Nobody asked me but . . .

Hyundai has been selling cars in the US since 1986.  And after a bit of a sputtering start, the last decade has seen years of steady growth for Hyundai in this market.  Starting at a mere 0.6 percent market share in 1998, Hyundai reached 3.0 percent penetration in 2008 and in 2009, a year in which world-wide recession and plummeting auto sales affected virtually every auto maker in this market, Hyundai sales rocketed to a 4.2 percent share of market.

So what has Hyundai been doing right?  Seems like just about everything: Quality products competitively priced.  J.D. Power quality and North American Car of the Year Awards.  Attention grabbing warranty programs.  A job-loss vehicle return program.  Depreciation lower than Toyota and Ford.  High-tech powertrains.  Industry-leading fuel economy.  More standard features than the competition.  Leadership in active and passive safety technologies.  Oh, and did I mention styling?  Say hello to the eye-stopping 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

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Nobody asked me but . . .

Hard to believe but Ford’s midsize competitor to the likes of the Camry, Accord, Malibu, Altima and Sonata has been around since the 2006 model year.  It first appeared in these pages in 2007, November 27^th to be precise, in the guise of two 2008 SE models, one with a 4-cylinder and the other with a V6.

Spool ahead to 2010 and we’re got a substantially updated Fusion, one with revised front and rear styling, an even nicer interior and new powertrain offerings including the hybrid model reviewed here.

Ford’s continued evolution of its hybrid technology results in a hybrid system that  transitions between gasoline and electric power and back more efficiently and seamlessly.  The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and its Mercury Milan counterpart to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph (I saw 43 mph) in pure electric mode, approximately twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.  EPA ratings for the Ford Fusion Hybrid are 41-mpg city and 36-mpg highway, better than its Camry, Altima and Malibu hybrid counterparts. (more…)