2012 Hyundai Genesis on 2040-cars

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These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.
CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).
Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.

Hyundai predicts 250-mile electric vehicle by 2020

Hyundai will start selling a battery-electric version of its Ioniq in the US later this year, but the company is ready for much more. Hyundai is forecasting having an EV with a 250-mile single-charge range by the end of the decade. Hyundai executive Ahn Byung-ki told Automotive News that, while electric-vehicle technology development has been steady during the past six years, it will accelerate during the next two. Think of it as the "hockey stick" effect, but for South Korean automakers instead of Silicon Valley tech giants or Canadian hockey players. The Ioniq, which will also get plug-in and hybrid variants, will have a single-charge range of 110 miles when the EV version arrives in November. After that, Hyundai and its Kia and Genesis sister companies may develop a 200-mile range EV for 2018, and then that 250-mile-range car for 2020. Byung-ki isn't concerned that the Ioniq will quickly be outdated because the longer-range vehicles will also be priced higher. The Hyundai executive also said the company had no plans to take on Tesla Motors in the luxury EV market. The Ioniq EV was unveiled at the New York Auto Show this past March. A hybrid version of that sedan debuted in South Korea in January, while the EV went on sale in South Korea last month. Overall, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are planning to introduce 10 hybrids, eight EVs, eight plug-in hybrids, and two hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by the end of the decade. The Hyundai group's only electric vehicle currently sold in the US is the Kia Soul EV, which has a single-charge range of 93 miles as well as some dancing hamsters in its commercials. Neither the Tesla Model 3 nor the Chevrolet Bolt can make that second claim. Related Video:

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

GT Stands For "Generous Trunk"
If ever there were an award for the most bastardized label in the automotive world, the Gran Turismo/Grand Touring/GT moniker would be an easy frontrunner. Once reserved solely for sporty coupes, the GT letters have taken a big hit over the years, but things got downright embarrassing with the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. For 2013, Hyundai is helping to muddy the waters even further by slapping a GT badge onto the hatchback version of its top-selling model, the Elantra.
In the case of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT, though, this name is just recycling the Elantra GT name from the early 2000s, albeit on a more stylish, modern and all-around better five-door. Hyundai has created quite a competitive lineup since its Fluidic Sculpture design language hit the market, but one area that it has paled in comparison to rival automakers is in the hatchback department. With a plethora of budget-minded compact cars currently on sale, Hyundai now finds itself in the unique position of being the only automaker to offer a compact sedan, coupe and hatchback with the 2013 Elantra. Still, with the compact segment more crowded than a public school classroom, we spent a week with the new Elantra GT to see how it stacks up against the hatchback competition.