2013 - Hyundai Sonata on 2040-cars

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

Standing Out In A Segment Of Me-Too Crossovers
This may sound strange, but bear with us - there is indeed a point to this little exercise. Okay, ready? We'd like you to close your eyes and imagine a crossover. Any modern crossover is fine.
Done? Good. Recall what you saw in your mind's eye. What did it look like? Did it have a somewhat aggressive shape - an upright greenhouse, pronounced wheel wells with some type of body cladding, a bold grille up front bracketed by large headlamps and hulking bodysides with a bit of visual flair provided by creases or rising shoulder lines? Did it sit jacked up a tad on oversized alloy wheels, distancing itself from any thoughts of mere station wagons? Yep, that was a crossover all right.

Recharge Wrap-up: Batty battery covers, Mercedes at Silvretta, new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid available in 2015

Apparently, Chevrolet Volt battery covers make suitable homes for bats. As part of an Eagle Scout project, Matthew Netherland created 30 bat houses out of scrapped Volt battery covers donated by Chevy. 22 of the bat houses will be set up near hydroelectric dams in Michigan. Each bat house will accommodate 100 bats, and divert the scrapped materials from the landfill. The battery covers also make great nesting boxes for wood ducks, which General Motors has previously set up at its Milford, Michigan Proving Ground. Last weekend was the Silvretta E-Auto Rally, which saw emissions-free vehicles cross the Montafon Mountains in Austria, including cars from Mercedes-Benz. These cars included the B-Class Electric Drive, B-Class F-Cell, SLS AMG Electric Drive and even the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. Also on hand for the Silvretta Classic Rally was a V8-powered C111, a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC and 300 SL Roadster. Read more in the press release, below. BMW has finalized pricing for the i8 in the US at $135,700 (plus $925 in destination charges). In addition to the base price tag, which we've known for a while, BMW Blog has the complete pricing guide with options and packages. Most of the i8 orders were the Pure Impulse World package, which includes various aesthetic upgrades. It also provides membership to the BMW i Pure Impulse Program, which allows you to "to enjoy innovative ideas and trends in a variety of areas, including home styling, culture, gourmet gastronomy, design and many more." Head over to BMW Blog for more information. The new generation of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will arrive later than the rest of the model lineup, confirms Car and Driver. While the gas-powered Sonatas get updated now for the 2015 model year, the Hybrid remains unchanged until late this year or early 2015, when it will arrive as a 2016 model. Hyundai is offering a 2015 Sonata Eco edition, but with 28 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg highway (32 combined), it's not quite as appealing as the current Sonata Hybrid's 36/40/38 figures. Read more here. In June, average US fuel economy was 25.5 miles per gallon, making it the fifth straight month above 25 mpg, according to University of Michigan. The average window sticker ratings from vehicles sold in June dropped slightly from 25.6 mpg in May. The year started at 24.9 mpg in January, and hasn't dropped below 25 mpg since.

2015 Hyundai Genesis automatically slows for speed cameras

Speed cameras are something of a foreign curiosity for many drivers in the US. Sure, there is sporadic use of red light cameras here, but the cams to catch speeders are much more popular in Europe. However, Hyundai might have created a way to end that scourge for our foreign auto enthusiast compatriots. The Korean automaker recently showed off a system on the Genesis at its headquarters in Seoul that could detect and automatically slow down for the nefarious devices. It could make many speeding tickets a thing of the past.
According to Australian website Drive, the Genesis' tech is actually a simple integration of already existing structures. It combines a navigation system programmed with the locations of speed cameras and the sedan's automatic braking. Drivers get an audible warning about a half-mile beforehand to slow down, and if they don't the car can do it for them.
Unfortunately, this potentially money-saving tech isn't leaving its domestic market anytime soon. "This is offered only in Korea and not planned for the US. In Korea, many cars with smart cruise control offer this and it is viewed as a safety feature," said Hyundai spokesperson Jim Trainor to Autoblog via email.