Sonata has a tough month whereas Elantra, Santa Fe and the new Genesis provide a new record sales total. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Feb. 1, 2016 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid - $26,835 incl. D&H to start (Limited starts at $30,935 incl. D&H). The Ultimate pkg. adds $4,400 to the Limited’s pricing. Owners will receive an excellent 39/45 mpgUS city/highway rating in base SE trim and 38/43 mpgUS city/highway from the Limited. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid The 2nd gen Sonata Hybrid like its predecessor arrives in just two trims, the SE and Limited. The base SE trim includes 16” alloys, LED taillights, side mirror turn signal indicators, rear lip spoiler, projector headlights, auto on headlights, driver blind spot side mirror, heated side mirrors, solar glass, chrome exterior door handles, proximity key with push-button start, door handle welcome light, hands-free Smart Trunk Opener, cloth seats, 6-way manual passenger seat (height-adjustable), tilt & telescopic wheel with cruise and audio controls, electroluminescent gauges with 4.2-inch color LCD display, dual auto climate, cluster hood stitching, 5” color display audio, rearview backup camera, iPod/USB & Aux input jacks, XM sat radio, Bluetooth with phonebook transfer and Blue Link Telematics system. The Limited adds Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-traffic Alert, 17-inch alloys, leather, HID Xenon headlamps, leatherette interior door panel inserts with stitching, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power passenger seat (6-way) with integrated Memory System – driver seat and outside mirrors, heated and ventilated front seats, floor-mounted rear vents, rear window manual sunshades, auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink and compass, and premium door sill plates. The Limited can be equipped with the Ultimate package which adds Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Auto High Beam Assist, Rear parking sensors, Panoramic sunroof, High-gloss DLO, Radar CC with stop/start capability, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), LED interior lights, 8-inch navigation, Infinity premium audio system (400 watts) and SiriusXM Travel Link. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Projector Lamp and LED light bar up close. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Design The all-new 7th generation Sonata provided an even sleeker coupe like profile than its predecessor in the form of Fluidic Sculpture 2.0. The Hybrid continued this direction. It also incorporates features that make it the lowest Cd car on the road today at 0.24. 5 thin flat chrome slats within a taller hexagonal wing grille trimmed in chrome and an air shutter grille are standard. The headlamps have been reshaped and incorporate a more prominent and straighter internal structure, the fog lamp cutouts are completely chrome trimmed and create an air-curtain effect around the front wheel opening. The forward corner edges have been aero-tabbed for a cleaner Cd. Moving to the profile, the 2017 Sonata Hybrid incorporates a slightly different chrome rocker panel inlay vs. the Limited and Sport Sonata’s, the wheels are aero tuned with smaller openings to decrease drag and the rear corners have been aero-tabbed. A reshaped rear spoiler have been added to reduce drag further. Out back, the tail lamp assembly inlays have been changed and a lower rear diffuser has been added to reduce aerodynamic drag. The Panoramic roof was reworked to be stronger and quieter over the previous gen. Altogether, the new exterior design including the full underbody panels have reduced the Sonata Hybrids drag coefficient to just 0.24 from the std. Sonata’s 0.27. This is the cleanest aerodynamically designed conventional, hybrid and diesel powered vehicle available. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Interior The 2017 Sonata Hybrid is no different than the regular Sonata other than the multitude of Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid displays available. Large and very comfortable for the many years on the long road ahead. The 2017 Sonata Hybrid is for all intents and purposes a full sized car and larger than any of its direct competitors. This is the Sonata’s main advantage and nothing from the mid-size class can match it. The cabin is surrounded by soft touch materials and rich looking inlays. Buttons and controls are placed on the center stack, which is angled toward the driver to make the controls easier to reach. For taller drivers. Shorter drivers may have to reach a bit. The SE incorporates a smallish 5” central display screen that is out of proportion to match the larger front dash face. Even the much larger hi res 8 inch screen with NAVI appears too small. A 12 inch would be a more logical choice in a car this large inside as the lower controls size are not large enough to fill the lower control panel. More rear seat room than any of its competitors. The woodgrain inlays on the Limited are to glossy cheapening the interior by comparison to a less reflective inlay that could have been used. On the noise reduction front, the Sonata Hybrid’s low drag cuts back on wind noise although I never reached speeds over 65 mph. Like the std. 15 Sonata, the hybrid includes sound deadening materials in the dashboard, under the floorpan, and an underbody tray made of fibrous glass expansion board improves aerodynamics while reducing unwanted road noise. Despite the few aesthetic shortcomings, the interior is quieter and more comfortable than ever before during my few hours behind the wheel and in the passenger seat. That is a true usable flat floor and big width trunk space. The best addition to the hybrid lineup is the fact the trunk is not only completely usable, it has compact car volume at 13.3 cu. ft. Both the Accord and Camry Hybrid require a long reach to the wheel and the front seat lower cushions are too short for taller driver long distance driving comfort. The ES 300h can match the HSH if equipped with the lower seat cushion extender. The Fusion Hybrid has the comfort but its hip, shoulder and rear seat knee room are much more cramped by comparison. Out back, none of these competitors have the rear seat room although the Accord Hybrid has a more comfortable recline angle and seating position. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid on the Pacific. