Hyundai has introduced three new engine options on the 2016 Sonata including the 1.7-litre diesel, 1.6-litre turbo petrol and a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid, taking the saloon’s total engine lineup to 7.
Hyundai first introduced the Sonata globally back in 1985 and the model has managed to learn, adapt and grow with the six generations that followed. Now, in its seventh generation, the primarily petrol driven premium sedan has been updated with a much awaited diesel engine in its home market South Korea for the 2016 model year. Furthermore, the 2016 Hyundai Sonata also gets an all-new turbocharged petrol engine added to the lineup, taking the total engine lineup to seven on the saloon.
The diesel engine was long due for the Hyundai Sonata as the petrol only model was losing out on sales to competition in several markets across Europe. For the 2016 model, diesel power comes from the a 1.7-litre four-cylinder U2 engine also found on the i40 sedan (not sold in India) and is tuned to produce 141 HP and 340 Nm of torque. Fuel economy ratings are decent on this engine that returns around 16.66 km/l (US driving cycle) when paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The other motor to make its debut on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata is the new 1.6-litre T-GDI petrol engine where the ‘T’ stands for turbocharged. This motor replaces the 2.4-litre GDI unit and has a lot of grunt making 180 HP and a healthy 264 Nm of torque. Fuel efficiency levels stand at 13.4 km/l. Hyundai says that this new engine was developed over a period of 52 months at a cost of 69.5 billion Korean Won (around Rs. 39.10 crores). The new turbo mill is also available with a 7-speed DCT unit.
In addition to the new diesel engine and turbo petrol engine options, Hyundai has further introduced a new Plug-in Hybrid version of the 2016 Sonata that is powered by a 2.0-litre GDI naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 156 HP and 189 Nm of torque, and is paired to an electric motor that is good for 68 PS and 205 Nm of torque. The plug-in hybrid comes with a fuel efficiency figure of 17.2 km/l and can travel up to 44 kms in pure electric mode.
