Guess how many automotive brands offer a plug-in hybrid or PHEV in Canada? If you came up with 10, you’re right. Of these,

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only five are mainstream volume brands, the others pricier premium marques. Now, of the five more affordable brands remaining, take a stab at how many offer two or more PHEVs? The number is just one, but later this year that number will double when Hyundai’s new Ioniq arrives, in regular hybrid, pure electric and plug-in hybrid configurations. Until then, Hyundai will be glad to show you its Sonata Plug-in Hybrid.

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but hybrid-forerunner Honda isn’t on that PHEV list above, the five including Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Toyota, and of course Hyundai, whereas the only mainstream brand currently offering more than one PHEV is Ford. The premium brands that purvey at least one PHEV include Audi, BMW, Cadillac,

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Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and yes it’s also amazing that luxury hybrid initiator Lexus isn’t on that list. Astute readers will also recognize Kia as being part of Hyundai group, so in fact the Korean duo combines for two out of the five PHEV producers. That’s impressive, especially when considering the dearth of Japanese offerings, the single entry being the previous generation Prius PHEV soldiering along into 2016. The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, on the other hand, is entirely new for 2016, and a solid contender it is.

First off, while superb fuel economy and doing right by the environment are worthy ideals and reasons enough for purchasing within this rarified category, I must admit that being able to park right beside the front door of most shopping malls,

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many big box stores, hotels and government buildings, where the charging stations are installed, plus the many convenient parallel parking spots fitted with charging stations around my town, is the ultimate side benefit. Many cities allow a single-occupant vehicle to travel in the high-occupancy lane if it’s a plug-in as well. Owning a PHEV gives you instant VIP status, not to mention a fun way to meet other likeminded plug-in do-gooders recharging their vehicles.

They may first question if your car has a right to be parked in a plug-in spot, however, as little differentiates the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid from the regular Sonata Hybrid. Both utilize the same deeper, more pronounced front grille than the regular Sonata and sport a subtle rear deck lid spoiler, with the only noticeable difference

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being the round electric plug lid on the left front fender, plus of course the small lowercase “plug-in” badge above the other two “hybrid” and “Limited” nameplates. And just in case you’re wondering, Hyundai doesn’t fix an Ultimate tag to the rear end despite trimming all Canadian-bound PHEV versions with most every feature in its Sonata parts bin, just leaving it discretely fitted with the lesser nomenclature.

Inside, the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Ultimate is a lesson in entry-level luxury done right. It’s elegant, tasteful, and appealing, with soft-touch surfaces in all the right places including the entire dash top and instrument panel, even down the right side of the centre stack, while the primary instrument hood gets a stitched leather-like surfacing treatment. The door uppers are soft-touch front and back, while Hyundai adds padded leatherette to the door inserts, also nicely stitched in the

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same material used for the comfortable centre armrest. These match the leather-surfaced seats perfectly too, the bolsters finished in solid leather and the inserts perforated, important for breathability via three-way forced ventilation up front.

I didn’t use that feature for my mid-winter test, relying more on the three-way seat heaters that were plenty warm in their topmost temperature setting. Another welcome feature was my tester’s heatable steering wheel, while dual-zone automatic climate control took care of my partner and my preferred temperatures that are almost never the same.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel comes filled with controls on the spokes for answering

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the phone, adjusting the fabulous sounding nine-speaker Infinity audio system, setting and modulating the adaptive cruise control system, and navigating through the multi-information display, the latter a monochromatic screen set within a clean, business-like dual-dial primary gauge cluster. Rather than the usual left-side tachometer, the Sonata PHEV fills the space with loads of useful EV information, while the right side is the usual speedometer and fuel gauge.

Over on the centre stack is Hyundai’s usual good quality high-resolution full-colour infotainment display, this one including the expected reverse camera system with active guidelines, climate control and audio features, plus a navigation system, phone set-up, and general car info, while the PHEV also includes detailed driving information such as energy routing, expected EV range with map guidance to all the

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closest EV charging stations, and more. I have to say that it was missing a lot of very good stations, which were no doubt added after Hyundai’s most recent system update (they’re adding them all the time in my area).

While there’s ample features within the infotainment touchscreen, I like that the audio system can also be controlled via analog buttons and dials that sit just below in a tidy, narrow interface that also features go-to prompts for common infotainment features, while just below this is a larger interface for the dual-zone auto HVAC system, both designed in similar fashion and attractively laid out. A small compartment filled with two 12-volt chargers, a powered USB and an auxiliary plug sits just below, while a handy felt-lined sunglasses holder and two reading lamps can be found above in the overhead console.

