2019 Hyundai Sonata Se on 2040-cars

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Hyundai closes the books on fuel economy litigation

Hyundai-Kia ended up with a lot of kimchi on its face in 2012 when it admitted it had mistakenly exaggerated fuel economy estimates on several 2012 and 2013 model-year offerings like the Hyundai Accent, Veloster and Elantra and Kia Soul. Before the admission a lawsuit had been filed by an entity called Consumer Watchdog, afterward there were "approximately 53" lawsuits filed in federal court that were eventually consolidated into one case in a California Central District court.
The companies apologized profusely and gave customers prepaid gas cards that they could refill with funds for as long as they own their vehicle, as well as perks like free car washes and routine maintenance services. The company has just announced that it has reached a preliminary settlement of the case by adding another method of reimbursement, a lump sum payment that would free drivers from having to go back to the dealership to have their mileage verified for debit card refills.
Assuming the preliminary agreement is approved by the judge, customers could choose the lump sum or the cards. The settlement's value could be as much as $210 million, but the exact number depends on which program plaintiffs choose. On average, affected customers will receive $353. Approval could come in "early 2014," after which Hyundai will notify customers. You'll find more particulars on the potential settlement in the press release below.

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT starts at just over $20,000

The soon-to-be-released 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback finally has pricing, and it is quite competitive. It starts at $20,235 for the base model with a manual transmission, with the automatic adding an extra $1,000. That puts the base, manual Elantra GT at a few hundred dollars less than the Honda Civic hatchback and Ford Focus hatchback, and a couple thousand less than the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback. The base, manual Elantra GT also comes nicely equipped even in the base model. It features 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, heated side mirrors, a rearview camera, cross-traffic alert, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 161 horsepower, and it can be coupled to the standard six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. View 52 Photos The 2018 Elantra GT Sport starts at $23,250 with the six-speed manual, while an extra $900 nets a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The extra cost brings significantly more performance and features. Under its hood is the familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder good for 201 hp and 195 pound-feet of torque we already enjoyed in the Forte5 SX and Elantra Sport sedan, but for significantly less than the manual Forte5 SX we drove. The GT Sport also swaps the standard GT's torsion bar rear suspension for a coil-spring multi-link setup for improved handling. Braking improves, too, with larger discs behind 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the GT Sport gets leather upholstery, heated sport seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, blind-spot detection, and a proximity key with push-button start. The Elantra GT has a number of comfort and safety features available as options, though most of the latter are only available on the Sport. Lane-change assist, panoramic sunroof, and a seven-speaker sound system with subwoofer are available on both standard Elantra GT and GT Sport. Lane-keep assist, forward collision with automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control that can stop the car completely and restart. Hyundai previously announced that Elantra GTs would arrive at dealers this summer, so they should be on lots soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Hyundai Hatchback Economy Cars hyundai elantra gt hyundai i30

April Fools' Day brings Jeep Sedan, Hyundai N Roadster, Toyota Yaris pickup and more

There is one day out of the year when public relations professionals have permission to lie to journalists and to the public: April Fools' Day. Manufacturers release details about wild, weird and wacky new technology, concept vehicles and services. Some take it to obvious outlandish extremes (Jeep Sedan anybody?), while others plot to mislead with products that are just outside the realm of possibility. Check out all the "jokes" below. BMW Motorrad BMW doesn't want to exclude anybody from experiencing the thrill of high-level racing, so it is introducing 'iRace" autonomous programming on its S 1000 RR sport bike. It includes beginner, sportsman, advanced and unlimited driving modes, and stores GPS information for all Superbike world championship tracks. Hyundai Hyundai is wrong for this. The Hyundai N Roadster is the work of South Korean designer Yeonjoon Park and features a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, rear-wheel drive and a hard convertible top. Hyundai says this is a "concept (for now)," but we think it'd make a seriously great Mazda Miata competitor. Honda Honda wins the award for the best interactive gimmick, as its press release for the '90s-inspired special-edition Pastport includes a live hotline number with a message from Fred Savage. Call 1-833-PASTPORT for more information. Jeep Put the Jeep Cherokee face on the Chrysler 300's body, and voila! The 2019 Jeep Sedan is born. We can't decide if the name or the rendering is better. Land Rover Accessibility to charging ports is of major concern to anybody with a plug-in vehicle. So, with the recent launch of the Range Rover P400e and Range Rover Sport P400e, Land Rover is putting forth an effort to install more stations around the globe. First up is Scotland's Isle of Skye. Adventurers need juice too! Lexus Australia Lexus expands its Encore service to include doggos. The new service, called Enpaw, will take pups to luxury boarding kennels in style. Toyota U.S. Toyota created the Yaris Adventure pickup for "those who want to tell their friends they own a truck but never veer off pavement." It's part Mazda 2, part RAV4, 100 percent ute and it looks ... great? Creating a new segment might be all fun and games to Toyota, but Ford is reportedly considering a Focus-based ute in a similar, albeit larger, style. Toyota Australia Toyota is launching a new HiAce van, and it's already getting a limited-edition variant called the PieAce.