2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan

The Sonata is sold across a number of variants, of which the hybrid comes in only three variants - Blue, SEL, and Limited. The same trims can be had without the electrified powertrain at $1k to $2k less, and there is a powerful 2.5L turbocharged engine available in the newly introduced N-Line variant, which is unfortunately not available in hybrid guise. It is noteworthy that the Blue Hybrid variant of the Sonata is more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient as compared to the other two. 

Which trim should you buy?

As far as value for money guides you, the SEL Hybrid variant is the one to go with. It offers most premium necessities including leather seats, a power-adjustable driver seat, and a premium audio system from Bose. The Limited trim certainly brings top-notch features into play but is significantly more expensive than the SEL Hybrid. The surround-view monitor is evidence of the Limited Hybrid trim offering some semblance of the luxury car feels through its features.

The hybrid engines in this segment allow for immensely high fuel economy. The electric motor in the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid helps it pull 47 miles per gallon in the city, and 51 out on the highway, leading to a combined mpg figure of 49. To make things even better for the environment, the Blue Hybrid trim of the 2021 Sonata Hybrid can achieve 50 mpg in the city, and 54 mpg combining city and highway use. 

Despite the excellent efficiency figures, the Sonata Hybrid can’t beat the frugality of the 2021 Toyota Camry and its 2.5L hybrid engine. It achieves 52 mpg combined, and has a fuel tank the same size as the Sonata Hybrid, ensuring the Toyota offers the longest range on a full tank. The Ford Fusion Hybrid isn’t all that efficient when compared to its immediate competition but makes up for it with a 14.0-gallon fuel tank. 

The interior of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is very characteristic of Hyundai. Brimming with technology and a fluidic design, the touchscreen features seamless integration into the dashboard, with an equally neat layout under it. The cabin is only complimented by the high-resolution digital information display with different animations for different driving modes. The modern gear selector isn’t to our liking but goes with the rest of the cabin to provide a fuss-free layout that might take some getting used to. 

As far as interior dimensions go, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid offers class-leading interior space, with considerably more legroom on offer for the front seating row at 46.1”. The front headroom is also best-in-segment, although the rear seats take the brunt of offering so much space in the front. 

The legroom in the second row of seating within the Hyundai is poor as compared to rivals. As for cargo capacity, the Honda Accord Hybrid offers the most, but the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid comes quite close. Despite leaving the battery out of the trunk, the Camry offers the least cargo capacity. Standout interior features of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid include:

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated seats
• Leather seats 
• Leatherette dashboard upholstery

How intuitive is the infotainment in the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?

Hyundai has a knack for providing advanced technology in its vehicles, and in today's day and age, their quality has only gotten better. The infotainment software in the 2021 Sonata Hybrid is super refined as a delight to use. Sweet-looking screens handle most of the infotainment duties, as the 8” touchscreen and digital information cluster come together for a very high-res experience. Highlights of the infotainment system include:

• Optional 10.25” touchscreen
• Premium 12-speaker Bose audio system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support
• Bluelink Connected Car System

The new look of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata is very radical. Fortunately for some and unfortunately so for others, the hybrid looks the same as the non-hybrid variant and incorporates a few fancy bits of technology into the design that we could be seeing more of from Hyundai very soon. The chrome strip on the headlight that doubles as an LED headlight are one such feature that makes the funky-looking sedan very interesting. Other than that, some may see the revolutionary design as slightly tacky, owing to the overdone styling with the rims.

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is the longest sedan but by a small margin, while the sloping roofline reduces the height. Offering 5.3” of ground clearance, it should make it over most potholes, but would be even better at going around them altogether. Even the wheelbase lengths across the segment are very similar, but the Sonata still offers less legroom at the back relative to its rivals. Standout exterior features of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid:

• Full LED headlights
• LED taillights
• Side-mirror-mounted LED turn-signal indicators
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Solar roof (glass)

Having made the Hyundai SmartSense suite of driver assistance technology standards in their lineup for 2021, Hyundai has significantly improved upon the safety standards in their vehicle. Even without the collision avoidance tech, the NHTSA gives the Sonata Hybrid a 5-star overall safety rating, with the sedan receiving 4-stars for front collision ratings only. Taking the driver assistance tech into consideration, the IIHS awards the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid with the ‘Top Safety Pick’ title, as it is one of the safest vehicles in its segment. Notable safety features in the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid include:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection (FCA-Ped)
• Lane Following Assist(LFA)
• Highway Drive Assist (HDA)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist(RCCA)
• High Beam Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go
• Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)

2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid 

The Honda Accord Hybrid does an excellent job at combining performance and efficiency into one body, offering accessible speeds and good acceleration while maintaining good MPG figures. Moreover, the Accord’s practicality is unmatched due to Honda’s simple but effective approach towards designing vehicles. Although it isn’t as efficient as the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, the Accord Hybrid offers better performance and driving dynamics, not to mention more cargo room

2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs 2020 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford Fusion was not a vehicle that deserved such a fate. Despite its shortcomings on paper, the Fusion was a fun-to-drive hybrid of excellent pedigree. Nevertheless, not getting an update into 2021 has immediately put it behind the competition, and discontinued production means there won’t be any upgrades to sweeten the deal, ever. 

2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs 2021 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry went from being the most joked about sedans to participating in NASCAR races. The newly aerodynamic Camry offers basic driving thrills in sport mode but looks much more aggressive than it actually is. There is plenty of potential in the 2021 Toyota Camry, but not much can be tapped with the refined hybrid powertrain.

Reasons to buy the Sonata Hybrid would include the plethora of features, refinement and sophistication in technology, and most importantly the impressive efficiency figures. Despite the hybrid engine clearly prioritizing fuel economy, the 2021 Sonata Hybrid is capable of usable performance and a very relaxed driving experience. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t blame you if you can’t get over the obnoxious styling.