HOT NEW 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA
Channel: Auto Today
Date: 2016-12-31

HOT NEW 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA. Hyundai dialed back the pizazz of the latest Sonata when it redesigned the family sedan for 2015. It’s a better all-around car and impresses with a spacious back seat and generous trunk capacity. It’s more mature-looking now, too, even if it lacks the sculpted lines of the last-generation Sonata and that car’s gusto under acceleration. We’ve previously tested the base 2.4-liter model, the top-spec 2.0T turbo, and the efficiency-focused Eco trim—as well as the updated 2016 Sonata hybrid—with the Eco being the most impressive of the conventional trio, offering both the quickest acceleration and the best fuel economy outside of the hybrid.

However, technical issues may have hobbled the performance of our previous 2.0T test car; additionally, there were notable chassis refinements that all nonhybrid Sonatas received this year, so we decided to take another look at the most powerful model in the lineup. Unfortunately, the updates didn’t deliver at the test track.

Quicker Yet Slower

A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder developing 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque powers 2.0T models like our Sport test car and is mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. While that’s down from the 274 ponies and 269 lb-ft of the previous-generation Sonata’s 2.0-liter, the new version is a more tractable unit, thanks to revised tuning for greater low- and mid-range punch. Our car weighed 3491 pounds, nearly 200 pounds more than the 2015 Sonata Eco with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four that produces 178 horsepower and 195 lb-ft.

The 2016 2.0T model’s 7.2-second run to 60 mph and quarter-mile pass of 15.5 seconds at 92 mph reveals that our 2015 test car, as we suspected, was not up to snuff, requiring 8.0 and 16.3 seconds to hit the same marks. The Eco, however, remains the fleetest Sonata with a 6.7-second dash to 60 and a quarter-mile time of 15.3 at 92 mph. Evidenced by the identical trap speeds for the two models, the more powerful 2.0T’s weakness is primarily in its launch performance. The Hyundai’s six-speed automatic limits the engine’s torque output if you build up any revs while holding the car against the brake, which combined with some initial lag from the turbo makes for relatively tepid takeoffs for 245 horsepower. The 2.0T’s performance also places the most powerful Sonata toward the rear of the pack versus competitors with optional V-6 or turbocharged four-cylinder engines.

The Sonata 2.0T feels more capable on the open road, where the turbo’s surge of boost around 2500 rpm makes for easy passing maneuvers whenever the driver stabs the throttle. Overall refinement is adequate for a family sedan, but we wish the power delivery were more linear—the 2.0T occasionally lunges forward under partial throttle as the torque arrives in one big surge. Calling up the more relaxed Eco driving mode softens the throttle response and the transmission programming for a smoother gait. In contrast, the Sport setting can feel overly aggressive, holding gears too long and making the throttle hair-trigger sensitive. Our test car carried EPA city/highway ratings of 23/32 mpg; we averaged 23 mpg, which is comparable to the real-world figures we’ve recorded for other family sedans. The entry-level Sonata 2.4-liter, however, returned a 27-mpg average and the Eco achieved 30 mpg with us.

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