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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.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe spotted with rumors of a V8 underhood

Our spy shooters have captured a Hyundai Genesis Coupe mule testing in Sweden. This is merely the current body cut-and-pasted to fit new internals, so don't be disappointed by its looks; we're looking forward to inspiration from the HCD-9 and perhaps grand touring inclinations on the production car whenever it appears. The photographers said they noticed the hood's been modified, perhaps to clear the 5.0-liter V8 from the Genesis sedan. That engine would be part of the plan to push further upscale said to be planned for the Genesis Coupe, along with the fender arch cutouts on this mule that push the wheels to the corners for a longer wheelbase that will make more room for passengers. Rumor has been that the next car will do a much better job of swallowing four adults. The company's HTRAC all-wheel drive is expected to be an option, Hyundai having said five years ago that the feature is being engineered into the Genesis family platform. A reveal probably won't come until sometime in 2016.

Hyundai Sonata PHEV will go 27 miles on electric power

The Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid will have an all-electric range of 27 miles. That will make it the second-highest among US plug-in hybrids, after the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is technically an extended-range plug-in, according to Chevy, but we feel fine comparing the two here. Either way, the Hyundai beats out the 19-mile all-electric range of Ford's two plug-in hybrids and the paltry 11 miles of the Prius Plug In. The good news is that the Sonata's numbers are a bit better than previously expected. The plug-in hybrid was forecast to be able to go 24 miles on electricity alone. The Sonata PHEV also delivers 202 but, though, as well all know, range drops precipitously if you're shooting to use all of them horses at once. The seventh-generation Sonata body style is also sleeker and delivers better aerodynamics. No word on how much the PHEV will cost yet, but it will go on sale in the US this fall. And while the Sonata PHEV will technically available for Hyundai dealers to stock in all 50 states, if you live outside of California or the nine states that follow its zero-emissions vehicles rules, you will need to special order the vehicle. Based on the US Department of Energy's Fueleconomy.gov site, the Sonata PHEV's miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating of 99 beats out that of the Ford Fusion Energi and C-Max PHEVs but trails the Chevrolet Volt's. Again, the Sonata came in with better numbers than we previously thought, as it was expected to have a 93 MPGe rating. You can read our First Drive of the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive View 20 Photos News Source: US Department of Energy via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco/AOL Green Hyundai Hybrid PHEV mpge ev range hyundai sonata plug-in hybrid sonata plug-in hybrid