Byron talks about the 2020 Sonata Hybrid's most stand-out feature: its solar panel roof.
TranscriptBYRON HURD: Hey, folks. Associate editor Byron Hurd here with another hit for you. We are looking at the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. This is based on the brand new Sonata, which came out last year.
The hybrid for this go around actually replaces two separate models that existed with the previous generation Sonata. There was a regular hybrid, like this one, and a plug-in. Hyundai ditched the plug-in for this round. Frankly, gas is cheap. Plug-in hybrids are expensive. The math just doesn't really work.
So to make things a little different this time around, first of all, you've got this car that the styling is very love it or hate it. I think it looks good. I'm not as in love with it as I have been with previous Sonata designs. Frankly, I thought the conservative design of the previous generation was a home run. But I'm in the minority on that one, which I acknowledge.
So Hyundai had to kind of make things a little different this time, see what they could do that would be unique, especially in the absence of a plug-in. So an option they decided to go for is the solar panel roof, which is kind of a gimmick, we'll admit. This is good for 700 miles of range regeneration a year. That's in ideal conditions, probably not parking it in a garage in cloudy Michigan.
So I apologize to you guys for the state of the vehicle exterior. We haven't really had the most cooperative weather in Michigan this week. It was actually snowing on me while I took this out for our drive loop.
But as you can see, the solar panel roof extends the full length of the top of the car. It doesn't stop until you hit the glass in the rear. You can kind of see the same here. Again, I apologize for the light, and there are some downsides to this.
For starters, if you opt for this, which is something you get only on the higher end trims, you lose out on one of the higher end features that a lot of people prefer. And that's a sunroof or a moon roof. Not everybody wants one. I mean, they can cause head clearance issues for taller drivers, but it's something to consider when you're looking at a car like this that it's going to cost probably around $35,000.
It's pretty unusual to see something like that doesn't have an optional moon roof or sunroof at minimum. So it's a neat feature. But for a little bit of perspective for you, if this roof contributes 700 miles of range a year under, again, ideal circumstances and a tank of fuel in this car will get you more than 600 miles, that means that this roof is effectively good for one tank of gas a year, if everything goes perfectly.
Do the math on that. The roof isn't free. We don't actually have pricing on this yet. But if I had to throw it out there, I'm sure it's going to be a baked in cost of at least $1,500, maybe $2,000.
Over the course of your ownership period with a vehicle like this, and let's be honest. Most of these will probably at leased. You're getting one tank of fuel a year, if everything goes perfectly. Does that seem worth it?
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