2014 Hyundai Sonata Gls on 2040-cars

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Watch Indian cars fail Global NCAP crash tests miserably

It's taken for granted that cars currently for sale in Western countries pass crash tests, and often merit four- or five-star safety ratings in NCAP or NHTSA tests. This is why these scores attained by Indian market cars are so galling: seven vehicles currently sold in India got zero stars in any category – a horrifying clean sweep. It is understandable that cars sold in a developing market are cheap and equipment levels are low, but acceptable crash safety is something that should be considered essential in all markets. The cars tested in the Global New Car Assessment Programme were Hyundai's Eon, Maruti Suzuki's Eeco and Celerio models, Mahindra's Scorpio SUV and several Renault Kwid models. All of the cars were manufactured in India for the Indian market, and the Mahindra Scorpio was the sole larger car. It was first introduced in 2002, with updates made in 2006 and 2014. Mahindra has long planned to export its vehicles to the United States, with the likeliest version a pickup variant of the Scorpio. Renault's Kwid crossover was tested in three versions. Initially, the Kwid was tested with and without airbags, and on both accounts it scored zero stars in adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. Renault strengthened the bodyshell and the crash tests showed the updated Kwid's structure did not collapse; still, it was rated unstable and that it couldn't withstand further stress. On closer inspection, the structural reinforcements were found to be done only on the driver's side of the passenger cell. Renault has confirmed more safety updates are on their way. "We welcome Renault's efforts to correct this and we look forward to testing another improved version with airbags. Renault has a strong record of achievement in safety in Europe and it should offer the same commitment to its customers in India", says Global NCAP's David Ward. "Global NCAP strongly believes that no manufacturer anywhere in the world should be developing new models that are so clearly sub-standard. Car makers must ensure that their new models pass the United Nations' minimum crash test regulations, and support use of an airbag." The airbag-equipped Kwid was the only model of the seven cars tested that was fitted with one. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This is how the Mahindra Scorpio performed. This content is hosted by a third party.

2015 Hyundai Sonata cheaper than last year, starts at $21,150*

Prices for the 2015 Sonata range from $21,150 for the 2.4-liter SE to $33,525 for the 2.0-liter, turbocharged Sport 2.0T.
The arrival of a new generation of a successful car is usually accompanied by a small surge in its price, ranging from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Hyundai, though, is eschewing that practice, delivering its heavily redesigned Sonata for less than its predecessor. It's only a $300 difference over last year's base model, the Sonata GLS, but we don't think the savings will be lost on consumers. The move is part of a larger reshuffling of the Sonata line. The outgoing GLS trim has been replaced by the SE as the base car, while the 2.4-liter engine can now be ordered with the Sport trim. Meanwhile the 2.0T Sport is both the sole turbocharged offering, and tops off the Sonata pricing hierarchy.

Autoblog Podcast #391

Episode #391 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Mike Harley and Brandon Turkus talk about the appointment of Kumar Galhotra to run Lincoln, changes coming for Scion, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, and which cars won't live into 2015. We also take a quick detour to talk about the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype, which Mike Harley just came back from driving. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #391: Topics: 2015 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Prototype New boss at Lincoln Scion xB, iQ ending soon Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Cars that won't live to 2015 In the Autoblog Garage: McLaren 650S Hyundai Genesis Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:42:06 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge - 30:05 Kumar Galhotra to Lincoln - 34:32 Scion Changes - 43:58 Dodge Charger Hellcat - 54:25 Discontinued Cars - 01:06:24 Q&A - 01:22:59 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts Dodge Hyundai Infiniti Lincoln McLaren Scion Supercars mclaren 650s