2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Base on 2040-cars

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2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo caught uncovered at video shoot

Here's the fully revealed Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and it appears to be moving pretty quickly based on the blur in the photos. That's understandable because our spy photographer got these shots during a video shoot of the Hyundai's latest hatchback in which it was probably being driven aggressively for good footage. Despite the blur, we can tell quite a bit from the images. First off, we know it's a Turbo model because of its large, round, center exhaust tips. We can also see that the Veloster is hopping on the contrast roof bandwagon, but at least to this editor's eye, the design seems well-suited to the paint scheme. The roof line itself also looks as though it drops down more drastically than the previous model. The rear window is notably wider than the old model, and the slimmer, wider taillights are flush with the glass. We're focusing more on the tail since we already got a good look at the front of the Veloster when Hyundai released official images of the car in snazzy multi-colored camouflage. The car's frown does look more pronounced in a single color, though. It seems the Turbo version also gets a small additional intake inlet in the bottom of the front bumper compared with the normal version. We expect to see the fully uncovered car in person at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. It will likely appear alongside the less-powerful version. There's also an N version in the works, but it's possible Hyundai won't reveal that until later in the year. Related Video:

Hyundai N Performance division working on 'exotic' halo model like the RM16

This is the year of Hyundai N Performance. After three official launches, the division's leadership has made imprecise noises about a halo car since this summer. Brand boss Albert Biermann said, "Right now, we don't need a halo car in N. We have to get in a routine with N cars, and not just hit a peak." Around the same time, VP Thomas Schmera said, "Rest assured we are coming up with something," that something being a halo car. Reports expected either a two-seat coupe or a four-door sedan like the Kia Stinger. In a recent interview with AutoRAI, Schmera narrowed the focus, saying, "Think of the Hyundai RM16 and you have a bit of an idea of what is possible." The RM16 is the third iteration of the mid-engined Veloster RM first showed at the Busan Motor Show in 2014. In 2015 the RM15 debuted at the same motor show, followed in 2016 by the RM16. By then, the performance specs listed a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 296 horsepower, an electric compressor and electronic differential, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. The bodywork, draped on an aluminum spaceframe, channeled the spirits of other outrageous mid-engined hatchbacks like the Renault 5 Turbo, Renault Clio V6 Renault Sport, and Lancia Delta S4. Four months after showing the RM16, Hyundai took a running prototype to the Nurburgring (pictured). Earlier this year we heard tale of a new Theta III engine suited for front- and rear-wheel drive, and mid-engined applications. With the ability to be tuned to 350 hp, this led to suspicion that there could be a mid-engined Hyundai sports car on the way. The evidence is circumstantial, but now we have Schmera telling us to consider a long-lived mid-engined concept as the potential template for a future N Performance halo car. The idea of Hyundai rolling out a mid-engined coupe sounds crazy. It sounds doubly crazy when Biermann has said of the i30 N, "This is a halo car that can make [the company] money, so what better halo can we get?" Hyundai knows its math better than we do, but we don't see how the carmaker makes money in a segment ruled by the Porsche 718 twins under $100K, and by a number of storied brands above that figure.

Did a US automaker blow the whistle on Hyundai, Kia fuel economy issue?

In all of the most hotly contested mainstream segments of the motoring universe, the difference of one mile per gallon averaged on a widow sticker can mean the difference between a sale and a walk-off - to say nothing of two or three mpg. So, when Hyundai and Kia were forced to reveal that many of their 40-mpg ratings were actually 38s and 37s, well, it made for big news.
It also, conceivably, made for a competitive disadvantage immediately, when the Korean automakers' products were being shopped versus the guys down the block. And it's that disadvantage that makes a recent story from Automotive News so juicy.
AN is reporting that Margo Oge, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, got a tip in 2010 that Hyundai/Kia were "cheating" to get its impressive fuel economy numbers. The tip, said Oge (who retired from the EPA this past September), came from a senior vice president from a domestic automaker. The source was credible enough for Oge to launch an audit of the Hyundai figures, which ultimately lead to the debacle that we reported on a few months ago, and that the Korean company has been trying to bounce back from ever since.