2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited on 2040-cars

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EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers

The unintended acceleration brouhaha at Toyota led to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration tightening the vise on recall procedures. Likewise, the fuel economy kerfuffle that blew up with Hyundai and Kia's admission of overstated fuel mileage claims could lead to the Environmental Protection Agency policing automaker assertions by performing more audits.
At least, that's what a senior engineer with the government agency said while in Michigan giving a talk, according to a report in Automotive News. What that actually means, however, is still in question. Just ten to 15 percent of new vehicles - something like 150 to 200 cars per year - are rested by the EPA to verify automaker numbers. The EPA's own tests include a "fudge factor" to adjust lab mileage for real-world mileage, and the agency still relies on automakers to submit data for tests that it doesn't have the facilities to perform. How much more auditing can the EPA really expect to do, or perhaps a more relevant question would be how much more accurate could the EPA's audits become?
The price of gasoline, the psychological importance of 40 miles per gallon to a frugal car buyer, an automaker wanting to further justify the price premium of a hybrid, all of these things contribute to fuel economy numbers that insist on creeping upward. Perhaps the senior engineer encapsulated the whole situation best when he said, "Everybody wants a label that tells you exactly what you're going to get, but obviously that's not possible. A good general rule of thumb is that real-world fuel economy is about 20 percent lower than the lab numbers." If the lesson isn't exactly 'buyer beware,' it's at least 'buyer be wary.'

2015 Hyundai Sonata configurator powers up

Eager to get your hands on a new Hyundai Sonata? We could hardly blame you. With more mature styling and better equipment for less than the model that preceded it, the new Sonata makes a compelling case, even in a market segment this competitive that includes such rivals as the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Chrysler 200, Volkswagen Passat and Kia Optima.
The first units are just arriving at dealers now, but if your local showroom doesn't have one for you to check out just yet, we've got good news for you as Hyundai has just launched the car's online configurator. The system lets you choose from four trim levels, nine exterior colors, a couple of equipment packages and an assortment of accessories to make your Sonata yours.
Pictured here is the top-of-the-line Sonata Sport 2.0T that starts at $29,385 (inclusive of delivery), but the base Sonata starts under $22k. Spec yours (or any new Hyundai, for that matter) in the online configurator linked here.

Hyundai shows Walking Dead Veloster Zombie Survival Machine at Comic-Con

The Walking Dead, the hit zombie apocalypse show on AMC, has enjoyed a marketing tie-in with Hyundai for two seasons now. If you've watched the show, you'd no doubt seen Rick Grimes, his sociopath-in-training son Carl and emerging hero Glenn Rhee avoiding the dead behind the wheel of a light-green Hyundai Tucson. That relationship expanded beyond the show when Hyundai brought an Elantra Coupe-based Zombie Survival Machine to last year's San Diego Comic-Con.
For this year's Comic-Con, the new Zombie Survival Machine is just a touch faster, funkier and deadlier. Based on a Hyundai Veloster Turbo and built by Galpin Auto Sports to decapitate as many Walkers as possible, this four-door hatch has been heavily modified. The headlights, taillights and windows are all protected with a combination of wrought iron and chainlink fencing. There's also plenty of armor on the body panels.
Passive zombie killing features abound, like the "horde plow" on the front bumper and sawblade grille. But by and large, the majority of the Veloster Turbo Zombie Survival Machine's offensive power comes from a combination of firearms and chainsaws. A .50-caliber machine gun is mounted on the roof, along with a pair of assault rifles on the hood. Each door features blades along the base and a machine gun. Melee weapons can be found in the back, including a spiked baseball bat or katana.