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Hyundai Prius-fighting hybrid spied wearing new camo

Hyundai's engineers certainly don't want the public to see its upcoming dedicated hybrid model in several of these new spy shots, but the company can't deny that the machine is on the way. These test cars were first spotted last summer as Prius-like five-door hatchbacks. However in these photos and the second set, it would seem that the model has morphed into a more sedan-like shape similar to the Chevy Volt. Unlike the last time we saw this car during arctic testing, the vehicle no longer is covered in plastic concealment. That obfuscation has been replaced with a very effective camo pattern on everything but the roof, and in several photos, workers are actively standing in the way of the spy shooters' lenses. Beyond the whole model's general shape, there are a few details to pick out, though. You can easily spot the outline of the brand's hexagonal grille up front. There appears to be a rather complicated air dam design there, too. In profile, the shape of the rear hatch creates an integrated spoiler at the back. While the camouflage makes it very hard to tell, we don't see a plug-in port on this example. According to our spies, this test car was being driven with a slew of other electrified models, including a BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf, and Kia Soul EV. Given that group, perhaps the engineers were specifically benchmarking the electric performance for this outing. Earlier reports suggest that Hyundai's latest hybrid could debut in the second half of 2016. Power reportedly comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with hybrid assistance and a lithium-ion battery. Plug-in and five-door hatchback versions are also rumored.

Trump encouraged by talk of 'a level playing field' on trade with South Korea

South Korea is a longstanding American ally, but President Donald Trump has spoken harshly about U.S. trade imbalances and threatened to tear up the bilateral trade pact. "We will do more to remove barriers to reciprocal trade and market access," Trump said, adding that the two leaders had talked about the thorny trade areas of steel and autos. Trump said he was encouraged by South Korea's President Moon Jae-in's assurances that he would seek a level playing field for American workers and businesses, particularly automakers. A joint statement said the two sides had agreed to work together to reduce over supply of basic materials such as steel and non-tariff barriers. It also said Trump had accepted an invitation from Moon to visit South Korea this year. Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said it was unwise for Trump to air the trade issue so publicly. "Public complaints by Trump about unfair trade and inadequate defense spending provide opportunities for China and North Korea to drive a wedge between the allies," she said. The U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea has more than doubled since the U.S.-Korea free trade pact known as KORUS took effect in 2012. The agreement was forecast to boost U.S. exports by $10 billion a year, but in 2016 they were $3 billion lower than in 2011. At the start of Friday's talks, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the largest component of the deficit was automotive trade and many non-tariff barriers to U.S. auto exports to South Korea remained. "I think the way to address it is to deal product by product with what we can do to change the export side and what we can do to reduce the bad imports side," he said. Ross said later on Friday that some progress had been made in the talks. The current pact was agreed to despite protests by supporters of Moon, who was then in opposition. But analysts have suggested that given the need to preserve a unified front in the face of a hostile North Korea, there could be compromise on both sides to resolve issues. (By David Brunnstrom and Lisa Lambert. Additional reporting by Fatima Bhojani, Roberta Rampton, Tim Ahmann, David Chance, David Lawder and Eric Beech; Editing by Bill Trott and Andrew Hay) Related Video: Image Credit: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters Government/Legal Genesis Hyundai Kia trade

2018 Hyundai Sonata lineup gets ‘+’ treatment at no extra charge

Hyundai is looking to jump-start sales of its struggling 2018 Sonata midsize sedan by introducing new "+" editions on several trim levels, adding features like the silver mesh grille cribbed from the Sport 2.0T, panoramic sunroof and safety technology for no extra charge — or for even lower prices, in some cases. The mid-model year enhancement package broadens availability of Hyundai's Advanced Driver Assist Systems, the Sport front fascia and mesh grille and other interior amenities. For example, the Sonata SEL+ and Sport+ editions now come equipped with the Sport's front fascia upgrades, dual automatic temperature control, wireless phone charging, heated steering wheel and other features at no extra charge, representing $580 and $950 in value to the respective models. Adding the Tech Package to the SEL+ gets you automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, smart cruise control with stop-start and other features for $25,185, including destination charge, a $980 value improvement, Hyundai says. Buyers can add the Tech Package to the Limited model for no extra charge over the previous model. On the high-end Sonata Limited model, adding the Ultimate+ package drops the price of the previous Ultimate package by $600 while adding the Sport mesh grille and fascia combo, plus the panoramic sunroof. The Korean automaker redesigned the Sonata for 2018 with a new "cascading grille" borrowed from the Elantra and other changes to the front, a redesigned back, some handling upgrades and a redesigned interior. But it hasn't helped move the metal. Sales of the Sonata fell a whopping 41 percent in April to 9,616; year-to-date, they were down 38 percent to 33,441 units. The company saw its combined Hyundai and Genesis sales decline by 11 percent in April. The "+" packages are available at dealerships now. Related Video: Image Credit: Hyundai Auto News Marketing/Advertising Hyundai Sedan sales package trim