by Anthony Fongaro - photos via Hyundai - 10/28/2024
The term “style over substance” gets thrown around a lot. A vehicle can look great, but something is missing or not up to par. That phrase regarding the Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid has been passed around the automotive realm. Hyundai refreshed the Sonata for 2024, featuring futuristic looks, an updated interior, and increased safety tech. A lot is going on for the Sonata Hybrid, but rivals Toyota and Honda have excellent hybrid sedans that can blend style with fuel efficiency and performance. Is that something that the Sonata Hybrid can do as well, or does the cliche still hold?
At first glance, the biggest change to the updated Sonata Hybrid is the front end. It now dons a single LED lightbar, which rests above an oversized grille and adorning lights. This Sonata Hybrid came in Aero Silver paint and 17-inch Eco-spoke alloy wheels. There are lashings of silver trim throughout the exterior. An accent line flows from the front doors and splits near the fuel filler cap, leading into the taillights and rounding out the trunk. The rear is a little busy with a black surround over the taillights, Sonata spelled out in large font, pixilated lights, and a few fake vents. This limited version also came with a hands-free smart trunk that was auto-open. The looks might be polarizing, but the front looks much better than the rear.
Inside, this Sonata Hybrid Limited had a gray and black interior. In front of the driver is a large, thin, heated steering wheel with controls for the infotainment system and safety features. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster has a good amount of adjustability and functionality, displaying digital dials or a full digital display. Limited models come with a crisp head-up display and a 12.3-inch infotainment system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are available both wired and wirelessly. Also standard with the Limited model are a Bose sound system, panoramic roof, and rear window shades.
All seats are heated, with the front seats also utilizing ventilation. They’re comfortable and have a good amount of adjustability. Under the infotainment system are some shortcut buttons and the climate control area. While the temperature controls use a dial, the rest are behind a haptic screen. They’re not difficult to use, but the screen retains a lot of fingerprints. The front has a charging location with a wireless charger and a few USB-C slots. Hyundai now uses a column shifter that has a knob for the transmission. Its placement is a little odd and there were a few times I hit my right leg on it. There’s plenty of space throughout the cabin and trunk, but there are various places where cheap plastic cheapens the interior.
Under the hood is a 2.0-liter inline-four with an AC motor which combined creates 192 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. With front-wheel-drive and a six-speed automatic transmission, the Sonata Hybrid accelerates from 0-60 MPH in a slightly tepid 7.8 seconds. For reference, both Toyota and Honda’s sedans are at least one second to 60 MPH quicker. This isn’t the most refined hybrid powertrain. There are gaps in power delivery, and the Sonata Hybrid lacks the power of its competitors. Unless you’re giving the Sonata Hybrid full power, the engine isn’t too noisy, and it can cruise around on various motorways. Hyundai tried to balance out power and efficiency by using three drive modes: Eco, Sport, and Smart. I found Smart to be the best balance of the three and it helped it to achieve more than 40 MPG.
There are a myriad of safety features for the Sonata Hybrid Limited, including lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and rear-cross traffic alert. At the bottom of the rung, the SE starts at $27,800. Add another $10,000 or so, and this top-of-the-line Hybrid Limited came in at around $38,000. Since there are no packages, that price includes all of the technology and equipment that came with the Sonata Hybrid Limited. My pick would be the SEL Convenience at $32,000 and skip any of the hybrid trim levels. With that, you get a great-looking sedan with a lot of technology at a good price.
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