Hyundai has officially taken the covers off the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, the brand’s first ever plug-in hybrid model, at the ongoing 2015 Detroit Motor Show. The D-segment contender with the environmentally friendly hybrid tech will go on sale in Korea soon.
The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid uses a 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 51bhp electric motor. The engine delivers 154bhp of power, up by 4 per cent compared to the Sonata Hybrid. The electric motor is also 32 per cent more powerful than the motor used the in the regular Sonata Hybrid and allows EV operation at higher speeds. The combined power is transferred to the road via a 6-speed automatic transmission.
With the upgraded engine and electric motor, this plug-in hybrid model benefits from a class-leading combined efficiency of 18.2kmpl with 16-inch wheels. Fitted with the bigger 17-inch wheels, the efficiency is dropped a bit, at 17.7 kmpl.
While it will debut first in Korea soon, the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is scheduled to launch in major global markets starting in the first half of 2015. Hyundai has revealed that it aims to sell a total of 55,000 units next year. Given the virtually non-existent demand for hybrid vehicles in India, it is highly unlikely for Hyundai to contemplate this new model for the Indian market.
