Used 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a generally impressive midsize sedan that happens to achieve exceptional fuel economy. No need to plug in. You just keep going to the gas station as usual — but less frequently — and enjoy a well-equipped and well-built car.

In addition, Hyundai provides great warranties. Five years/60,000 miles limited warranty, plus 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain. And the first three years of regular maintenance is free as well.

This generation of Sonata is the seventh, and it only debuted in 2020. Everything is still fresh, including the infotainment tech and several safety features that are more common in luxury cars than mainstream models.

The range of non-hybrid Hyundai Sonata sedans is reviewed separately.

There are many great qualities to the 2021 Sonata Hybrid — classy looks, fuel economy, safety, equipment, build quality — but driver engagement isn’t one of them. For commuting and general duties, it’s fine. The cabin is generally quite quiet. The car feels normal, with no idiosyncrasies like trying to get used to the feel of regenerative brakes. The ride quality could be smoother, though.

Few drivers will be tempted to attack a series of tight corners. The Sonata Hybrid isn’t meant to be one of those cars. The easy shifts of the 6-speed automatic transmission are pleasant enough, yet the transitions from just electric power to gasoline/electric propulsion are perhaps a little too noticeable.

Power levels in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid are more adequate than exhilarating. Again, suitable for around town, but not so punchy on uphill freeway stretches.

The Limited version’s Highway Driving Assistant helps keep the car in the center of the lane and a safe distance from any vehicle that might be in front. The driver’s hands must still be on the wheel, but this approach seems more like the Sonata’s style.

A remarkable aspect of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is its generous space for front occupants. It has more legroom and headroom than the Accord or the Camry.

The rear quarters aren’t quite as accommodating. A couple of average-sized adults will be comfortable back there, but they’d have significantly more legroom in the Honda Accord.

The front seats are comfortable enough for long trips like the 686 miles the Blue model can provide on a single tank. The dashboard and steering wheel do their best to look like they come from a luxury car. They’re pretty convincing. Naturally, the priciest Limited trim has the most upmarket vibe, with leather seating surfaces, 12.3-inch driver information cluster, a head-up display, ambient cabin lighting, and the larger infotainment touchscreen.

Trunk space measures 16 cubic feet. That’s spacious in reality and average for the class. The Accord has slightly more, the Camry slightly less. Crucially, it’s the same as the non-hybrid Hyundai Sonata and has 60/40 split/folding rear seats as well, so no practicality was lost because of being a hybrid.

Just as the interior aspires toward the luxury end of the automotive spectrum, so does the exterior. Audi in particular, it might be argued. Not such a bad idea, though.

The roof does that sloping thing down to the tail like the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. All these lines and shapes coalesce into a beneficial drag coefficient of 0.24, the same as the Toyota Prius.

The entry-level Blue trim runs on 16-inch alloy wheels, designed with optimum aerodynamics in mind. The two higher trims have 17-inch alloy wheels.

The top Limited trim’s solar roof panel is ingenious. As well as adding to the overall visual appeal, it converts sunlight into electricity, which is then stored in both the regular 12-volt car battery and the hybrid system’s lithium-ion polymer battery pack. However, it doesn’t result in any better fuel economy than the SEL version.

HYUNDAI DIGITAL KEY
With this feature, car keys are replaced by a smartphone. Sadly, it only works on devices running Android Auto and isn’t available on the lowest trim. For the moment, at least. But for those with the right stuff, just put the smartphone close to the car, and it will unlock. An owner could transmit this function to someone else’s phone (with the app), even if they were miles away. It feels like the future.

BLUE LINK
Another feature that has migrated from the luxury domain and is standard throughout the Sonata Hybrid lineup. Through a smartphone, it allows users to start the car remotely and set up the cabin temperature, lock/unlock, locate the vehicle and arrange maintenance appointments. Hyundai provides this service free for three years.

In Blue trim, the 2021 Sonata Hybrid comes with selectable driving modes, cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen, USB port, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, satellite radio (90-day subscription), and a 6-speaker audio setup.

Standard safety features include forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

Considering the Blue model (also available in other colors) achieves the lineup’s best fuel economy, and it comes so well equipped, many buyers could be happy enough to end their search here. But the other trims do have some tempting extras.

As far as actual options are concerned, there are things like paint choices, a self-dimming rearview mirror with compass, and a garage door opener. To obtain things like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated/power-adjustable front seats, wireless charging, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system, it means going up to the SEL trim.

Beyond this happy medium, Limited trim adds a solar roof panel, leather seating surfaces, heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, 12.3-inch digital driver information cluster, 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, and a few more safety features. These include the Highway Driving Assistant, rain-sensing wipers, and front/rear parking sensors.

A naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine running on regular gasoline provides the first part of the 2021 Sonata Hybrid’s propulsion setup. The other part is an electric motor running off a lithium-ion polymer battery pack.

The whole system drives the front wheels to the tune of 192 horsepower. That’s slightly less than rivals from Honda and Toyota.

We commend Hyundai on its deployment of a 6-speed automatic transmission, though. Hybrid vehicles often have a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which tends to drone and have a “rubber band” feel. This unit has fixed ratios and can still help the Sonata Hybrid deliver excellent fuel economy.

2.0-liter inline-4 engine
150 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
139 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
+
AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor
51 horsepower, 151 lb-ft of torque

Total system output: 192 horsepower
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 50/54 mpg (Blue), 45/51 mpg (SEL, Limited)