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Hyundai And Kia To Pay US $100M For Overstating MPG

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay the U.S. government a $100 million penalty to end a two-year investigation into overstated gas mileage claims on about one-third of their models. The government says the civil penalty is the largest for a Clean Air Act violation in U.S. history. The discrepancy was discovered after the EPA got complaints about lower-than-advertised mileage on Hyundai's Elantra compact. Audits discovered overstated mileage on the Elantra and other models from 2011 into 2013. Hyundai says it made honest mistakes in interpreting complex EPA mileage test requirements. Neither company admitted liability and both maintain they complied with the law. Generally mileage was overstated by one or two miles per gallon on 13 vehicles. But one vehicle's highway mileage was 6 mpg higher than the EPA tested. Auto News Hyundai Kia mpg

GM out, Hyundai in as NFL audibles auto sponsorship

Hyundai has officially replaced General Motors as the primary automotive sponsor of the National Football League, a position the American giant has occupied since 2001. Although the financial details of the deal weren't published, Automotive News reports that GM spent at least $25 million per year as part of its sponsorship deal, although after all was said and done, it worked out to more than $150 million per year. The move is a coup for Hyundai, which now gains the rights to NFL trademarks for use in its advertising. As part of the four-year agreement, the company also has advertising access to big off-season events, like the NFL draft and scouting combine, and will provide support vehicles during events like the Super Bowl. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's president and CEO, said in the attached statement. "We can't wait to show the NFL's 188 million fans the great design, advanced technologies, dynamic performance and numerous safety features within the Hyundai lineup." "We are pleased to welcome Hyundai to our family of sponsors," Renie Anderson, the NFL's senior VP of sponsorship, said. "We appreciate Hyundai's enthusiasm as we work together to reach our fans with innovative programs during our season and with our major calendar events throughout the year." Scroll down for the official press release from Hyundai and the NFL, and keep an eye open for the automaker during the NFL Kickoff festivities this September. Related Video: HYUNDAI GOING PRO: ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP Four-Year Deal Allows Hyundai to Tap into the Passionate Fan Base of the Most Popular Sport in the U.S. FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., and NEW YORK, June 29, 2015 – Hyundai Motor loves sports and has a long history of celebrating fan passion across the globe. In its latest sports marketing venture, Hyundai is now an official automotive sponsor of the National Football League. The NFL has the largest and most avid fan base among U.S. sports, and Hyundai will soon connect this passion with the enthusiasm Hyundai owners have for their vehicles. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Is it time for the car-based trucks to return?

Back in 1957 Ford began producing the Ranchero. In 1959 the El Camino made its debut. In time, other manufacturers would execute their own version of the "Car Truck" anomaly. Dodge, Subaru, and Volkswagen would all join in the category before eventually ceasing production for the United States. Although production ran longer overseas, including Australia, where the "utes" were very well received, in the United States the last ute offering, the Subaru Baja, would cease production in 2006. The manufacturer offerings were very diverse. Powerplants ranged from 4 to 8 cylinders. The number of driving wheels were also diverse. Some were 2 wheel drive, others 4 wheel drive. Even more differentiation could be found in how the manufacturers decided to pursue the utility portion of their vehicle by providing either a unibody architecture for improved mileage, or a solid chassis for extra load bearing capacity and better towing ratings. Here's a brief (not comprehensive) production history of ute history in the United States... Chevy El Camino/ GMC Caballero: 1959-1960 then 1964-987 Dodge Rampage/ Plymouth Scamp: 1982-1984 Ford Ranchero: 1957-1979 Subaru Brat: 1978-1987 Subaru Baja: 2003-2006 Volkswagen Rabbit Sportruck: 1978-1984 That brings us to 2017. Trucks are huge sellers for manufacturers. However, miles per gallon ratings are huge concerns for those same manufacturers. So, automakers are looking to increase the efficiencies of their products to make them more palatable to the increasingly green conscience buying public. Enter a ute revival. A reborn unibody ute would meet that need as it would have the mileage numbers more closely tied to a car than a truck. It seems that I'm not the only one thinking this way. Hyundai has identified the emptiness of this car truck niche, looked at its own portfolio, and recognized the lack of pickup trucks. Fixing that emptiness is one of their concerns. So, they have viewed the active traditional pickup market, while also watching the unibody Ridgeline sales over in the Honda camp and determined that the niche needs to be filled with their own twist. They are rumored to have green lighted the 2019 Hyundai Santa Cruz for sales beginning in 2018. Hyundai's twist however, is that their vehicle would be based on a crossover chassis, possibly the Tucson. Remember, this is a rumor. So, it could change to a red light from the manufacturer or just as easily change to a Genesis chassis overnight.