2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Thoroughly Glimpsed Ahead Of Launch

Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid for the 2016 model year has been revealed in a new set of pictures along with some details concerning the changes that have been made.

The electrically-augmented powertrain has been tuned to further eliminate inefficiencies, enabling an estimated fuel consumption figure of 5.6-litres per 100 kilometres, marking an gain of over 10 percent over the outgoing model.

In case you missed it, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid’s drive comes from a 2.0-litre Nu GDI four-cylinder engine that has an output of 154hp and 190Nm of torque. An electric motor is located in the same housing as the 6-speed automatic transmission to transfer its 51hp and 205Nm of torque. In total, the 193hp hybrid system can hold its own on highways and in traffic.

 The lithium-ion battery that feeds the electric motor has a capacity of 1.62kWh. In fact, the car can engage an all-electric mode for short periods to have the petrol motor on stand-by for speeds up to 120km/h. Luggage space is actually increased by 10 percent over the previous generation thanks to lengths Hyundai has went to cleverly package all the components.

On the exterior, wheels and the front/rear fascia are made unique for the Hybrid over the standard Sonata. This visual refresh has some solid benefits, too, as its drag coefficient is a miniscule 0.24 – very handy when fuel economy is of primary importance.

Inside, the cabin is lavished with a combination of wood and leather. There’s a touchscreen central display for navigation and other infotainment functions – it even supports Apple’s CarPlay, as evidenced in one picture. There’s even a retractable panoramic glass roof.