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2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid first ride review: Chase the sun

"The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a comfortable, spacious highway cruiser."

• Sleek design

• Spacious interior

• Comfortable ride

• Impressive technology

• Disappointing real fuel consumption

• Hates corners

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata is an almost perfect mid-range sedan. It has excellent road manners and technical features that you won't find in any other car in this price range. While the stuff on the dash is impressive, it's not the stuff under the hood. The engines available at the start are only sufficient.

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is expected to be available in June in Blue, SEL and Limited versions. Our test car was the top-limited model, which offers all important technical functions, including a digital instrument cluster, a digital key smartphone control and a solar roof, with which the battery can be charged. Hyundai hasn't released any prices yet, but expects the hybrid model to offer a premium over the standard Sonata, priced between $ 24,000 and $ 34,000.

During our time with the sonata, we noticed that Hyundai still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Is better gasoline performance the missing part of the Sonata puzzle?

Design and interior

You have to have a keen eye to see the difference between the Sonata Hybrid and the standard sonata. The differences are limited to a new grille, wheels and rear spoiler. Even these changes were made for aerodynamic efficiency rather than aesthetic reasons. Hyundai was already satisfied with the existing Sonata exterior design.

"It's not about making an environmentally friendly vehicle declaration. Overall, it's about making a great design statement," said Scott Margason, head of product planning at Hyundai Motor America, to Digital Trends.

After all, the sonata looked quite extroverted. Designers gave it a slimmer profile than the average sedan, as well as the trick “Hidden Lighting Lamps”, which turn the bonnet into a laser light show. These additional lighting elements extend back from the headlights and, when switched off, fit into the chrome trim of the vehicle.

Despite an additional battery, according to Hyundai, the Sonata Hybrid has the same trunk as the standard Sonata. This also results in more trunk space than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, but less than the Honda Accord Hybrid. The Sonata Hybrid also has more front and rear leg room than the Camry and Accord, but the Japanese hybrids offer significantly more rear leg room.

"It's not about making an environmentally friendly vehicle declaration. It's about making a great design statement overall."

The driver's seat of the Sonata Hybrid is a great place. The touchscreen of the dashboard and the storage compartments of the center console are perfectly positioned, the steering wheel is just the right size and the car offers an excellent view to the outside.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The standard infotainment setup includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Limited models get a 10.25-inch touchscreen as well as a digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a head-up display. The screen graphics are crisp and clear, and the main touchscreen offers a nice swipe function for changing menus. However, Hyundai did not go overboard with screens. The designers also included analog controls for functions like volume, where a button works better than a swipe.

The digital instrument cluster enables an improved blind spot monitoring system that automatically shows the view from outside cameras when you tap the turn signals. This is a simple but helpful feature and a step above what competitors offer. However, it is also an optional extra. The standard aids for the driver include adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system, autonomous emergency braking and an automatic high beam. These characteristics are also standard for the rival Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid. But Hyundai has also set the standard for rear traffic warnings. This function is optional on the Toyota and not available on the Honda.

Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The Sonata Hybrid can also be upgraded with Lane Follow Assist. As the name suggests, it follows the road instead of waiting for the car to deviate from its lane before intervening. This feature worked well during a previous ride in the Arizona non-hybrid sonata, but didn't seem to be so composed on the New York streets where we drove the hybrid. The steering wheel jerked constantly as the system made small steering inputs, as if someone had given the computers a double shot of espresso.

Hyundai did not go overboard with screens.

Another technical feature adopted by the non-hybrid sonata is the digital key from Hyundai. As standard in the SEL and Limited equipment variants, the driver can use a smartphone instead of a conventional key fob. While some car manufacturers offer remote unlocking or engine starting via an app, only Hyundai, Lincoln and Tesla currently allow drivers to get in and out with just a smartphone. The digital key can also be transferred remotely to other people if you want someone to rent your car. The function is currently only compatible with certain Android phones.

A technical feature the Sonata Hybrid misses is the Remote Smart Parking Assist, which you may have seen in Hyundai's Super Bowl display with a Boston accent. The function with which the car can enter and exit even in tight parking spaces is available with the standard sonata, but not with the hybrid. It has to be recalibrated for the hybrid powertrain and will be added at a later time, according to Hyundai.

Experience behind the wheel

The hybrid powertrain goes well with the relaxed character of the sonata, but doesn't expect impressive numbers.

