After the new Sonata Hybrid made its official world debut in South Korea in mid-December, the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid dropped by at the Detroit Auto Show. Looking at the specs of the Asian automaker’s first entry into the mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan segment, the green machine seems capable to save the polar ice cap and shut Al Gore’s eco-friendly rambling for a few moments.
The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid is built up from the seventh generation of the nameplate and combines the attributes of a 2.0 four-pot GDI gasoline-fed engine (154 horsepower and 140 lb-ft/190 Nm of torque) and a 50 kW (67 HP) electric motor fitted inside the transmission’s case. Those 202 horsepower are handled by an all-new six-speed automatic specifically designed for hybrids.
A lithium-polymer battery pack with 9.8 kWh zap is there as well to provide electric juice for a neat 22 miles (35 kilometers) of pure EV driving. When running in hybrid mode (ICE and electric motor), Hyundai is adamant the fuel economy sits at 38 mpg city, 43 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined, translating to 6.1 l/100 km city, 5.4 l/100 km highway and 5.8 liters/100 kilometers on the combined driving cycle.
Recharging takes up to five hours using a standard 120V outlet
Keep in mind that this is the next greenest thing after a full electric such as the Model S from Tesla, yet Hyundai didn’t make any big compromises in terms of accommodation. Offering sufficient headroom and legroom for five adults, the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid also has a sufficiently cavernous boot.
Slated to start assembly at the Asan, South Korea plant and to go on sale Stateside later this year, it also needs mentioning that the instrument cluster differs slightly from the gas-powered 2016 Sonata, providing vital information about the drivetrain. A smartphone app dubbed Blue Link is also offered, which lets the owner set a charging schedule and also lock, unlock and start the vehicle remotely.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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