2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Hyundai Ioniq hybrid and EV sales begin this month

South Korean automaker Hyundai will start selling its Ioniq hybrid and electric-vehicle variants at some US dealerships by the end of the month. While reports have surfaced saying the Ioniqs may be available as soon as this week, Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor confirmed to Autoblog that the Ioniq EV and hybrid would arrive at dealers towards the end of February. California will be the primary EV target from launch, naturally. Hyundai got some good news in late December when the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated the Ioniq Hybrid's combined fuel efficiency at 55 miles per gallon, or three mpg ahead of the standard 2017 Toyota Prius hatchback. Less rosy is the Ioniq EV's single-charge range, which falls well short of the magic 200-mile number reached by Chevrolet's recently-debuted Bolt, checking in at 124 miles. Still, the Ioniq EV trumps the Chevrolet Bolt in terms of miles-per-gallon-equivalent (i.e. electricity used per mile), getting a 136-mpge combined rating versus the Bolt's 119. The Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid (or the "Blue") gets 58 mpg combined and can go as far as 31 miles on electricity alone. That variant may see the light of day as soon as September. The automaker first showed off versions of the four-door sedan at last year's New York Auto Show. Hyundai, which currently sells a hybrid version of the Sonata, is planning to have as many as 14 electrified-powertrain vehicles by 2020. Green-car watchers are hoping the Ioniq EV and hybrids won't be low-volume affairs and will add to the momentum already generated this year by the introduction of the Bolt as well as higher demand for models such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid. Last month, total US green-car sales were up about 27 percent from a year earlier, while plug-in sales surged 74 percent. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Hyundai Ioniq: New York 2016 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips Green Hyundai AutoblogGreen Exclusive Hatchback Electric Hybrid hyundai ioniq hyundai ioniq electric hyundai ioniq plug-in

Hyundai Santa Cruze pickup is a when, not an if

A production version Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz concept looks all but certain to arrive in showrooms to compete in the growing small truck field, and Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski claims the official announcement is now just a matter of scheduling. "Our timing is not crossing our fingers and waiting for approval, it's trying to figure out when we're going to announce it," he said to Motoring. According to Zuchowski, the people at Hyundai's headquarters in South Korea have a say when the announcement comes, but he didn't indicate exactly how soon the model's production could be official. Zuchowski suggested Hyundai intended to ship the truck to places outside the US, too. "I'm not clear on the other markets, but from our perspective it's a vehicle that will be exported to other markets," he said to Motoring. The Santa Cruz was one of the most popular concept debuts at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, and Hyundai execs in the US quickly started working to get a green light for production from headquarters. As of late December 2015, the automaker reportedly had the engineering feasibility and business case complete for the truck, and the bosses just needed to give final approval. Hyundai would reportedly use the Tucson for the Santa Cruz's underpinnings, and the model might be the company's first with a diesel engine in the US. The production version would enter a booming market for smaller pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and newly unveiled second-generation Honda Ridgeline. However, Hyundai's entry would likely be the smallest among them and target young crossover customers who want a little more hauling capability. Related Video:

An inside look at Rhys Millen's new Pikes Peak Unlimited racer [w/video]

Wider, Lower And Decidedly More Sinister
Rhys Millen was sitting on a cooler whittling away at a piece of aluminum when I first arrived at the expansive skidpad at the California Proving Grounds, owned by Hyundai, located in a desolate part of the California desert about a dozen miles east of Mojave. By the time I had walked over to the accomplished driver for introductions, he had picked up a piece of sandpaper and begun to arduously file away at the alloy's rough edges, smoothing them masterfully.
He was focused on the job, but I politely interrupted him and asked what he was making. Ryhs looked up, smiled, and then grabbed a few zip-ties and asked me to come over to the new Hyundai RMR PM580-T, destined for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in just two short weeks, raised on its air jacks just a few yards away.