What is it?
2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo
What's special about it?
You know all that talk about a turbocharged inline-4 being able to combine four-cylinder efficiency and V6 power? Well, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo is set to deliver on that promise when it enters the midsize sedan segment starting this year.
At least that's what Hyundai claims. It says the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in the Hyundai Sonata will deliver 274 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque while returning up to 34 mpg. Not only that, it will produce these numbers using regular fuel and give the Sonata Turbo a power-to-weight ratio of 12.2 pounds/hp, a number that Hyundai notes is better than even that of a Chevrolet Camaro V6.
What's the secret? Two things: direct injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger. Direct injection is already used in several Hyundai products, and its precise fuel metering increases fuel-efficiency even as the cooler intake charge also makes possible a taller compression ratio for more power. In this case, the Sonata's turbocharged engine has a compression ratio of 9.5:1.
Meanwhile the Sonata Turbo's twin-scroll turbocharger contributes to the equation by making possible a broader range of turbocharged boost. As a result, effective boost pressure begins at lower rpm, the air-fuel mixture can be leaner for better fuel-efficiency without compromising engine response, and maximum boost pressure can be higher (17.4 psi in this case). You might recall that BMW is currently in the process of switching its turbocharged six-cylinder engines to a twin-scroll design. Who would have expected that Hyundai would be so close behind?
Hyundai also says its system is unique because the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger are combined into a unique integrated design that reduces cost and improves durability. Hyundai also notes that the turbocharger's wastegate features a controller driven by an electric motor for more accurate control of the boost pressure.
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata will come in SE and Limited trim levels only. Limited models will get special upgrades that include shift paddles on the steering wheel for the automatic transmission, a panorama sunroof, dual exhaust outlets and 18-inch wheels.
Inside Line says: If there's a flaw in Hyundai's strategy, we're having a hard time finding it.
Add A Comment »
mommyt says:
09:36 AM, 04/20/2010
PLEASE READ THIS WARNING ABOUT THE 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA!!
THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS!! We had purchased a 2011 Hyundai Sonata SE on March 20th. A week later, it had to be towed back to the dealer. Here is what happened...
I'm driving at a speed between 35-40 mph, when all of the sudden the steering wheel whips out of my hands and we are now in the oncoming lane! I struggle to bring it under control, using all of my strenght and weight to turn the wheel as it shakes and fights to stay to the left! This went on for the distance of around 6 car lenghts, then finally the power steering shut down. Once parked, I used my cell to video the wheel jerking to the left all by itself!
You see...the electric power steering pump is equipt with a safety feature which is to shut the power steering down as soon as there is a problem. It didn't! So...not only is the power steering pump faulty, but the safety feature did not recognize a problem.
If there had been oncoming traffic at that time, or if I had been on the highway or had been driving at a higher rate of speed, it would have been tragic! We were very lucky.
The next morning I asked the salesman if they had a chance to check out my car and find the problem, he said that they really didn't get to get a good look yet," but lets hope its something simple like a broken BOLT or something simple like that". I looked at him like he was nuts!
The dealership was very helpful as for not insisting that I keep this car, but not much help as for getting answers or warning their customers about this issue. Dealerships are limited to what they can say. Afterall, their job is to sell cars, not scare customers away right?
The Hyundai Corporation never even apologized to us. The salesmen did, but they are the salesmen, not the corporation. We didn't ask for anything, we didn't have a lawyer contact them, we just didn't want to be bound to their car. We wished none of this had happened.
The least they can do is warn the people who have already purchased this car, and have them bring it in just to make sure its alright. The service manager at the dealership told us that Hyundai will not do that. They said that recalls are through the government and this has to happen to 40 2011 hyundai sonatas before they do a recall! That means that 40 + people could die because they don't want to risk losing sales!!!
My family could have been killed by the 2011 hyundai sonata, and so could yours. I have panic attacks when I see the 2011 Sonata while I am driving. I am so afraid that their car will do what my car did and hit me head-on.
The dealer told us that this is a one time thing, but also said they never checked any others, so how can they know? Didn't Toyota feed their customers the same line of crap!?!
The following is what a family member told us. The family member is friends with an Employee at the dealership. The employee was unaware that we would be told this information. Here goes......
Hyundai sent two Korean guys to check out my car. They knew exactly what to look for. They went right to the problem. The cause....a faulty BOLT! The bolt snapped, causing the electric power steering pump and the safety feature to fail! The Korean guys red-tagged my car and then they went out to the sales lot and looked under the hoods of all 2011 sonatas there. They red-tagged 5 or 6 more! The employee said that "the owners of the car even have video of it.....someone at Hyundai is in some serious trouble." Without mentioning names, we tried to get someone at the dealership to confirm this. My husband asked one of the salesmen if a broken bolt could have caused this whole thing to happen. The salesman stated that there was a broken bolt, but he thinks that it broke when they were removing the electric power steering pump to be analyzed! When my husband asked the Service Manager the same question about a broken bolt, the manager said that there was no broken bolt at all. Hmmmm......
We believe that everything happens for a reason. We believe that God has spared us of harm or death so that we can warn others about this car. This is no joke. There is no dollar amount to take the place of an American lives!
Its a shame, she really is a beautiful car and great on gas, but not worth murder.
