2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Pricing Revealed With Solar Roof

Hyundai has priced up its newest gas-electric car, with the 2020 Sonata Hybrid promising 52 mpg and an innovative solar roof to top up the battery using the sun's power alone. The new midsize sedan is set to roll into US dealerships in June, Hyundai says, with fuel economy expected to hit 54 mpg on the highway.

In the city, meanwhile, that's expected to be 50 mpg, for a total of 52 mpg combined. With a full battery and a full tank of gas, Hyundai says that 2020 Sonata Hybrid drivers can expect to drive up to 686 miles before they need to stop.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature on the new Sonata Hybrid is its Solar Roof System option. As the name suggests, that's a solar panel integrated into the glass roof of the car, which can be used to top up the battery using the sun's energy. It works whether or not the car is turned on, too.

Exactly how much power you'll get out of it will depend on how strong the sun is, of course. Even in ideal conditions, it's worth being realistic about just how much charge you'll actually get. Hyundai says you can expect "a couple of miles" of extra driving range after six hours of charging, for example.

Over the course of a year that adds up to around 700 miles of range added, depending on location, the automaker suggests. Not particularly huge in terms of impact on driving, no, but since the roof's 205 watt solar panels can charge up both the 12-volt and hybrid batteries, it can also offset the infotainment and HVAC systems when the Sonata Hybrid is off.

There'll be three versions of the new Sonata Hybrid: Blue, SEL, and Limited. All three use a 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine with 150 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque, combined with a 29 kW electric motor for a total of 192 horsepower. Hyundai uses a 6-speed automatic transmission, and has moved the battery so that it has 2.5 cubic feet more trunk capacity compared to the 2019 Sonata Hybrid.

Pricing for the 2020 Sonata Hybrid Blue kicks off at $27,750 (plus $975 destination) and it comes as standard with forward collision-avoidance and blind spot collision-avoidance assistance, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance, lane following assistance, and lane keeping assistance. Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist system is optional. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard.

The 2020 Sonata Hybrid Blue begins at $29,900, and its extra kit will see the fuel economy figures dip a little. Hyundai is expecting 45 mpg in the city, 51 mpg on the highway, and 47 mpg combined.

Finally, the 2020 Sonata Hybrid Limited starts at $35,300. It gets the Solar Roof System and can be equipped with Hyundai Digital Key, which turns your Android smartphone into an NFC key. Other available features include Qi smartphone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen to go with the 12.3-inch cluster display.

Hyundai also offers dual Bluetooth support, so that two devices can be connected simultaneously: that way one phone can be active for calls, for example, while the other is playing music. A Bose audio system is available too.