2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

There’s a trend of intriguing sedans with hybrid drivetrains. The Sonata Hybrid certainly answers to that description, in common with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Yes, intriguing. A few years ago, an Accord or Camry would have represented run-of-the-mill personal transport. Along with this Sonata, they’re now outliers offering premium traits, while hybrid variants return fuel economy figures an SUV can only dream of. Hyundai brings extra presence by giving the Sonata remarkable designs inside and out.

The gasoline-only, non-hybrid Hyundai Sonata is reviewed separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize cars, including the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.

Following a mid-generation revamp last year, there are no big changes this time around.

Most people buying the Sonata Hybrid choose the top Limited trim, which is close to a luxury car in appointments, but better than a frugal subcompact hatchback in fuel economy terms.

Other midsize hybrid cars include the Honda Accord — whose higher trims are all hybrids and start just above the Sonata Hybrid. The hybrid-only Toyota Camry has a wider range of trim levels and begins a few thousand below its Hyundai rival.

Before buying a new Sonata midsize sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Resale values are a fraction below average. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

In many instances, hybrid versions of vehicles have more power than their combustion-only counterparts. The difference here is negligible — the Sonata Hybrid has a total of 192 horsepower, compared with the regular base engine’s 191 horses. Then again, the rival Honda Accord isn’t much better: 204 versus 192. The exclusively hybrid Toyota Camry takes the honors here with at least 225 horsepower.

The Sonata Hybrid’s output translates to a sufficient amount of muscle for most driving situations. This midsize sedan is about comfort and fuel economy, which is an approach we can get behind without a qualm. The only qualms we might have is that the drivetrain itself isn’t as refined as the one in the ultra-smooth Honda Accord Hybrid. And we’ve found that brake feel — often a tricky thing to get right because of the energy regeneration system — doesn’t seem quite as natural as the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry.

Fuel Economy

The Sonata Hybrid achieves 47 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which is in that same ballpark as the Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Camry when they have similar levels of equipment.

Is this a luxury car? It sure looks and feels that way to us. Especially with that dual-display setup of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and an infotainment touchscreen of the same size in the Limited trim. The Sonata Hybrid’s cabin shows that simple can still be classy.

Whenever we’ve driven the Sonata Hybrid, we’ve appreciated the comfortable front seats, easy driving position, the way the center armrest extends enough to support the driver’s elbow, and the decent outward vision. Rear legroom of 34.8 inches doesn’t compare so well to the Honda Accord’s 40.8, but it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. Trunk space is generous and competitive against the Accord — we also like the wide aperture that makes loading and unloading so easy.

Exterior design is yet another Sonata Hybrid strength, as illustrated by the Seamless Horizon Lamp that spans across the front end, then echoed by a bar of red on the tail. We like Hyundai’s design direction in general and we’re happy to come along for the ride in this Sonata Hybrid, which was revamped last year.

Driver assistance features
We’re always impressed by these whenever we drive a Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis. Things like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance work well and alleviate the grind of long freeway stretches.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Just because phone integration is more common in new cars than not doesn’t mean we’re blasé about it. We always appreciate having this technology at our fingertips.

Hands-free trunk opening
We’ve learned never to underestimate the value of handy features like this. It’s standard across the 2025 Sonata Hybrid lineup.

Proximity key with push-button start
This convenient keyless entry/start feature comes as standard.

Hyundai Digital Key
This standard feature enables access for multiple drivers, using a phone app or a key card.

Remote Smart Parking Assist
Only the top Limited trim has this, enabling the driver to nose the Sonata into or out of a parking space while standing outside and pressing buttons on the key fob. Not the most useful feature, perhaps, but we think it’s kind of fun.

A 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine works in combination with an electric motor to create an adequate 192 horsepower. This drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. There’s no option for all-wheel drive — if that’s a desirable aspect when choosing a new hybrid sedan, check out the Toyota Camry.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

There are no warranties in the mainstream milieu better than those offered by Hyundai. The new-car warranty is five years or 60,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain and hybrid battery are covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai also includes a 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan.

Safety Ratings

The Sonata (regardless of drivetrain) currently holds the second-highest accolade of Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also took the maximum 5-Star overall score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).