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2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In First Drive

Hyundai is coming to the plug-in hybrid sedan party a bit late. No surprise there. Company execs are fully aware of that fact and were eager to say, "Hey, no big deal," at a media briefing on the new 2016 Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid in California last week. The press materials for the new cars offered lots of comparison charts that "proved" (using numbers) that the Hyundais are all-around better than their midsize competition. While Hyundai is at the forefront of the hydrogen fuel cell game in the US with the Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle, the Korean automaker has a lot of ground to make up when it comes to plug-in vehicles. Good thing, then, that the Sonata is a smooth operator and solid performer out on the road. If you're going to show up late, you better make a dramatic entrance. While I much prefer the distinctive shape of the sixth-generation Sonata, there's nothing inherently bad about the new style in the current models. The Hybrid and PHEV update the seventh-gen look of the 2015 Sonata with more aerodynamic front and rear ends, new rocker panels, distinctive headlights and taillights, and eco-spoke alloy wheels. All of these changes reduce drag, dropping the coefficient from 0.27 in the gas-only car to 0.24 for the hybrids. You know what other vehicle has a 0.24 cD? The Tesla Model S. We asked why the standard Sonata doesn't get this slippery update and were told that the improvements came along after the gas model's design had been locked in, but there is a chance some of these changes will find their way to the non-electric vehicle in a future facelift. After spending a day with the new Sonatas, I can say that Hyundai is most welcome at the plug-in vehicle party. The Honda Accord PHEV and Ford Fusion Energi don't get the attention or sales they deserve, and there are some who will say Hyundai got all dressed up for a shindig that's not really worth attending (ever-stricter fuel economy regulations beg to differ). But the more the merrier, in my opinion. And since the Sonata PHEV will indeed be available in all 50 states (with a big caveat) later this year, it won't be long until we see if Hyundai can inject some life into the scene. The main problem is that we don't yet really know how the PHEV compares in terms of MSRP, since Hyundai isn't releasing pricing until some point closer to launch. The automaker did say it expects the PHEV to qualify for a $4,919 tax credit from the federal government.

Hyundai recalls 883k Sonatas over detaching shift cable

There are plenty of things that can go wrong in a car, some more vital than others. Automakers try their best to make sure they don't, but things slip through, like the shift cables on the Hyundai Sonata.
Hyundai and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have found that, on 883,000 units of the MY2011-2014 Sonata manufactured between December 11, 2009, and May 29, 2014, the shift cable in the transmission is prone to detach from the shift lever. As a result, the gear indicated and the gear engaged might not match, which could set the vehicle in motion unexpectedly. Worse than that, the Park position might not engage altogether, and without the hand brake pulled, that could lead the car to roll away without warning.
In an entirely separate recall affecting a much smaller number of 2015 Sonatas, Hyundai has found that the front brake calipers could fracture. This second recall affects a relatively small 5,650 units manufactured between April 25 and June 16, 2014.

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell sales not hitting target [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Hyundai spokesperson Derek Joyce contacted Autoblog to clarify that 1,000 units is a global production goal, not a sales goal. Hyundai's aim to get 1,000 examples of the Tucson Fuel Cell out to the public worldwide is falling well behind the company's original hopes. As of the most recent accounting through May 2015, the Korean automaker has managed to move just 273 of them globally since the FCVs first went on sale in Korea in 2013. Hyundai reportedly sold 76 Tucson FCVs in 2013, 128 in 2014, and 69 so far this year, according to Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Of those, the vast majority were shipped to the US and Europe with 116 and 117, respectively. Another 29 remained in South Korea. However, the automaker's vice president of corporate and product planning in the US said in May that it had actually only leased about 70 of the vehicles here. The 1,000-unit global goal by the end of 2015 is almost certain not to be met. The Yonhap News Agency points to a lack of refueling infrastructure as a major problem in marketing the Tucson Fuel Cell. There are 11 hydrogen stations in all of South Korea, and just of them are in Seoul. The situation isn't much better in the US with around 10 of them open to the public, mostly in California. In Korea, cost is also an issue because even the recently reduced price of 85 million won (76,170) is high and comes without government subsidies.