2015 Hyundai Sonata Eco
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A surprise addition to the all new Sonata.
This new Eco model is powered by a smaller 1.6 Liter Turbo with a new 7 speed automatic.
It still has 177hp, and gets 28/38MPG. Sounds pretty good.
Until you compare it with the regular 2.4 Liter engine.
Which makes around 195hp. But still gets 25/37MPG.
It gets even worse when you compare prices. The new Eco is about $2100 more than the regular model!
Really?
It is one thing for VW or Audi to charge about $2500 for for their Diesel models that get over 50MPG HWY in real live driving. (And about 33 in the city)
But I cannot imagine people paying over $2000 more for a car that gets 3MPG more in the city. (And just 1 more on the highway).
This feels like what GM was trying to pull a few years ago with their “Mild Hybrid” system (also called Eco) Same story there, where expensive technology was used to gain about 3MPG. No one bought it.
Not sure what’s going on here with Hyundai. It would make sense if the 1.6 Turbo was the base engine, replacing the 2.4 Liter.
Otherwise it’s a scam.
What you are missing is this new 1.6 Turbo provides 195 pound-feet of torque throughout an amazingly wide RPM range between 1200 and 4000. Have you seen this kind of figures from any cars you know?
Vince – what's the good word from your sources on a Sonata Hybrid? If they can get these #'s from a 1.6lt – imagine once the strap on a battery pack and electric motor?
Vince, the 2015 Sonata 2.5 was dropped to 185hp. So this 1.6 has 8 less hp, but more torque. Also, Hyundai added equipment to it so it is more like the base car with the option package
It's got the same equipment as the 2015 Sonata SE with the Popular Equipment Package. So it's really only about $800 more than that model. assuming 15k miles per year for 5 years, this Eco saves you 241 gallons, or about $965, so its a slight net positive on the money side.
People searching for an Eco Model probably don't care about the Torque figure. What they do care about is spending $2125 over a base model which only gets 1 mpg Better mileage on the highway. Sounds a little silly if you ask me.
Highway mileage is overrated, IMO. I can't even remember the last time I was on one. I might be wrong but I bet the average person does less than one percent of their driving on an actual highway.
A 3 mpg bump in city driving is not too bad. Of course, in this case I don't think there will be that many takers, but I'm betting Hyundai is well aware of that.
GM's mild hybrids were a terrible joke, but GM gets most everything wrong and has the commitment (and forward thinking) of a ping-pong ball. (I can only imagine where they'll be when Mary "The Visonless Puppet" Barra and Mark "The Coattail/Doesn't Appear to Know His Ass From a Whole in The Ground" Reuss and the latest batch of brown-nosers is done with them.)
@ Anonymous @June 20, 2014 at 8:12 AM
People searching for a car like this Eco Model NEVER care about horsepower at the near maximum rpm. They ONLY care about the USABLE power in the mid rpm range and I think the Eco model delivers EXACTLY that.
Scam? Really? Are you suggesting that Hyundai is a CRIMINAL Organization that gets all its Capitol illegally? Because that's what a SCAM is.
Scam? Really? Are you suggesting that Hyundai is a CRIMINAL Organization that gets all its Capitol illegally? Because that's what a SCAM is.
The hybrid model would be coming early 2015 (source Automotive News).
I'm scratching my head on this Sonata Eco model from Hyundai. Combined 33 MPG. A normally aspirated Mazda 6 combined City/Highway is 30 MPG and it cost less than a Sonata.
Hyundai is trying to move upmarket but this model makes absolutely no sense as it doesn't exceed the competition in areas of MPG, horsepower nor is it a game changer.
More marketing vapor from this company!
^Mazdas are bottom of the barrel quality-wise. I would take a Hyundai any day. (I can't believe I just said that.)