Hyundai have just released some new information about their new 2016 Sonata plug-in hybrid, and they have shown some impressive specs for the car. If the new information is true, it’s going to be a pretty serious model, and a good entry into the hybrid market – and it should definitely have a positive impact on the overall perception of hybrid cars, which is something the market could benefit from significantly.
According to the company, the car will offer a driving range of 24 miles just on a full electric charge, which is pretty good compared other models on the market. In EV mode, it should deliver around 93 mpg, and in charge sustaining mode it’s been shown to reach 40 mpg in urban conditions during the company’s own internal testing.
These figures are all good, but can the car actually live up to the hype in terms of raw performance and specifications? With a 2.0 liter four-cylinder GDI engine, running at 154 hp, it should definitely fare quite well on the road. It’s actually the same gasoline engine like the one that can be found in the Sonata Hybrid, and the car has an overall output of 202 hp at 6,000 rpm – not a small feat by any means.
The engine is not the only thing that it’s borrowed from the original Sonata Hybrid, as the visual style of the car is also reminiscent of the original model to a large extent. It looks quite similar overall, and the only difference users are going to find is the charging port. The dashboard includes a battery charge meter that provides easy access to the current charging status of the car, and it seems like Hyundai have designed the vehicle with convenience and simplicity in mind above all else.
The car will go on sale in various US states later in 2015, and there will be options for a $2,500 fixed federal tax credit, but we don’t yet know exact details about the pricing of the model. There is plenty of speculation about that online, but no concrete information as of yet, so we can only guess.
There have been rumors that Hyundai are trying to be highly competitive with this release however, so we can expect an attractive price point, at least for the base model. Combined with the tax credit options that will be available, this should be a very hot entry into the market, perhaps even one that can shoot the company’s profits into the sky if they pull it off correctly.