2007 Hyundai Sonata Se Sedan 4-door 3.3l on 2040-cars

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2015 Hyundai Sonata configurator powers up

Eager to get your hands on a new Hyundai Sonata? We could hardly blame you. With more mature styling and better equipment for less than the model that preceded it, the new Sonata makes a compelling case, even in a market segment this competitive that includes such rivals as the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Chrysler 200, Volkswagen Passat and Kia Optima.
The first units are just arriving at dealers now, but if your local showroom doesn't have one for you to check out just yet, we've got good news for you as Hyundai has just launched the car's online configurator. The system lets you choose from four trim levels, nine exterior colors, a couple of equipment packages and an assortment of accessories to make your Sonata yours.
Pictured here is the top-of-the-line Sonata Sport 2.0T that starts at $29,385 (inclusive of delivery), but the base Sonata starts under $22k. Spec yours (or any new Hyundai, for that matter) in the online configurator linked here.

5 Hyundai and Kia models have higher-than-average fire insurance claim rates

DETROIT — Owners of five Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs file fire insurance claims at a rate far higher than the average for comparable vehicles, according to an insurance industry study. The Highway Loss Data Institute, which analyzes data from insurers representing about 85 percent of the U.S. industry, found that some Hyundai and Kia vehicles equipped with four-cylinder engines have double the noncrash fire claim rates than the average of comparable vehicles. Last week the South Korean brands announced they would recall about 168,000 vehicles to fix a fuel pipe problem that can cause fires. The problem stems from improper repairs during previous recalls for engine failures. They also announced additional sensor software for another 3.7 million vehicles. Hyundai and Kia started recalling 1.7 million vehicles in 2015 — about 618,000 of which are Kias — because manufacturing debris can restrict oil flow to connecting rod bearings. That can cause bearings in 2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines to wear and fail. The problem can also cause fires. The repair in many cases is an expensive engine block replacement. Results of the Arlington, Virginia-based institute's study have been turned over the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating engine failures and fires in Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The agency is mostly closed this week due to the partial government shutdown. Hyundai said Tuesday that the majority of its models in the study are already being recalled or are part of additional actions to keep customers safe. "Hyundai actively monitors and evaluates potential safety concerns, including non-collision fires, with all of its vehicles and acts swiftly to recall any vehicles with safety-related defects," spokesman Michael Stewart said. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company is cooperating with NHTSA "and will take any necessary corrective action in a timely manner." Many of the fires involve vehicles included the engine failure recall and could have been prevented if owners had the recall repairs done, he wrote. The institute began studying fire claims after the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA last year seeking a wider recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The center had found a higher-than-normal number of consumer complaints about Hyundai and Kia fires in the agency's database. NHTSA has used Highway Loss Data Institute studies in the past to help make recall decisions.

Hyundai Ioniq EV coming with 110-mile range in US

We've known for a while that the new Hyundai Ioniq line of vehicles will come in three variants: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric. As we get ready for more information on the trio at the New York Auto Show this week, we've learned that t he EV, which is slated to go on sale in South Korea in June and in the US towards the end of the year, will have a 28-kilowatt-hour battery pack that's similar to the Kia Soul EV. The Sould EV has a single-charge range of 93 miles, but the Ioniq EV will be able to go as far as 110 miles on one charge, In discussion with Hyundai's Kim Choong, Automotive News learned that despite earlier talk of a 155-mile range for the EV, the 110-mile figure is what the Ioniq will get on the US EPA test cycle, Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor confirmed in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen on Monday. The longer range figure is what the Ioniq EV will be rated at on the more lenient European cycle. Hyundai revealed its "three-pronged" plan for the Ioniq at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. We now know that the EV model will have paddle shifters so the driver can control the level of friction in the car's regenerative brake. Additionally, the EV, as with the hybrid and plug-in hybrid, will have an "eco-routing" navigation system that to make best use of either the range on the EV or the fuel economy on the hybrids. The Ioniq Hybrid debuted in South Korea in January. That variant has already received some attention because Hyundai's Lee Ki-Sang told Automotive News that the hybrid itself will have "standard" and "eco" variants, and that the "eco" version will have a combined fuel-economy rating of 56 miles per gallon, putting it well ahead of the Toyota Prius's fuel economy. That is, if these numbers are all on the same test cycle. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric: Geneva 2016 View 14 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Hyundai Electric Hybrid ioniq