Lately it seems that manufacturers are putting a turbo on everything. It’s a great way to gain power, which America craves, with a small cost in fuel economy, also important to many Americans. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0T is one such car.
However, having a turbo doesn’t mean you get a high revving performance machine, especially when the engine is coupled with an automatic transmission.
The turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is good for 245 hp and 260 lb/ft of torque. It turns out respectable numbers, but in order to get into the power, you need to manually shift the 6-speed Shiftronic transmission via the paddle shifters.
The Sonata has three drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport. While in Normal mode and with the car shifting on its own, expect to be in third gear before you even cross the intersection. While cruising in town at 40 mph, the transmission had selected 5th gear, putting the rpms at 1,500.
In fact, it was difficult to get the car over 2,000 rpms, even while on the highway. I didn’t want to break too many speed limits, but even at 70 mph, the Sonata wants to cruise at 2,000 rpm.
If you need to pass, the transmission responds quickly and gives you the extra power, but it will drop down to 2,000 rpm as soon as possible.
Mostly likely Hyundai did this all in the name of fuel economy. EPA fuel ratings are 23/32/26, which are about average for this class.
The full horsepower doesn’t pop in until 6000 rpms, so you will need to put the car in manual mode for full fun. Kudos to Hyundai for including paddle shifters, so we can do just that.
Find out Almost Everything You Wanted to Know about the 2015 Hyundai Sonata here!
Emme is a driver, reviewer, rabble rouser, and Gazelle who can be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and either one of her blogs.