Hyundai Sonata Consumer Reviews |
Hyundai Sonata More Expert Reviews |
2011 Hyundai Sonata Photo Gallery |
Hyundai’s first hybrid could offer efficiency above 30 mpg, for thousands below the competition. 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. Now Hyundai offers the Sonata as a hybrid model that comes loaded with nearly all of the latest and greatest tech to keep fuel consumption at a minimum. Watch Ryan as he delivers a behind-the-wheel review of the Sonata Hybrid.
Hyundai says that the Sonata Hybrid can cruise on battery power alone at speeds of up to 62 mph. 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 says that the Sonata Hybrid is good for 36 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
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Korea has different system of taxes and processes, but it does not mean they draw a distinction in trade, same things applied to locally made products. I would like to ask whether US automakers really understand what consumers key features are when they buy car…why Japanese and European cars are sold much more than US cars, and it may apply to all other products as well like mentioned TVs. please move your consideration to our neighbor country Japan…Korea car makers is almost failed to set up commercial base in there, although spend long enough years, it same to TVs and others as well. why it happen? they may not properly deliver liability or other features, good thing for competitions is that consumers like us can compare/take a benifits of each. simply 10yr, 100,000miles guarantees from Hyundai Motors are never ever offered to domestic customers in Korea, even we pay higher prices, only reason what we see is ‘no competition’…in terms of customers, you are in better position than us. andy kim
Boycott all South Korean products until they meet our demands to open there markets.I don’t if they make many cars in the US but they need to open there market.We buy a lot of there products and they need to be an open market.South Korea is right now fighting this with Obama in SK .There is world redundancy in products and we really don’t need all these so so vehicles being dumped on our market.If we can’t sell to them why should buy there TV’s and Cars?Peter Anastopulos