2012 Hyundai Sonata adds Blue Link, gets fuel economy bump

is taking a shot at General Motors and OnStar by announcing that every 2012 Sonata will come with the company's Blue Link system as standard equipment. In addition to providing a direct connection to emergency services in the event of an accident, Blue Link also delivers traffic and weather updates and allows owners easy access to roadside assistance. Buyers can also pair their smartphones with Blue Link to help locate their vehicle in a crowded parking lot or to play Big Brother to their children. The system can keep track of where the vehicle is being driven and how fast it's going.

Hyundai has also managed to eek a little more efficiency from the sedan. The base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is now good for 24 miles per gallon – a gain of 2 mpg – in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, and models equipped with the company's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now net 22 mpg and 34 mpg highway, up from 33 mpg highway in last year's car. The Korean automaker says that the small changes mean that the Sonata now leads all mid-sized sedans in fuel economy, excluding hybrids. Hit the jump for the press blast.
REVOLUTIONARY SONATA ADDS HYUNDAI BLUE LINK SYSTEM FOR 2012

Advanced-Technology Midsize Sedan Features Hyundai Blue Link and Up to 40 MPG

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 05/18/2011

HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2012 SONATA

Standard Blue Link - safety, service and infotainment telematics system

Sonata GDI now leads the entire midsize car segment (non-hybrid) in all fuel economy figures – city, highway and combined

With a choice of the original 2.4-liter GDI I4 engine, 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine or 40 mpg Hybrid, Sonata offers a wide variety of fuel-efficient powertrains

Three-piece panoramic sunroof now standard on Sonata Limited

New seven-inch touch-screen navigation with HD Radio Technology

Rear backup camera available on SE with Sunroof and Navigation Package

Our customers have spoken – asking for a safety, service and infotainment system inside their vehicle – and Hyundai has responded by making Blue Link a standard feature on the 2012 Sonata. Blue Link® from Hyundai keeps track of almost everything for the Sonata owner. It provides up-to-the-minute traffic and weather information and is a lifeline to emergency services and roadside assistance. Synched to a smart phone, Blue Link will let the owner know where their Sonata is in a crowded baseball stadium parking lot or shopping center. It will keep an eye on young drivers by letting mom or dad know where they are and how fast they're driving. Blue Link can run diagnostics, provide maintenance alerts, check fuel efficiency and even find gas stations with the best prices. With over 30 features, it turns every Hyundai Sonata into the smartest Hyundai's ever built.


The award winning Sonata continues to be a huge hit thanks to Fluidic Sculpture design, advanced technology and an all-four cylinder engine lineup. Those four cylinder engines have been recalibrated for 2012 and are now even more fuel efficient delivering even better best-in-class fuel economy. In fact, the 2012 Sonata GDI leads the entire midsize segment (non hybrid) in city (24 mpg), highway (35 mpg) and combined (28 mpg) fuel economy, while the Sonata 2.0T now achieves 34 mpg highway up from 33 mpg on the 2011 model year.

Engine Fuel Economy (mpg)

Theta II GDI 2.4-liter

From 22 to 24 city
From 35 to 35 highway
From 26 to 28 combined

Theta II GDI 2.0-liter turbocharged

From 22 to 22 city
From 33 to 34 highway
From 26 to 26 combined

Sonata enters the 2012 model year with even more safety, technology and convenience offerings including Blue Link, HD Radio Technology and new seven-inch touch-screen navigation. Add it all up and there's a reason why Sonata is one of the most shopped cars in the U.S.

By autoblog.com