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.
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 One short year later, it’s now the 2011 Sonata Hybrid making the Fusion Hybrid seem outdated and bland.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.
Hyundai is working on a new hybrid-only model to directly compete against the Toyota Prius. “We are studying a dedicated Prius-fighter vehicle, meaning a hybrid-specific nameplate that isn’t based off a Sonata or a Santa Fe,” Miles Johnson, Hyundai product public relations manager, told HybridCars.com. “It’s its own thing.” While Johnson did not confirm a specific production date, he placed the new hybrid-only model ahead of the Hyundai Blue Will plug-in hybrid concept. "The near-term would be a Prius-sized vehicle,” Johnson said.
Hyundai took the wraps off its first hybrid, the Sonata Hybrid, last week at the New York Auto Show. As we reported, the company is taking direct aim at competitors in the mid-size hybrid sedan market. The Sonata could match or beat the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Toyota Camry Hybrid on fuel economy—and undercut them on price by a couple thousand dollars. Moreover, Hyundai believes they’ve produced the best riding hybrid so far. To learn more, we spoke with Michael Deitz, the product manager for the Sonata line.
Hyundai Motor America announced today that it will be able to achieve a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2015, five years ahead of the timetable for new fuel economy regulations. The company revealed its fuel economy goals at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where it unveiled the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and described its plan for low-cost high-mpg options on other models.
Hyundai has not yet put a hybrid car on the market—and yet the company is throwing around big numbers for its hybrid program: an SUV that gets 38 miles to the gallon; a diesel minicar that beats 60 mpg; and 500,000 annual hybrid sales by 2018.
While the Toyota hybrid juggernaut marches on, and European automakers continue to lean on diesel to boost fuel economy, Hyundai is taking the simple low-cost route. That means improving powertrain efficiency and reducing weight.
After delaying its hybrid program for two years, Hyundai Motors announced that it will begin mass producing hybrid cars in 2009. The first model under the new initiative will be the Avante―sold as Elantra worldwide. The announcement indicates Hyundai's intent to resume its hybrid plans.
A hybrid version of the Hyundai Elantra, powered by lithium ion batteries, could arrive in the U.S. as early as 2010. But the lithium battery technology has not yet been proven safe, reliable and cost-effective.
All that sells does not a profit make. Not at first, anyway. But if you have a guaranteed market and a product that's in demand, it seems likely that profit will be forthcoming eventually.
