2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited Alloy Wheels Automatic on 2040-cars

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Facelifted Hyundai ix35/Tucson shows up

It looks as though Hyundai has readied a facelifted version of its ix35 crossover (known as the Tucson here in the U-S-of-A) for the Geneva Motor Show next week. While we haven't been able to get the Korean automaker to cough up the official details - or more than one image - reports indicate that the new Euro CUV will get revisions to the engine lineup, technology offerings and more.
The Hyundai's sheetmetal has been nipped and tucked from the looks of the photo, with bolder, bi-xenon headlamps and LED running lights the most obvious alterations. Inside we're told to keep an eye out for improved materials and a new, larger TFT infortainment control screen.
Expect clearer intel about both the ix35 and the home-market Tucson no later than next week, and most likely a bit earlier.

Hyundai expanding Tucson fuel cell deliveries to NorCal soon

The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell hasn't exactly sold a bazillion copies, but that's all according to plan. Hyundai – like Toyota and Honda with their hydrogen vehicles – it keeping deliveries under control because there just aren't that many H2 refueling centers. Right now, all of these hydrogen vehicles are tooling around the LA area. At the Washington Auto Show this week, Hyundai announced that it would soon start deliveries in Northern California as well. There was no date set for the San Francisco-Bay Area hydrogen cars to arrive, but Hyundai's Mike O'Brien said that because, "We will sell them where there's fuel." Stations are supposed to begin opening in NorCal in the next few weeks. The next area that Hyundai suspects to launch the Tucson Fuel Cell is in the Northeast, which is the plan that other automakers have as well. The Tucson Fuel Cell leases for $499 a month, and includes free hydrogen fuel. There are currently around a dozen stations open in California. O'Brien said that 53 stations have been given fund guarantees by the state of California, but 23 have not yet broken ground. The biggest hurdle, he said, is regulatory – getting all of the different government agencies to work together to approve construction. Hyundai wants governments to get cracking on installing more hydrogen stations because it has plans to sell a second hydrogen vehicle at some point in the world by 2020. Up next on the green car front – we'll see it in Chicago early next month, in fact – is the Ioniq, which will be available with a pure EV, a PHEV and a standard hybrid. Whether the Ioniq will get a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain at some point has not been announced or even hinted at, but we would not be surprised if it does.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.