The Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid arrived for 2017. It competes with the Ford Fusion Energi and Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. Like the rest of the Sonata lineup, it received a facelift in 2018, with revised front and rear ends along with a tweaked interior. For 2019, the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid carries over.

The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid aims to look as conventional as possible. It stands out from other Sonata models thanks to clear taillight lenses, aerodynamic wheels, and the lack of an exposed exhaust tip. The car’s 9.9 cubic feet of trunk space is smaller than the Sonata Hybrid’s 13.4 cubic feet and the non-hybrid Sonata’s 16.3. The rear seats are also fixed, unlike those in other Sonata models.

The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid employs a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, a 9.8-kilowatt-hour battery, and a 50-kilowatt electric motor to make 202 net horsepower. A standard 6-speed automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels. However, the car’s main talking point is its fuel economy and range, which consists of 99 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) in hybrid mode and 39 mpg in gasoline-only mode. It’ll also do as many as 28 miles using just the battery. Those numbers are comparable to the Fusion Energi, but considerably below those of the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. Recharging the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid with its 3.3 kW SAE J1772 charger takes 8.7 hours from a standard 110-volt outlet, but that decreases to just 2.7 with a 220-volt socket. Like most hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the car utilizes regenerative braking to recapture friction as battery energy.

The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid’s simple lineup includes the same Base and Limited trims as last year. The Base grade combines 17-inch “Eco-Spoke” wheels, LED taillights, LED daytime running lights, a hands-free smart trunk, cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear USB charging, satellite radio, and a 7-inch color touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Limited trim, meanwhile, comes with adaptive LED headlights, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, leather upholstery, a 6-way power passenger’s seat, an 8-inch color touchscreen, navigation, Infinity premium audio, and wireless phone charging.

Hyundai gives the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid a set of standard and optional safety items, including a reversing camera and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic monitoring. The other safety features come with the Limited grade and include lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam assist. The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid hasn't been crash-tested. However, the conventional Sonata earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 2019.

The 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid offers efficiency and comfort for shoppers.