At the heart of it is a new direct-injected 2.0L “Nu” four cylinder engine, good for 154 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 50 kW electric motor (the regular hybrid gets a less powerful 38 kW electric motor). Combined output maxes out at 202 hp at 6,000 rpm in the Sonata PHEV, nine more than the plain-Jane Hybrid. The new lithium-polymer battery claims higher energy density, more thermal stability and durability than class-typical lithium-ion battery packs; what’s certain is that they are smaller and more expensive to manufacture than Li-ion. This state-of-the-EV-art energy source packs 9.8 kWh in the Sonata PHEV, giving the car a class-leading 43 km all-electric range without taking up most of the trunk. The battery can be fully replenished in three hours on a 240V charging station, or in nine hours on a domestic plug with the included adaptor. Unique to this category, the Sonata PHEV can be manually placed in HEV mode to activate the gas engine and recharge the battery on the go (left to its own devices, the car will feed from the battery until depleted before reverting to classic hybrid mode). The six-speed automatic transmission is back, incorporating the aforementioned electric propulsion motor. Refinement and shift quality of this box has been improved thanks to the addition of an electric hydraulic pump and liquid cooling. In the interest of science, I can attest the Sonata PHEV will sustain 125 km/h on the highway in full EV mode; in the interest of my driver’s licence, I don’t actually know how fast it’ll go on electrons alone. The interaction of all these systems feels very refined, which bodes well for the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq.

While a basic Sonata Hybrid is priced at $29,649, the PHEV Ultimate tops out the model range at $43,999. For an apple-to-apple comparison, the plug-in hardware adds $6,500 to the price of a Sonata Hybrid Ultimate. The only option available is the special “3D Blue” inlay that replaces the wood-grain trim and it comes at no cost. The PHEV is a special-order car in Canada; dealers can keep some in inventory, but they are not mandated to do so by Hyundai. With seven available paint colours and three for the leather, chances are you won’t see two identical ones at the local charging facility. In Ontario, the Sonata PHEV is eligible to a $8,460 provincial government rebate, while it’s $4,000 in Quebec and $2,500 in British Columbia. All government rebates apply to the total sales price after taxes, no surprise there. At the time of this writing, Hyundai also offers a “purchase adjustment” rebate of $3,032.

Business-class pampering

Opening the door reveals an interior ready for the Gangnam lifestyle, the South Korea–built PHEV being only offered in Limited trim with the Ultimate package standard (“Ultimate” is the official trim designation in Hyundai’s literature, but badges on the car say “Limited”). The Graphite Blue tester featured an ivory leather interior (“beige”, officially) with contrasting dark grey dashboard and upper door panels, punctuated by dark-hued electrochemical wood and brushed metal appliqués. A design decision that’s as brilliant as it is elegant: contact surfaces such as the console top, lower doors panels and carpeting are all rendered in dark grey, keeping the light materials where they will age well (Germans, please take note).

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