It's official - the first Korean hybrid vehicle to arrive in the United States will be the 2010 Hyundai Sonata. John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice-president of product development, recently told reporters that the midsize sedan would be offered in hybrid form. The Sonata Hybrid will be Hyundai's second hybrid offering; an Accent Hybrid model will be offered to select customers in Korea in 2009.
According to Krafcik, the Sonata Hybrid will launch as a 2010 model, use lithium-ion battery packs, and will not be a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Hyundai expects to show a prototype of the vehicle in November - possibly even at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show.
During a media event in Ann Arbor, John Krafcik, the VP for product development at Hyundai Motor America, revealed some interesting plans about they have coming to this market as well as something that isn't. Hyundai's first hybrid destined for this market will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show as a mid-sized sedan. The new Sonata hybrid will appear first at LA but won't go on sale until 2010 as a 2011 model. The Sonata will use an in-house developed strong parallel hybrid system with a lithium ion battery.
Krafcik also revealed some news about Genesis variants unlikely to see the light of day. He said the company has "no plans" to build a rear drive hybrid system for its new luxury sedan. He also indicated that while the company is looking at installing its 3.0L diesel V6 in the Genesis, it is unlikely to happen. The combination of the high cost of after-treatment systems to meet U.S. emissions standards and high diesel fuel prices make it a tough business case.
Hyundai’s decision to enter the hybrid market comes after a record-high spike in gas prices. Noboby knows where fuel prices will be in two years, when the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid goes on sale, but the Sonata Hybrid could match the fuel economy ratings of the most efficient family sedans on the market—for thousands of dollars below the competition. Pricing and many other specs are not yet available. While the standard Sonata is built in Alabama, the production site for the upcoming hybrid is also unknown.
Posts