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Infotainment Along with the standard infotainment listed in the trim breakout section above, the 8.0” NAVI offers an enhanced display with light touch sensitivity, a map and music split screen display and the ability to record SiriusXM presets 1-6. When switching to a preset station, you can rewind the station up to 22 minutes to listen to the full song or catch the broadcast already played. All 2017 Sonata Hybrids equipped with navigation will also support Pandora and SoundHound applications as well as “Eyes Free” Siri integration plus Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. The NAVI equipped Hybrid includes a coasting guide control which will alert the driver to coast to a stop or slow down ahead with the following attributes enabled: Eco mode, a destination chosen, and speeds between 37 and 99 mph. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Drivetrain The 2017 Sonata Hybrid uses an atkinsonized 154 hp and 140 lb. ft. of torque 2.0L GDI I4 coupled to a 38 kW and 151 lb-ft. of torque electric motor running at 270V - system power = 193 hp - that is clutched into six-speed AT. Powerful enough and well mannered. The 1.62 kWh Li-Po battery pack has 13 percent more energy capacity, 24 percent higher power density and is 21 percent lighter than the first gen Sonata Hybrid. Thanks to the smaller overall packaging, the traction battery now fits underneath the trunk floor in the spare tire well allowing for a flat trunk and the available 60/40 split-folding rear seats in the Limited trim. This 6-speed AT now uses an electric oil pump allowing full glides up to 75 mph by decoupling the gasoline engine from the rest of the drivetrain. The Hybrid SE with the 16” alloys is geared to provide 1,950 RPM at 60 mph. The larger 17” alloys tires have a smaller diameter and provide 1,980 RPM at 60 mph. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Chassis The 2016 Sonata Hybrid is comprised of more than 50% advanced high-strength steel which improves torsional rigidity by 41% and keeps the car light. This also improved the ride, handling and NVH compared to the first gen Sonata Hybrid. Up front, a std. MacPherson strut with performance shock absorbers and 23 mm stabilizer bar (24.2 mm Plug-in Hybrid) is provided. Out back, an independent multi-link with coil springs, performance shock absorbers and 17 mm stabilizer bar is standard. Ride is soft enough for expansion joints but it will bottom with a sharp impact on larger potholes for example. Handling has been improved with less body roll. Brakes include 12.0 and 11.1 in. ventilated discs up front and out back respectively. Stopping power is adequate and feel is better than most hybrids although it is not as linear as a std. hydraulic system on a conventional car. The column mounted Electric Motor-Driven variable Power Steering (MDPS) system provides a little better on-center feel although steering overall is still vague. Fortunately, the turning diameter of 35.6 ft., curb-to-curb, works well even with the longish 110.4” wheelbase. 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Safety Passively the Sonata Hybrid includes front, side, side curtains and a driver’s knee airbag. Actively, Electronic Stability Control, Vehicle Stability Management, Traction Control, ABS and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System with individual tire pressure display and a rearview camera is also standard. Advanced safety features include BSD with RCTA, FCW, and LDW. The base Sonata missed the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating because of its poor headlamps. The Limited with the Xenon’s has not yet been tested. The HSH is much larger and more comfortable than all of its competitors other than the ES 300h which can match it in drive comfort when equipped with the lower seat cushion extender but not overall size for a long distance journey. The Accord Hybrid rear seats are more comfortable. Why highlight the Sonata Hybrid? Because one of the 1,085 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid's purchased last month is sitting in our drive as Marian's daily driver. Hyundai January 2017 Sales Overview Hyundai achieved its best January ever with 46,507 vehicle sold, up 3.3 percent over the 45,011 sold in January of 2016. The Hyundai Division achieved sales of 44,689 units in January, down 3.9 percent from that same total since the Genesis brand is now added into the overall sales total. The new Genesis Division achieved sales of 1,818 vehicles in January. Hyundai January 2017 Sales Highlights The Elantra and Santa Fe powered January sales. Elantra sales of 13,185 was up 33.4 percent over the 9,885 sold in January of 2016. Santa Fe achieved January 2017 sales of 7,889, up 53.5 percent over the 5,139 sold in January of 2016. The number one tidbit in the January segment sales reports is that the Ford Fusion Hybrid outsold the Prius liftback for the first time in history. I believe this is the first time the Prius Liftback has been surpassed since the Gen 2 was released back in late 2003! U.S. January 2017 Sales vs. January 2016 Sales Ranks and Results for the top 18 Automobile Manufacturers GM January 2017 Sales Down 3.8% with 195,909 Vehicles sold Ford January 2017 Sales Down 0.6% with 172,612 Vehicles sold FCA January 2017 Sales Down 11.2% with 152,218 Vehicles sold Toyota January 2017 Sales Down 11.3% with 143,048 Vehicles sold Nissan January 2017 Sales Up 6.2% with 112,319 Vehicles sold Honda January 2017 Sales Up 5.9% with 106,380 Vehicles sold Hyundai January 2017 Sales Up 3.3% with 46,507 Vehicles sold Subaru January 2017 Sales Up 6.8% with 43,879 Vehicles sold Kia January 2017 Sales Down 7.0% with 35,626 Vehicles sold Mercedes-Benz January 2017 Sales Up 3.5% with 27,900 Vehicles sold VW January 2017 Sales Up 17.1% with 23,510 Vehicles sold Mazda January 2017 Sales Up 10.1% with 21,698 Vehicles sold BMW January 2017 Sales Down 0.5% with 21,219 Vehicles sold Audi January 2017 Sales Up 11.4% with 13,201 Vehicles sold Jaguar/Land Rover January 2017 Sales Up 29.9% with 9,102 Vehicles sold Mitsubishi January 2017 Sales Up 3.1% with 6,457 Vehicles sold Porsche January 2017 Sales Up 5.7% with 4,602 Vehicles sold Volvo January 2017 Sales Down 18.2% with 3,472 Vehicles sold The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was approximately 17.6 million vehicles.
