sonata.
This month, Hyundai began reporting the weighted monthly fuel economy average for its lineup—leading competitors to complain that the numbers would just confuse the public because unlike other carmakers, Hyundai doesn’t sell full-size pickup trucks or SUVs. But Hyundai Motor America's President and CEO John Krafcik says that move is about “democratizing" fuel economy. “If everyone reported these numbers, it would change the industry," Krafcik told Hybridcars.com at the Chicago Auto Show this week. “What gets measured, gets done.”
Hyundai this week announced a price of $25,795 for the base-level 2011 Sonata Hybrid, with the premium package going for $30,795. That means the Sonata Hybrid will beat the Ford Fusion Hybrid ($28,240) and the Toyota Camry Hybrid ($26,575) on price. It already has an edge on fuel efficiency, aerodynamics, light weight, and enjoyable driving.
While it's easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding the next generation of hybrids and plug-in cars, the new 2011 Hyundai Elantra is a good reminder that the conventional combustion-engined car still has a lot of mileage left in it—especially when executed with such style, efficiency and value.
The 2011 Elantra was Hyundai’s major debut at last week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Elantra is among the emerging class of small gas-powered cars that achieve better than 40 mpg on the highway. More importantly, the Elantra provides mounting evidence about how the company will reach its lofty goal of achieving a fleet-wide average of 50 MPG by 2025—ahead of government deadlines.
Last year, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid racked up award after award for its silky smooth hybrid drivetrain that made Toyota’s hybrids seem clunky and Honda’s weak. One short year later, it’s now the 2011 Sonata Hybrid making the Fusion Hybrid seem outdated and bland. We recently spent a sunny afternoon in San Diego with the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and came away feeling that the bar has once again be raised on how much driving pleasure can be offered by a fuel-efficient hybrid sedan.
Hyundai North American president John Krafcik recently told a seminar at the Center Automotive Research that the company plans to hit an average of 50 mpg for its lineup by 2025—thanks to a bold market strategy that prioritizes fuel efficiency and affordability, and puts hybrids front and center.
Before the end of this year, Hyundai will put its first hybrid on the market. As we’ve reported, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid represents another compelling high-mpg mid-size sedan for hybrid shoppers. The gas-electric Sonata stacks up against the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid. We still don't know about price, but journalists are now reporting their first experiences on the road.
The evidence is mounting that Hyundai plans to be a major play in the hybrid market. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, expected to get 40 MPG on the highway, is due later this year. As we reported in April, a dedicated Prius-style Hyundai hybrid is in the works. And a plug-in hybrid will not be far behind. All told, the company expects one out of five cars it sells in 2020 to be a hybrid.
In recent years, Europe has been embracing stop-start systems—also known as “micro-hybrids”—but the US has been slow to adopt the technology. Until now. Automotive News reported this week that Hyundai and Ford will begin offering stop-start systems on many of their models.
