Hyundai Australia won’t chase popularity Toyota Camry hybrid with its own electric full-size sedan.
Talk to Car expert at the new product launch Tucson hybrid SUV, brand representative says Korean automaker won’t bring Sonata Hybrid into the local market, despite growing demand for electric vehicles in Australia.
“Our strategy for the Sonata remains the flagship N Line model – a model that has served us very well over the last few years,” said Guido Schenken, senior director of public relations at Hyundai Australia.
“And we’re certainly very proud to have a midsize sedan,” added product manager Sam Dabestani. “We think we have a very strong product in the Sonata, and our customers are certainly giving very positive feedback about their ownership experience.”
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Sonata Hybrid -
Currently on sale in its home market of South Korea as well as North America, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.
The petrol and electric motors alone have outputs of 111kW and 38kW respectively, which together produce a system output of 143kW. For reference, the Toyota Camry Hybrid offers a system output of 168kW.
Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission on the Sonata Hybrid, with fuel economy claimed in the Korean market as low as 19.4km/L – or 5.15L/100km.
The only version sold in Australia is the Sonata N Line, which has a 213kW/422Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, driving the front wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It seems Hyundai Australia is still content to be a niche player in the mid-size passenger car segment, based on comments from local representatives and the refusal to offer the Sonata Hybrid.
In the first half of 2024, there were 283 new Sonatas delivered in Australia, up 73.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
By comparison, the Toyota Camry – which has stopped taking orders as the Japanese giant struggles to meet demand – delivered 10,788 vehicles in the same time frame.
Big Hyundai also lags behind on all-electric vehicles BYD Sealof which 4,092 were delivered by 2024, placing the airline firmly in second place in the mid-range economy passenger segment rankings.
If we count both the popular and premium price segments in the mid-size car segment, Tesla Model 3 sales of 10,600 cars are second only to Toyota.
Prices for the sole Sonata N Line trim start at $55,000 before on-road costs.
Would you buy a Sonata Hybrid if it came to Australia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