Thank you for your time. Be careful out there.
MOMMYT
lsobboh says:
04:16 PM, 04/19/2010
@n2guru: You say that the Camry is as fun to drive as a toaster? That sounds like what a lot of people say. I'm guilty of that myself. But I was just wondering and want to know one thing. How exactly do you measure a car's "fun to drive-ability"? Does it have to be fast in a straight line? Pick up speed from any part of the rev with decent power? Corner fast? Break well with no fade? Because based off numbers (which everyone tends to base cars off including me sometimes) the Camry does well in all of those categories, actually surpassing (some) of the comp which mags consider to be more "fun to drive". Is it the steering? Mags say that the steering in the Camry is a bit too light, but it IS precise... precise? Isn't that fun also? I really don't understand and I'm not trying to be a smart (better word) either :/ Is it all based on the "feel" of all these operations? Then again, what is "feel"? The car is doing it's function, isn't that enough feel? Or is it the effortlessness of driving the car hard?
I personally think that people should actually drive these cars before comparing them to toasters. Is it a M3? No. Are any of these cars M3's? No. Is it as exciting as a toaster? I beg to differ. As far as I'm concerned, ANY car can be fun to drive. And at the same time, any car can be a bore. I don't care how powerful a Mercedes is, as long as I'm driving it to work and back, it will NOT be "fun" to drive to me. Period. I personally think that as long as a car can pick up speed fast enough (with a decent engine note) and turn precisely enough it can be fun to drive for me. What's you're opinion on "fun to drive"?
n2guru says:
12:01 PM, 04/19/2010
I'd feel alot safer in a Hyundai than a Toyota. Everytime I see a Toyota behind me, I feel like I'm gonna be hit, so I try to move out of the way as much as possible. Hyundai has proven itself to be more reliable lately. Toyota is losing it's edge. And the Camry is as entertaining drive as a toaster. The Sonata is much more fun to drive, looks beautiful, and is a great value compared to the competition. I can't wait for the Optima to come out. I am considering this as my next car, since this engine will be offered in it.
lsobboh says:
08:32 PM, 04/18/2010
This car did so many thing right but left out one great factor. It's not that this car isn't good (it's great), but Hyundai did this with their previous generation Sonata. They came out with a good car almost two years before the competition. I wouldn't raise this Sonata so high so fast. The current Camry, Accord, and Altima are all 2006 models with minor or no upgrades. Judging by Toyota's interest in actually producing exciting cars now, I wouldn't give up on the Camry too soon. Accords are already good fun to drive cars (according to mags) and IMO only looses to the Sonata because of it's bloated looks. Many criticize the Accord's "confusing" dash, but to me, it's quite simple. Nissans have always tried to be the "fun" Japanese brand and I expect the Altima (which is sort of underrated and forgotten) to only get better than its current model. Lets not call this a segment leader yet. For now it is, but I'll wait two more years to see what Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and of course, Ford has to offer...
immortalized says:
04:06 PM, 04/17/2010
273 hp and FWD.... neh!
outsideline says:
01:14 PM, 04/13/2010
piredon says:
06:22 AM, 04/01/2010
"If I'm not mistaken, 137 hp/liter would be the 2nd highest specific output of any engine sold in this country, behind the Evo. Am I wrong?"
Yeap you're wrong. If you don't consider engine type, the Mazda RX8 is 1.3Liter Rotary engine churning 232 horses. That's 178 horses per liter!!! But due to fuel economy for rotary engine (a measely 16 city/22 highway) and the incredibly miniscule torque of 159 ft.lbs relative to its horsepower output, you really need to beat the hell out of this rotary at 8500 RPM to feel anything close to 232 horses. Who the heck drives at 8500 RPM all the time? I don't think anyone does.
So, this Sonata twin scroll turbo sounds like its powerband will be much more practical and readily available during normal driving condition. I would take his Hyundai over the RX8 anytime.
grega says:
07:38 AM, 04/09/2010
I believe 274 HP with 269 ft-lbs torque are near "best in class" for a 2.0 I4 DI Turbo motor and yes this is very impressive from Hyundai...
Did you notice many Ford execs were called away early from the NY Auto Show... I think when they saw all that Hyundai/Kia had announced (Turbo, Hybrid, Optima, Equus, etc...) that they needed to get back to work in a hurry and get their EcoBoost I4 upgraded to match what Hyundai is delivering. The EB I4 is only rated at 230HP and 240 torque so Ford needs to do more or they will come out way short in the market... isn't competition wonderful for the consumer!
alex38 says:
07:10 PM, 04/08/2010
@ supersam378
Re: "Hyundai's comin' in for the kill. Honda and Toyota better watch their backs."
At first glance, I thought you wrote "Toyota better watch their BRAKES" It's automatically programmed in now..
andrew20 says:
11:13 AM, 04/07/2010
Pending reviews by the pros, if I were in the market for a family sedan, the only thing that would prevent me from buying the 2.0T over the Accord V6 is the Hyundai brand -- and that's not Hyundai's mistake, it's my personal bias that I need to overcome.
norsairius says:
02:42 AM, 04/07/2010
if this car gets AWD, there will be very few reasons to not buy this car... and most of those few reasons would be down to subjective opinions.