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Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

Goes Both Ways: Free-trade pact sees South Korean brands losing share at home

France has been vocal, but not alone, in noting the rise of the South Korean automakers in Europe. The signing of a free-trade pact in 2011 between South Korea and the EU, along with the especially value-conscious buyers in a crisis-stricken Europe, has seen market share increases measuring in the double digits for Hyundai and Kia - analysts expect 14-percent growth for the two in 2012.
A report in Bloomberg has found that there's pain at the other end, too: The pact more than halved import tariffs on European cars headed to South Korea to 3.2 percent, and prices are now close enough to domestic offerings for more South Koreans to pay the premium for foreign luxury nameplates and the cachet they confer. Products sold by the five domestic automakers hogged 92 percent of the market last year, and sales have dropped 5.2 percent this year whereas import sales have risen by 24 percent. This will mark the first year that imports claimed ten percent of the market; compare that to 2002, when domestic market share in the world's 11th largest auto market was 99 percent.
The Germans are at the head of the arrow, counting for 65 percent of imported car sales, but every foreign maker has seen double-digit gains. Analysts think foreign makes could ultimately grab 15 percent of the market.

Hyundai Virtual Guide is an owner's manual for your phone

The owner's manual for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is more than 700 pages. In fact, owner's manuals in general are so unwieldy – both by weight and actual use – that the problem you're having must be greater than the hassle of dealing with the instruction guide. Hyundai wants to make that easier with its Virtual Guide, an augmented reality app for smartphones and tablets that puts answer to the most common points of confusion at your fingertips. Once you open the app you start by choosing your exact vehicle trim. There are 16 different trim and package options for the Sonata, all of them have been scanned so that the app can show your specific car and features. After that there are several options that allow different means of getting the info you need. Point your phone's or tablet's camera at the engine bay, the app will overlay the locations of items like the air cooler, battery, and dispstick. Press any of the boxes in the display and the app will take you step-by-step through the process of attending to each system. There's another AR overlay for the interior. One neat feature that isn't AR is a picture of the gauge cluster and all of its Christmas tree lights. Press any one of them and the app will explain what the light means and what to do when it appears. Another portion of the app is pictures of every angle of the car with highlightable areas that provide more info on things like seat operation and what's in the trunk. Audi has an augemented reality app called eKurzinfo in the UK for three of its models, but it appears that Hyundai is the first mainstream maker in the US to provide such technology. Virtual Guide is available for the Sonata now at the Apple App Store and Google Play. Other models will join the Guide as Hyundai gets more of its models scanned. The videos and the press release below have more information. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. HYUNDAI VIRTUAL GUIDE INTRODUCES AUGMENTED REALITY TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL - First Mainstream Automaker to Launch 2D/3D Owner's Manual for Smartphones and Tablet Computers - Hyundai Virtual Guide Provides Convenient, Simple Ways to Become Familiar with Full Vehicle Capabilities LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2015 – Later this year, Hyundai will be the first mainstream automaker to launch an augmented reality owner's manual app.