When Every Drop Counts, There is No Doubt That the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is a Hugely Important Vehicle.

Hyundai has actually made quite a few visual changes to the Sonata Hybrid's exterior making the Sonata Hybrid more aerodynamic and lowering its drag coefficient to a slippery 0.25

The 2011 Sonata Hybrid marks the first production use of Hyundai's Hybrid Blue Drive technology. As a full parallel hybrid drivetrain, Blue Drive can operate independently on either its 169-horsepower 2.4-liter gasoline engine or its 40-horsepower electric motor. Another key feature the Blue Drive system is its battery technology. Hyundai claims to be the only automaker utilizing lithium-polymer batteries in a production vehicle, the advantages of which are many.  Lithium-polymer batteries offer the same benefits of lithium-ion batteries, but are more robust, lighter, easier to cool, and more easily packaged due to a significantly thinner profile. Also, compared to nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-polymer batteries are more resistant to changes in temperature, have a slower self-discharge rate, and offer 10 percent greater efficiency with a 40 percent reduction in volume.

Hyundai's Hybrid Power Control management software also features a start/stop system that shuts down the gasoline engine when the vehicle is stationary, automatically restarting it when pressure is reapplied to the throttle.

To help ensure that the Sonata Hybrid is being driven as efficiently as possible, a Hybrid Technology Display is located inside, monitoring which mode the vehicle is being driven in, energy flow inside the vehicle, engine and motor movement, fuel level, battery power level and charge status, and both average and instant mpg.

Hyundai claims its Sonata Hybrid is a segment leader in many regards, with the lowest curb weight, most horsepower, and greatest passenger volume of any of its competition from Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Honda.

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