2008 Hyundai Sonata Gls Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq takes three-pronged approach to electrification

The Geneva Motor Show may be dominated by super/hypercars, but there is some more sensible metal on display. And one of the most reasonable cars might be the trifecta of Hyundai Ioniq models. This three-prong approach to electrification is a very aggressive move for Hyundai. A hybrid wouldn't be a big deal. Nor would a plug-in-electric model. But launching both of those vehicles alongside a pure EV is a very bold decision. In fact, if the full Ioniq range were to launch in the United States – which still isn't a certainty – Hyundai would be one of the only brands to offer all three branches of electrification in the same showroom. The hybrid model outguns the 121-system-horsepower Toyota Prius. Thanks to its 1.6-liter Kappa four-cylinder, 43-hp electric motor, and 1.56-kWh battery pack, there's a total of 139 hp and up to 195 pound-feet of torque. The plug-in model makes some changes to that formula, significantly increasing the size of the battery pack to a larger 8.9 kWh and increasing the power of the electric motor to an even 60 hp. Hyundai hasn't said if system output has been changed, but we do know the PHV will cover 31 miles on pure electricity. View 14 Photos As we covered in our original post, the EV Ioniq is something of an unknown quantity. Hyundai's lips loosened slightly in Geneva, though, revealing that the electric motor will produce up to 218 lb-ft of torque. That's in addition to 118 horsepower and an estimated range of 155 miles. And not that EV drivers are known speed demons, but Hyundai claims its newest EV will hit 103 miles per hour. This estimated range and torque output best America's two most notable EVs, the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf, although it's fair to point out that this duo is relatively long in the tooth. While it seems plausible that Hyundai will at least offer part of the Ioniq range in America, at this point it's just too early to be certain of anything.

Consumer Reports criticizes small turbo engines for misleading performance, fuel economy claims [w/video]

Consumer Reports has taken aim at at small-displacement, forced-induction engines, saying the powerplants don't manage to deliver on automaker fuel economy claims. Manufacturers have long held that smaller, turbocharged engines pack all power of their larger displacement cousins with significantly better fuel economy, but the research organization says that despite scoring high EPA economy numbers, the engines are no better than conventional drivetrains in both categories. Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, says the forced induction options "are often slower and less fuel efficient than larger four and six-cylinder engines."
Specifically, CR calls out the new Ford Fusion equipped with the automaker's Ecoboost 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The institute's researchers found the engine, which is a $795 option over the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, fails to match competitors in acceleration and served up 25 miles per gallon in testing, putting the sedan dead last among other midsize options.
The Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Ford Escape 2.0T all got dinged for the same troubles, though Consumer Reports has found the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the BMW 328i does deliver on its promises. You can check out the full press release below. You can also read the full study on the Consumer Reports site, or scroll down for a short video recap.