OREANDA-NEWS. January 15, 2016. Hitting the ground running in 2016, Hyundai announced today that its 2016 Sonata Hybrid Limited was named a winner in Good Housekeeping/Car and Driver’s inaugural 2016 Best New Car Awards. Receiving praise for its outstanding fuel economy and refined powertrain, the vehicle received the award in the “eco” category, besting competitors like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

“The Sonata Hybrid not only offers buyers great value at the pump, it’s also packed with technology and convenience features like integrated Android Auto, blind spot detection, lane-departure and forward collision warnings,” said Jane Francisco, Editor in Chief, Good Housekeeping. “The Sonata had the best gas mileage, delivering an incredibly quiet and relaxing ride in our tests.”

Good Housekeeping worked with Car and Driver, the leading authority on all things automotive, to screen a preliminary list of 160 vehicles down to 40 vehicles. Good Housekeeping’s engineers rigorously assessed the vehicles’ criteria on performance, infotainment systems, usability, storage, family friendliness and intuitive design, among other attributes.

“Most hybrids in the mid-size segment lack a sense of connection between the car and the driver,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, product and corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The Sonata Hybrid was designed and engineered to offer fuel efficiency, without sacrificing the joys of driving. Receiving this award from both top men’s and women’s publications shows the car’s unmatched ability to exceed the needs of customers from different lifestyles.”

The Sonata Hybrid was redesigned from the ground-up for 2016. Using Hyundai’s 2.0-liter “Nu” GDI four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and a more-powerful 38kW electric motor, the car delivers the same responsive, engaging driving characteristics as the standard Sonata, with a more than 10 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the 2015 hybrid model. The vehicle offers standout safety and convenience features like hands-free trunk, blind-spot detection, lane-departure warning, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, and offers an incredible value proposition, starting at just \\$26,000.

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Founded in 1885, Good Housekeeping magazine reaches nearly 24 million readers each month, plus another 10+ million online at goodhousekeeping.com. The Good Housekeeping Institute, a state-of-the-art consumer product testing facility launched in 1900 and staffed by engineers and scientists who evaluate thousands of products each year in its six labs, is key to the unrivaled trust that readers and consumers have in the Good Housekeeping brand and the Good Housekeeping Seal. The Seal, introduced in 1909, and the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, created in 2009, are among the most recognized consumer icons and are backed by a limited warranty that provides a replacement or refund for up to \\$2,000 if a product proves defective within two years of purchase. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Good Housekeeping publishes 10 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst, one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies. With 21 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the leading publisher of monthly magazines in terms of total paid circulation (AAM 2H 2014), reaching 78 million readers (Spring 2015 MRI gfk) and 54 million site visitors each month (comScore).Follow Good Housekeeping on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and on the Inside the Institute blog. Follow Jane Francisco on Twitter and Pinterest.