2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport on 2040-cars

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Hyundai pushes on with development of delayed i20 WRC

It's a pretty big deal when a major automaker joins a top-flight racing series, and so it was when Hyundai entered the World Rally Championship with the i20 WRC last year. And while delays have postponed the arrival of its replacement, development presses on. For those unfamiliar, the i20 is Hyundai's rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta for Asian, European and other overseas markets. The Korean automaker introduced a new version of the i20 late last year, including a new three-door version that was supposed to serve as the basis for the new rally machine, but production delays meant Hyundai couldn't homologate the rally version before the end of this season as originally planned. So instead it will base the new competition machine on the five-door version and aim to launch it in time for the start of next season. "We had hoped to introduce the car later this season but unfortunately an issue with the homologation schedule - related to production of the three-door road version – will delay our programme," said Hyundai Motorsport chief Michel Nandan. "We have therefore opted to continue focus on the five-door version of the New Generation i20 WRC which will compete at Rallye Monte-Carlo next year." In the meantime, as you can see from the photos above, development continues apace. Test driver Kevin Abbring and his co-pilot Sebastian Marshall are being charged with its shakedown, along with Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul – the same duo that won the 2014 Rally Germany and which are currently ranked third in the 2015 World Rally Championship after placing second at round two in Sweden. They'll have to make do with the current car for the rest of the season, which continues with the fourth round later this month in Argentina. Hyundai Motorsport Continues New Generation i20 WRC Development - Hyundai Motorsport has recently carried out a four-day test in Spain with an upgraded version of the New Generation i20 WRC - Hyundai Motorsport confirms it will ramp up development of a five-door version of the New Generation i20 car in preparation for a full season of 2016 FIA World Rally Championship - The current Hyundai i20 WRC will run throughout the rest of the 2015 season April 10, 2015 – The Hyundai Motorsport team has recently completed a four-day test of the New Generation i20 WRC car in the Spanish region of Almeria.

2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe gets minor update, price bump

Hyundai is releasing the Genesis Coupe for the 2016 model year with a new six-inch color display in the center stack in place of the previous dot-matrix display. That's it. Oh, except for a price increase. The coupe still packs a 3.8-liter V6 as standard, driving 348 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. For some buyers, the Genesis Coupe makes for a compelling alternative to the likes of the Nissan 370Z (which only has two seats) and the Infiniti Q60 Coupe (which is significantly more expensive). Now starting at $26,950 (in base form with the manual), the 2016 model comes in $200 more expensive than the 2015 model. The R-Spec starts at $29,900 for 2016 (representing a $400 increase), and the top-of-the-line Ultimate model lists at $33,750 (or $350 more than the outgoing model). 2016 GENESIS COUPE OFFERS ENHANCED STANDARD COLOR DISPLAY WITH POWERTRAIN AND CONTENT TO SATISFY PERFORMANCE COUPE BUYERS Standard 348-Horsepower, 3.8-liter Direct-injected V6 engine FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., November 6, 2015 – Hyundai's popular Genesis Coupe continues to enhance its appeal in the fiercely-competitive sport coupe segment. Genesis Coupe offers a 348-horspower, 3.8-liter direct-injected V6 standard, ensuring its buyer maximum powertrain performance at a very affordable price point. This powertrain ensures Genesis Coupe continues to carry its recognized success as a rear-drive, high-output performance sport coupe for everyday enthusiasts. For 2016, Genesis Coupe adds a new 6-inch color center display to the center stack, replacing the former dot-matrix display. 2016 Genesis Highlights - New, vivid 6-inch color center-stack display replaces dot-matrix display 2016 Genesis Coupe Transmission MSRP 3.8 Base M/T $26,950 3.8 Base A/T w/Shiftronic® $28,150 3.8 R-Spec M/T $29,900 3.8 Ultimate M/T $33,750 3.8 Ultimate A/T w/Shiftronic® $34,950 AGGRESSIVE DESIGN TO MATCH DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE The Genesis Coupe strikes a menacing demeanor, with an aggressively designed front fascia, grille, headlights, LED daytime running lights, fog lights and hood with heat extractor cues. The side view reveals aggressive 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs with deep dimensional sculpting. Finally, the rear taillights provide a visual spark via premium LED illumination.

Average new-car fuel economy figures continue record pace

Manufacturers are making more efficient cars and trucks; we've known that to be true for some time. Nearly every new car has some sort of trick to eke a few extra miles out of every gallon of fuel. Whether that be turbocharging, active aerodynamics or hybrid technology/electrified powertrains, the fact is that our vehicles are more efficient than ever before.
Thanks to a recent study by TrueCar, we've got fresh quantitative data to support the above statements. For the fourth month in a row, we've seen an improvement in national fleet fuel economy. We Americans are 0.7 miles per gallon more efficient than we were last month, and our cars are 1.6-mpg better than at this time last year. That said, we're still down on 2013's high, which was set back in January at 24.5 mpg.
Not only does this reflect the improved technologies in our vehicles, but it demonstrates a changing mindset among consumers, who are purchasing more efficient vehicles despite the relative stabilization of fuel prices. Every fuel-efficient model sold drives its manufacturers fleet average up.