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2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, PHEV gets conservative new look, more range

The plug-in hybrid middle ground between the 2015 Toyota Prius Plug-In (11 miles of EV range) and the 2016 Chevrolet Volt (50 miles) has long been the Ford domain. The Blue Oval has two plug-in hybrids with 20 miles of all-electric range, its 2015 Fusion and C-Max Energi Plug-in Hybrids. Entering this fray later this year will be the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, which will arrive with 22 miles of EV range and 93 MPGe. Hyundai made that announcement at the Detroit Auto Show this morning, saying that 22 miles is "farther than any other midsize PHEV sedan." Those zero-emission miles will come from a 9.8-kWh lithium polymer battery and a 50-kW electric motor. Once the pack runs out, Hyundai expects the PHEV to get 40 mpg combined (as well as 38 mpg city and 43 mpg highway) thanks to the gas-powered heart of the powertrain: a 154-horsepower, 2.0-liter Nu GDI four-cylinder engine that puts out 140 pound-feet of torque. When combined with the motor, the total system output is 202 horsepower. Hyundai is also showing off a non-plug Sonata Hybrid, which is expected to get a 10-percent fuel economy boost. The current version gets 38 mpg, combined, so that hints at around 42 mpg on the sticker when the car arrives in dealerships. The plugless model has to make due with a 51-hp, 38-kW electric motor that offers 151 pound-feet of torque and a net power rating of 193 horsepower. The two new Sonata Hybrid models have their own, more aerodynamic front and rear fascias as well as "purposefully unique wheels" that help drop the drag coefficient to just 0.24. The PHEV has a unique grille and a charge port on the front driver's side. Both models will arrive in dealerships later this year. Featured Gallery 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug In Hybrid View 12 Photos Green Detroit Auto Show Hyundai Fuel Efficiency Hybrid Sedan

Hyundai Sonata PHEV may be a game (and mind) changer

If you really, really want to consume volts instead of fuel on your way to work, school or shopping, you currently have just three options: pure EV, hydrogen fuel cell, or plug-in hybrid EV. Much as we love them, we all know the disadvantages of BEVs: high prices due to high battery cost (even though subsidized by their makers), limited range and long recharges. Yes, I know: six-figure (giant-battery) Teslas can deliver a couple hundred miles and Supercharge to ~80 percent in 10 minutes. But few of us can afford one of those, Tesla's high-voltage chargers are hardly as plentiful as gas stations, and even 10 minutes is a meaningful chunk out of a busy day. Also, good luck finding a Tesla dealership to fix whatever goes wrong (other than downloadable software updates) when it inevitably does. There still aren't any. Even more expensive, still rare as honest politicians, and much more challenging to refuel are FCEVs. You can lease one from Honda or Hyundai, and maybe soon Toyota, provided you live in Southern California and have ample disposable income. But you'd best limit your driving to within 100 miles or so of the small (but growing) number of hydrogen fueling stations in that state if you don't want to complete your trip on the back of a flatbed. That leaves PHEVs as the only reasonably affordable, practical choice. Yes, you can operate a conventional parallel hybrid in EV mode...for a mile or so at creep-along speeds. But if your mission is getting to work, school or the mall (and maybe back) most days without burning any fuel – while basking in the security of having a range-extender in reserve when you need it – your choices are extended-range EVs. That means the Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac ELR or a BMW i3 with the optional range-extender engine, and plug-in parallel hybrids. Regular readers know that, except for their high prices, I'm partial to EREVs. They are series hybrids whose small, fuel-efficient engines don't even start (except in certain rare, extreme conditions) until their batteries are spent. That means you can drive 30-40 (Volt, ELR) or 70-80 miles (i3) without consuming a drop of fuel. And until now, I've been fairly skeptical of plug-in versions of conventional parallel hybrids. Why?

201-horsepower Hyundai Ioniq Electric track car is awesome

While we've seen plenty of high-performance electric cars, such as Rimac's supercars and Tesla's powerful sedans and crossovers, we haven't seen many modified electric cars. Or at least electric cars modified for more performance in the traditional sense of the word for more speed and handling prowess. Engineers at Hyundai are finally giving us a peak at the future of tuning and hot rodding with their upgraded 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric that's competing in the Optima Ultimate Street Car series this year. It's visually much more striking than the average Ioniq thanks in part to a bold color scheme, but also bolt-on fender flares and Volk TE37SL wheels wrapped in fat 275-mm width tires. More important, there are major changes under the skin. The standard Ioniq Electric's 118-horsepower, 218 pound-foot motor has been swapped out for the new Kona Electric's motor, which makes 201 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque. Though that's less power than the Veloster N that's also been racing this year, it's more torque than the same hot hatch. Power still goes to the front wheels, but now there's a limited-slip differential up front to prevent the inside wheel roasting its tire in corners. Interestingly, the only suspension change mentioned is firmer lowering springs, so presumably it still uses the torsion-beam rear suspension layout of the regular Ioniq Electric. Beefy six-piston Wilwood brakes up front and four-piston units in the rear help the car come to a stop much more quickly. The cooling systems for the electronics and battery pack have been upgraded, too. It all sounds like a blast to drive. As to why Hyundai built this, the company is using it for research and development purposes. Perhaps this will aid in developing an electric N model. It's also looking to build on its 2017 season when Hyundai was the only brand with a car in the Ultimate Street Car series GTE electric vehicle class. The modifications will certainly be useful this season, since a competitor has been to a few events with a Tesla Model X P100D. The overall standings show that the hopped-up Hyundai is second in total points, which will likely narrow after the Hyundai heads to its third event at Autoclub Speedway this weekend. The two cars have not been at the same events this year, but both appear to qualify for the final invitational event that takes place in Las Vegas following the SEMA show.