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Hyundai finally settles inflated fuel economy claims lawsuit for $41.2 million

Remember when Hyundai and Kia changed their claimed fuel economy numbers for a bunch of models? That happened back in 2012, and Hyundai has finally settled a lawsuit concerning the economy adjustment with a payment of $41.2 million. The lawsuit was filed by 33 state attorneys general, as well as one from Washington D.C. Each state will decide how to use its money from the settlement. According to Hyundai, this settlement was an "amicable agreement," and the company also denies any wrongdoing in changing claimed fuel economy numbers. Hyundai also reports that the agreement was reached, in part, due to the reimbursement program instituted after the economy adjustment. This program allows owners to be reimbursed the extra fuel cost, with payments determined by miles driven. The payments are sent after an owner has an affected car's odometer checked by a dealer. In addition, Hyundai also offered lump-sum payments as an option after the results of a class-action lawsuit. So far, the company reports about 75 percent of eligible owners have participated in the program. This isn't the only major payment Hyundai has made concerning the fuel economy issue. In 2014, Hyundai paid roughly $300 million in fines to the EPA. The company was also sued for inflated fuel economy claims in South Korea. In the US, models affected by the adjustment include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Accent, Veloster, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson, Genesis and Azera, along with the Kia Soul, Rio, Sorento, Sportage and Optima. Related Video: Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Hyundai Kia

Hyundai mulling new small CUV under Tucson

Hyundai maintains it can barely build enough of its core models to satisfy North American consumers, but that doesn't mean it isn't keen to expand its offerings to capture developing segments of the market. According to Edmunds, one of those expanding niches could be the burgeoning subcompact crossover segment. The website quotes Hyundai North America president and CEO John Krafcik as acknowledging his company is "very under-represented" in crossovers, the market's hottest vehicle type.
With the discontinuation of the Veracruz, Hyundai is down to two CUV nameplates, Tucson (pictured) and Santa Fe, the latter of which covers two segments with a two-row Sport and long-wheelbase three-row model. And while Hyundai commands seven percent of the US sedan market, the company estimates it only has two percent of the truck segment.
And while Krafcik stops short of confirming a new model, he acknowledges "a new segment is emerging" underneath the Tucson and says, "I think it's something to look at." At the moment, the subcompact softroader segment remains small and somewhat amorphous, with tiny CUV offerings like the Buick Encore, Nissan Juke, and now-discontinued Suzuki SX4 illustrating that there are a lot of different ways to package and market such a vehicle.

Heads up: Hyundai mostly reveals the Kona crossover

Hyundai is set to reveal its new Kona crossover to take on other funky compacts like the Kia Soul, Nissan Juke, and Toyota C-HR. But before it fully reveals the car, the company has mostly revealed the car in the form of new images and a teaser trailer. The photos show us both three-quarter shots from the front and the back, and the car is surprisingly well-lit. These photos give us our best look yet at the mean-looking split headlights of the Kona, as well as its iteration of Hyundai's corporate grille and upper scoop. The aggressive front end is matched by bulging fenders, thick black fender flares, and a deep, sculpted character line running down the side of the car. It looks like the Kona will also have a trendy contrasting roof, too. The aggressive front and sides come to a somewhat underwhelming conclusion at the back. The rear hatch looks like fairly generic Hyundai. But it does appear to be bolstered by some chunky-looking rear reflectors that house the reverse lamps. Those reflectors also appear to be surrounded by the same black material the fender flares are made of. The rear bumper, which is one of the few things that isn't visible, will likely also look fairly tough and rugged. The teaser trailer shown below doesn't reveal quite as much of the Kona, but it does highlight a feature of which Hyundai is rather proud: the heads-up display. It's the first heads-up display used on a Hyundai product, and it uses a pop-up panel onto which information is displayed. It works pretty much like the displays used by Mazda and Mini. So it isn't anything particularly remarkable, but the availability of a heads-up display is always nice, and the color projection does look attractive. Look for more details and the full reveal of the Kona later this summer.