All

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of the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid’s switchgear is well made from high quality materials and nicely damped for a premium feel, while Hyundai dresses up the cabin further with satin-silver metallic trim in key areas, a slightly rougher brushed aluminum with piano black detailing for those just-noted HVAC controls, with some of the outer buttons stylishly floating above recessed satin-silver, identically to how the new 2017 Elantra Limited’s HVAC and audio interfaces were designed, while the instrument panel and doors feature some of the best faux woodgrain in the business. It not only looks good, with an attractive wide grain in taupe/brown mixed with resin-like black gloss finish, but it mostly passes the knuckle and fingernail tap tests. They could’ve added a bit more solidity to the plastic, but it’s a far cry better than what you get in a Toyota Camry, for instance.

The

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front seats are comfortable, ideal for a long trip, with decent side bolstering and good lower back support that’s adjustable via powered lumbar controls, whereas the rear seats are not only comfortable and supportive for the lower back, but the Sonata offers some of the best rear legroom of any car in its class. I’d say limousine-like if the term wasn’t so overused (by yours truly, I must confess), but then again it seems apropos in this Sonata. Unfortunately, this being a PHEV, the trunk is 100 litres (3.5 cubic feet) smaller than the already abbreviated Sonata Hybrid’s 380-litre (13.4 cubic-foot) cargo hold, measuring just 280 litres (9.9 cubic feet) and filled with a big bag for holding its charging cord, plus there’s no rear seat pass-through for loading longer items. I never needed more luggage space during my weeklong test, but this is an issue that could be troublesome for some.

For

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many, however, the benefits of the PHEV’s trunk-robbing battery far outweigh the negatives of lessened cargo capacity, my as tested average fuel economy being a near ridiculous 2.0 L/100km. To be clear, while the Sonata PHEV is a hybrid that’s capable of running via its gasoline engine and hybrid electric motor without ever being externally charged, just like the regular Sonata Hybrid, I made sure that it hardly ever ran out of battery power and therefore drove it mostly in EV mode, choosing to work with my laptop in shopping malls (that fortunately have pretty good free internet in my area) and charging at complimentary stations as needed. I don’t tend to drive very far each day so the Sonata PHEV suited my lifestyle well, its range about 35 kilometres (22 miles) between charges, depending on how it’s being driven.

The battery that fills much of the rear bulkhead is a substantive 9.8 kWh Lithium-ion

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polymer type, which is mega-sized compared to the regular Sonata Hybrid’s comparatively minuscule 1.62 kWh variation on the theme, with output of 68 kW instead of 56, and maximum voltage of 360 compared to 270. The electric motor is an interior permanent magnet synchronous unit good for 50 kW (67 horsepower), which is 12 kW (16 hp) more than the regular Hybrid’s. Overall net horsepower is 202 compared to 193 in the non-plugged car, and while Hyundai doesn’t provide any zero to 100km/h sprint times I can attest that it feels pretty quick off the line and especially so if set to EV mode where it’s a veritable sling shot out of the hole, plus it doesn’t let up one iota when reaching highway speeds. Hyundai doesn’t offer us any inclination as to the plug-in model’s top speed in EV mode, instead only specifying the regular Sonata Hybrid is good for 120 km/h (75 mph) when purely under electric power. Passing performance is exemplary too, the Sonata Plug-in making no excuses for its electrification or what would otherwise be a fairly anemic Atkinson-cycle tweaked version of the brand’s direct-injection, 16-valve, DOHC 2.0-liter four-cylinder

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with dual continuously variable valve timing that only makes 154 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque on its own. Of course, the electric motor and battery duo make up the remaining 48 horsepower and unspecified amount of front wheel twist, “net” referring to the combined effort of all power sources.

Also notable, rather than the usual continuous variable transmission or CVT that hybrids more often than not incorporate, Hyundai includes a more positively engaging six-speed automatic featuring manual shift mode no less, while the brand’s Drive Mode Select allows you to swap between normal and Eco modes, albeit not a Sport mode like the regular Sonata Hybrid. For that, as noted,

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switch it into EV mode, although your range will be significantly reduced if you drive with a heavy right foot.

On that note Hyundai shows no benefit in fuel economy from the regular HEV to the PHEV, both Ultimate models five-cycle rated at 6.0 L/100km in the city, 5.5 on the highway and 5.8 combined, but as mentioned earlier its real mileage is much better. The U.S. EPA estimates the regular hybrid at 39 mpg city, 43 highway and 41 combined (the metric equivalent being 6.0 L/100km city, 5.5 highway and 5.7 combined), but surprisingly it suggests the PHEV is only good for 40 mpg combined (5.9 L/100km), but then it shows a separate estimate of 99 eMPG (2.4 L/100km),

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which stands for miles per gallon gasoline equivalent. If you remember the “ridiculous” number I quoted earlier it all starts to make sense, the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid really delivering at the pump, or rather right past the pump as I doubt I’d need to visit my local gas station very often if I owned one of these.