The Sonata Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is supported by a single electric motor. The total system performance is 192 HP. That is only 1 HP more than the base engine for the non-hybrid Sonata and much less than for the hybrid Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

Unlike Honda and Toyota, Hyundai has retained a conventional transmission as part of its hybrid system. The Sonata Hybrid's six-speed automatic has a software function called Active Shift Control, which uses the electric motor to add or subtract the torque on the input shaft of the transmission. According to Hyundai, this ensures faster gear changes (ie less interruption in performance when accelerating) and better mileage.

Using a conventional transmission is important because it makes the Sonata Hybrid feel more like a normal car. The power supply is much more linear than with the Honda or Toyota hybrid systems, and the transfer between electricity and gasoline is smooth.

The hybrid powertrain goes well with the relaxed character of the sonata, but doesn't expect impressive numbers.

Hyundai also did a good job of calibrating the driving modes. Sport offers the right amount of extra urgency, and Eco isn't the penalty area found in most other cars. Hyundai also included a smart mode that automatically switches between the other modes depending on the conditions. But not everything was fine-tuned.

Hyundai brought in Albert Biermann, the former head of the BMW M Performance Division, to make his cars more exciting. But Biermann must have been on vacation when the suspension tuning of the Sonata Hybrid was completed. The handling of this car is more Buick than BMW. The steering wheel feels like it's not connected to anything, and the body's roll in sharp turns is so strong that the car feels like it's about to tip over.

We have seen similar trends in the non-hybrid sonata, but the more curvy roads at this test site have made these trends even clearer. The Sonata Hybrid performed better on highways, where its floppy suspension made it one of the quietest rides of any mid-size sedan. This is clearly a car that is designed for road trips and commuting, not for winding roads. If you want a sporty sonata, stop by when the N-Line model comes on the market.

Fuel consumption and security

Hyundai announced impressive gasoline consumption figures for the Sonata Hybrid 2020, which, however, were not achievable in real driving. The base blue model is rated at 52 mpg (50 mpg city, 54 mpg highway), while SEL and Limited are rated at 47 mpg (45 mpg city, 51 mpg highway). A 50 mpg rating was once Prius territory, so it's impressive to see a more conventional mid-size sedan reach that mark.

But the Sonata Hybrid doesn't have much of an advantage over its rivals. The Camry Hybrid is rated at 52 mpg combined (51 mpg city, 53 mpg highway) in LE equipment. The Accord Hybrid is rated at 48 mpg combined (48 mpg city, 47 mpg highway). Over a week's drive, the real fuel efficiency of the Hyundai was also much lower at 38.1 mpg on average, according to the car's on-board computer.

Perhaps the number would have been higher if we could better use the sonata's solar roof. Solar cells are used to charge the 12-volt battery (so it doesn't drain while the car is parked) and the hybrid system's battery to allow more use of electricity. According to Hyundai, the roof can add 2 miles of driving range a day, but persistent clouds meant it wasn't used much. Drivers in sunnier areas may get better results.

The 2020 non-hybrid sonata received a Best Safety Pick rating for the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS), but the organization did not provide a specific rating for the hybrid model. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not evaluated any sonata models for 2020.

Hyundai's 100,000-mile drive train 10-year warranty and 60,000-mile drive train five-year warranty are not covered by Honda and Toyota. The Sonata Hybrid 2020 is a new model, but Hyundai has an overall reputation for reliability.

How DT would configure this car

If you want the most technology in your Sonata Hybrid, you have to choose the top equipment variant Limited. It's the only solar roof option available, as well as the triple threat of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen and a head-up display.

The additional functions of the Limited increase the weight, which is why it is not as economical as the entry-level Blue. Hyundai unfortunately forces buyers to choose between gasoline consumption and technology.

Our opinion

The hybrid powertrain improves the Sonata 2020, but does not change it. The driving dynamics are about the same as before. Although you will get better mileage, it is important to keep expectations in check. The Sonata also drives more like a normal car than its Honda and Toyota competitors, which some buyers may prefer.

The best of the Sonata Hybrid 2020 is carried over to the non-hybrid version. The highlights include a comfortable ride, advanced driver assistance and a well-designed infotainment system. The hybrid solar roof is a nice technology that could improve efficiency in practice but depends on the weather conditions.

Should you get one?

Yes. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a good car that happens to be a hybrid.

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