If you want to own a new plug-in hybrid Hyundai Sonata, you need to hurry and buy the outgoing model because the all-new replacement will reportedly not come with a plug. The previous generation Sonata debuted in 2016 and was refreshed in 2018 and now it’s being phased out by the all new 2020 Sonata.
The latter is only available as a conventional hybrid, though, and according to AutoBlog, Hyundai has no plans to add a plug-in variant to the Sonata range. It explains the reason behind the decision is, as you can imagine, unsatisfactory sales numbers – less than 200,000 examples sold in 2016 and under 100,000 sold last year.
And while sales of Sonata PHEVs have been declining, Hyundai has been enjoying excellent results with its other plug-in cars. It, for instance, couldn’t keep up with demand for the Kona, so it started making it in Europe, as well. The Kona is also available as a PHEV and a hybrid, and Hyundai also sells the Ioniq with the same powertrain choices.
Part of the decision to discontinue the Sonata plug-in hybrid must also have stemmed from the fact that it provided competition for the company’s other (quite successful) plug-in electrified models. This is a bit of a shame, though, because the new Sonata is quite a striking looking sedan, and we’re sure some people would have definitely bought a PHEV version of it (and they may buy a plug-in sedan from another manufacturer, if they don’t want a hatchback or crossover).
Source: AutoBlog