2016 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

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Surprise Costs Have A Cost: Why we turned down the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

They say you can always tell the pioneers. They're the ones with the arrows in their backs. Unfortunately, that was our experience pursuing – and eventually rejecting – the new hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hyundai Tucson. I first heard about Hyundai's new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2013. As a tech buff, the thought of driving a new, clean technology vehicle sounded exciting. Best of all, Hyundai was wrapping the new vehicle in a smart, familiar package, as a loaded current-generation Tucson SUV. The FCV Tucson was billed as $499 a month with $2,999 down, with free fuel and free maintenance. Our family needed a new, small, fuel efficient SUV, so I signed up for information on the upcoming lease program. Someone has to go first. Why not us? In the spring of 2014, I learned more at a Clean Fuel Symposium, held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. The panel was packed with experts on alternative fuel vehicles. One spokesperson outlined the chicken or egg problem with alternative fuels like hydrogen: fuels first or vehicles? Another said something that I should have heard more clearly. "If the argument [to move to alternative fuel vehicles] has to start with a change of behavior from consumers, that's a hard row to hoe." I would soon to learn what an FCV would really cost, both in hours and in dollars. Nonetheless, I was ready to try jumping the hurdles and get an alternative fuel car. A low impact on the environment, plus free fuel and a solo car pool lane sticker? What could go wrong? My wife was a much harder nut to crack. My habit of jokingly calling it a "nuclear-powered" car probably didn't help much either. Our conversations went like this: "A what kind of car?" "Hydrogen fuel cell." "What?" "It's essentially an electric car." "Don't those things have a really short range?" "Yes. That's what the hydrogen is for. You fill it with hydrogen to fill the fuel cell, instead of charging it overnight like an electric car." "Where do you get hydrogen?" "Well..." It turned out the nearest hydrogen station was in Burbank, about 13 miles from our house. In LA traffic, that could be more than half an hour's drive each way. Since there's an excellent bakery in Burbank (Porto's), I told my wife I was fine with taking the time each week to fuel up every 200 miles or so.

Hyundai's rakish HND-9 concept has lots of Seoul

Hyundai has unwrapped the HND-9 Sports Coupe Concept at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show. The design study is intended to give the world a glimpse at what Hyundai has planned for the look of its future products - an evolution of the automaker's current Fluidic Sculpture design language.
With classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive proportions, the HND-9 looks great, and engineers graced the concept with a 3.3-liter turbocharged, direct-injection engine good for 364 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic transmission shuttles that thrust to the rear wheels, while touches like butterfly doors give the machine a bit of flair.
Indoors, the HND-9 features seats built with a special mesh that changes colors depending on the viewer's angle. Designers modeled the cabin after a cockpit for a close, sporty feel. You can check out the full press release below for more information.

Hyundai recalls 2015 and 2016 Sonatas for flying sunroof panels

The Basics: Hyundai is recalling 2015-2016 Hyundai Sonatas and Sonata Hybrids for panoramic sunroofs that could detach while driving. The recall covers a total of 62,811 cars including Sonata Hybrids built from December 8, 2014 to August 18, 2015 and normal Sonatas built from May 28, 2014 to March 18, 2016. The recall only affects cars with panoramic sunroofs. The Problem: Sonatas equipped with the panoramic sunroof have a wind deflector at the front. The anchor that holds the deflector in place is bonded and that bonding can fail. This can lead to the deflector partially detaching, which can interfere with the glass of the sunroof when closing. This interference can result in the glass detaching entirely from the car. Warning signs of this issue are increased noise with the roof open or a sunroof that doesn't fully close. Injuries/Deaths: Hyundai received a complaint of a sunroof detaching, which prompted an internal investigation and this voluntary recall, but no injuries or deaths have been reported. The Fix: Owners of affected cars can bring them to a Hyundai dealer where the vehicle will have new bonding applied to the wind deflector anchor. The repair will be made at no cost to the owner. If you own one: Owners will be notified by Hyundai by mail starting on December 2, and they can also contact Hyundai's customer service to ask about the recall at 1-800-633-5151. Owners can also check their vehicles for recalls by entering their VINs at safercar.gov. Needless to say, don't force the sunroof closed if something doesn't seem right whether you've gotten the notice or not. Better safe than sorry. Related Video: