Technology never sleeps. It keeps pushing forward, sometimes with big breakthroughs and sometimes with incremental improvements that are less noticeable, but do add up over the years. The 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid has gotten a dose of the latter, with an improved drivetrain that provides better overall fuel economy and better electric-only performance.
As you can see in the table below (Hyundai's formatting is a bit confusing, I know), the 2013 Sonata hybrid has an improved Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG), going from 8.5 kW to 10.5 kW. An improved electric motor, going from 30 kW to 35 kW, a substantially more powerful 47 kW Lithium Polymer battery pack, replacing the 34 kW pack in the 2012 model, and thanks to all this fuel economy is improved across the board: 36 MPG in the city vs. 34 MPG before, 40 MPG on the highway vs. 39 MPG, and a combined rating of 38 MPG vs. 36 for the 2012 Sonata hybrid. Basically, everything's better, and the base price has been lowered by $200, and it still has a "lifetime" warranty on the battery. Not bad!
Hyundai/Screen capture
When in pure electric drive mode, the 2013 Sonata Hybrid can drive up to 75 MPH.
The gasoline engine delivers 159 hp (119 kW) @ 6,000 rpm, and torque of 154 lb-ft (209 N·m) @ 4,500 rpm. Combined with the electric motor, it adds up to 206 hp (154 kW).
The Sonata hybrid still has a different styling from the regular gasoline Sonata, which gives it better aerodynamics. It achieves an impressive 0.24 Cd.
Hyundai has also announced pricing for the 2013 Sonata hybrid: $25,650 for the regular hybrid, which is $200 less than the outgoing 2012 Sonata Hybrid, and $30,550 for the new fancy Sonata Hybrid Limited.
Via Hyundai
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