Then again, that performance I spoke of earlier would no doubt get the best of me some of the time. It’s actually in juxtaposition to the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid’s smooth, compliant ride that could easily lull a person into believing it’s merely a quiet, comfortable family sedan that’s only suitable for tooling around town or relaxed highway cruising, but such thinking would totally waste countless hours of engineering development that went into the car’s very capable suspension. As you likely

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could have guessed both hybrid models utilize the same MacPherson strut front and four-link independent rear suspension setup as the regular Sonata, with coil springs, gas-charged dampers and stabilizer bars at both ends, the only difference between the two electrified cars being a slightly thicker front stabilizer bar for the PHEV version, likely upgraded to offset its 142 kilos (313 lbs) of added mass, the PHEV weighing in at 1,728 kg (3,810 lbs) compared to the regular hybrid’s 1,586 kg (3,497 lbs). That’s the base Sonata Hybrid’s weight, mind you, that hits the scales at 1,615 kg (3,560 lbs). The base hybrid gets 16-inch alloys to help coax it around corners whereas Limited and Ultimate versions, including the PHEV Ultimate, get 17s wrapped in 215/55R17 all-seasons, these providing a little more stick when pushed through serpentine stretches of tarmac.

As it is,

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all the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid features I’ve mentioned so far are standard and there are no options, making this top-line Hyundai a one-size-fits-all proposition that should make most takers very happy in the long run. For an asking price of $43,999 (which Hyundai’s online configurator immediately shaves $3,032 off of without even haggling), not to mention government PHEV/BEV rebates of up to $8,500 in Ontario, $8,000 in Quebec and $5,000 in BC, the Sonata PHEV comes standard with everything already mentioned plus HID headlights with auto high beams, LED DRLs, LED turn signals on the side mirror housings, LED taillights, proximity-sensing access with pushbutton ignition, etched aluminum doorsill plates, LED interior lighting, variable intermittent wipers with a de-icer, heatable powered side mirrors, an electromechanical parking brake with auto hold, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with an integrated HomeLink garage door opener and compass, a heatable leather-wrapped

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multifunction steering wheel, a leather-wrapped shift knob, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, a 4.2-inch colour TFT LCD multi-information display, rear parking sonar, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-inch touchscreen infotainment with all the features noted earlier, Bluetooth hands-free, satellite radio, leather upholstery, an eight-way powered driver’s seat with memory and six-way powered front passengers seat, heated and ventilated front seats plus heatable rear outboard seats, rear console air vents, blind spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and all the usual active and passive safety equipment including an extra airbag for the driver’s knees.

If you’ve

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never experienced the active safety features just noted, you’ll get visual and audible warnings when a car is traveling alongside you in an adjacent lane, especially helpful when it’s in your blind spot, while it will actually stop you from pulling into that lane if you unwittingly attempt to do so without checking first. Likewise if you approach the car in front too quickly or alternatively if that car slows faster than expected you’ll also receive visual and audible warnings that if not heeded result in the brakes automatically being applied. Yes, we’re already very close to the autonomous vehicles being promised in the near future, Hyundai having been a leader in this respect for quite some time. Important, the Sonata PHEV’s various active safety features were never overly sensitive, a problem I’ve experienced with other carmakers, these systems only reacting when absolutely necessary. The result of all

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this attention to detail is a Top Safety Pick + rating from the IIHS, whereas all Sonata models receive a five-star crash test rating from the NHTSA.

That’s a comforting thought, a bit of a “have your cake and eat it too” moment that only gets better when perusing the latest J.D. Power 2015 Initial Quality Study that shows Kia and Hyundai as the top two mainstream volume brands, whereas Hyundai just narrowly missed making the top-10 in Consumer Reports’ 2016 report card on reliability. They did manage to rate higher than Mini, Volkswagen, Ford, Scion, Chevrolet, Nissan, GMC, Dodge, Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Jeep, not to mention a host of premium brands that don’t compete directly (at least not until Hyundai’s new premium brand, Genesis, launches later this year).

I’m

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guessing Genesis won’t offer a regular or plug-in hybrid in its first year, but expect many of the technologies Hyundai has developed for its electrified models, such as auto start/stop that shuts the engine off while it would otherwise be idling and regenerative braking that captures kinetic energy from disc and caliper friction before rerouting it into the electrical system to reduce load on the engine’s alternator, to eventually make their way into that new luxury line of automobiles. Back in the here and now the new Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Ultimate delivers a seriously luxe cabin filled with premium materials, impressive build quality and top-tier technology, not to mention great style. It’s hard to believe I drove it like a getaway car half the time and still got about 2.0 L/100km, but such is life behind the wheel of Hyundai’s new PHEV. I can’t wait to try out the upcoming Ioniq.
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