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Hyundai refreshes the Sonata for South Korea, and later the US

Thanks to its debut in South Korea, we have an early look at the revised Hyundai Sonata that will eventually reach the US with minor adjustments. And that's not just speculation. We reached out to Jim Trainor at Hyundai, who told us, "Much of what you have seen from Korea will be seen here, but there will be differences both on the exterior and the interior along with some mechanical and option differences." That said, we don't expect major changes to this Korean model. So without further ado, let's take a look. Up front is a thoroughly revised fascia. The most noticeable change is the grille, which descends much lower in the front bumper, much like those on the Elantra sedan and Elantra GT hatchback. The top edge of the grille appears lower, and that brings the whole nose of the car lower. The hood also has a few more creases running longitudinally. The exterior varies a bit between models, with the standard model getting a grille with slats and the 2.0T getting a mesh grille. The 2.0T also gets black headlight bezels and dark chrome all around. Though Hyundai didn't provide photos of the interior, the company says it has been changed, and some of the buttons will have a more premium feel. The 2.0T also gets a few exclusive interior bits to complement its unique exterior. The seats have more bolstering, and the standard steering wheel is replaced with a flat-bottomed piece. There are some functional updates to the new Sonata as well. Most notable is the introduction of an 8-speed automatic on the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder model. In the US, the turbo Sonata is only available with a 6-speed automatic. Hyundai also touts the introduction of wireless phone charging and lane-keep assist. The big differences between this and the US version likely involve visual tweaks and the packaging of some options. There's also the question of whether the 8-speed automatic will be available, but it would be odd if it weren't offered. The Korean model goes on sale later this year, and Trainor told us the North American debut is coming soon. Related Video:

How a Texas Hyundai dealer became the Chevy SSR king

The SSR isn't one of the most appreciated vehicles in Chevy's long history. With a style amalgamating the look of a vintage hotrod, convertible and a pickup, it's really serving a niche market right from the start. However, a Hyundai dealer in Texas has turned selling the cult models into a booming business and has become the de facto king of the quirky truck. According to Automotive News, Paul Peebles runs North Freeway Hyundai in Spring, TX, but he's better known in the Chevy SSR community the premiere seller of the weird model through his used car network. The odd venture started in 2010 when Peebles wanted to boost his pre-owned business and bought several sporty vehicles. Among them were five SSRs, and he threw a cookout for owners to get the word out. Things just ballooned from there. Since then, Peebles' used car dealer has had a hand in 447 SSR transactions, and some of those are the same truck coming back to sell again. With just over 24,000 of them out there, that works about to two percent of the model's production moving through just one business. The dealership also sponsors an SSR owners' forum online. Being a major broker for a niche model also means that Peebles often gets rare examples of the SSR, including some of the Indianapolis 500 pace car versions, according to Automotive News. We even saw a bizarre one last year when the business put this shark-inspired truck on eBay Motors. The whole thing also works out well for Peebles' Hyundai business. Specializing in SSRs brings other performance models in as trade-ins, and they can draw folks to the lot to check out the collection. Then, maybe visitors can take a look at a Sonata, too.

2014 Hyundai Tucson gets DI engines, styling tweaks, priced from $21,450*

Despite being overhauled for the 2010 model year, not much attention has been paid to the Hyundai Tucson crossover in recent times. But when its overseas twin, the ix35, received modest updates at this year's Geneva Motor Show, we knew it'd only be a matter of time before the US-spec model was blessed with similar tweaks. So, without further ado, meet the ever-so-slightly enhanced 2014 Tucson.
The most significant mid-cycle change is found under the Tucson's hood, where two new direct-injected four-cylinder powerplants are found. On the base end, there's a brand new 2.0-liter "Nu" inline-four, good for 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. These numbers represent a loss of one measly horsepower, but five more foot-pounds of torque. Nothing significant here, and fuel economy is only slightly better - 23/29 miles per gallon city/highway versus the 22/29 rating of the 2013 model. Uplevel Tucson models use a revamped 2.4-liter engine, also featuring direct injection, which produces 182 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque - gains of six hp and nine lb-ft, respectively. That said, fuel economy for the front-wheel-drive, automatic transmission model has actually suffered some - 2013's rating of 21/30/25 mpg (city/highway/combined) has fallen slightly to 21/28/24. Both front- and all-wheel drive are available on all trim levels.
As far as visual enhancements go, the 2014 Tucson now uses projector-beam halogen headlamps up front and LED taillamps out back, and redesigned 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels are fitted, depending on trim level. Inside, two new cabin colors are available - beige and brown - the navigation system has been enhanced with a choice of two touchscreen interfaces, and there are now two-stage reclining rear seats.