2014 Hyundai Sonata Se 2.0t 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.'

Hyundai and Genesis launch Job Loss Protection programs for new buyers

In 2009, to help new owners through The Great Recession, Hyundai created what it called Hyundai Assurance and Assurance Plus programs. Together, the allowed new buyers to return their cars within 12 months in case of an involuntary layoff, and made up to three car payments for new buyers in the same jobless boat. With the novel coronavirus Covid-19 already creating similar effects to the financial crisis, Hyundai has reinstated its Assurance Job Loss Protection program, and brought Genesis in on it with Genesis Cares Job Loss Protection. Hyundai will make up to six months of payments for anyone who buys or leases a new Hyundai from a Hyundai dealer, financed though Hyundai Capital, between March 14 and April 30, 2020 if the owner or lessee loses their job any time this year. The relief is available to any customer, regardless of employment history. On top of that, anyone who buys a new Accent, Venue, Kona, Elantra, Elantra GT, Tucson, or Santa Fe before April 30 and finances through Hyundai Capital can ask to have their payments deferred for 90 days. The Genesis Cares Job Loss Protection program provides the same benefit, covering anyone who takes home a new Genesis at a Genesis dealer, financed through Genesis Capital, from March 14 to April 30. Any involuntary termination through the end of this year can qualify for having up to six months of payments taken care of. Those who elect to buy a G70 sedan and finance through Genesis Capital before April 30, 2020 can request to have payments deferred for 90 days. For more information on the programs, check out the Hyundai and Genesis web sites. Related Video:

Honda scores big in Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards [w/videos]

This year the Detroit Auto Show didn't just celebrate the automobile, it celebrated how we find out about the automobile, too. Partnering The One Club, this year introduced the 2014 One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Award to Cobo Hall, celebrating winners in five different categories of advertising: broadcast television, online, interactive, experiential, and print/outdoor. Winners in those categories were judged by 50 creative directors and journalists, while a Public Choice category was chosen from among nearly 20,000 online votes.
Honda walked off with three of the six awards, its Hands spot taking Broadcast honors, its Sound of Honda getting the Online category and Illusions winning Public Choice. Hyundai made the grade in Interactive with Driveway Decision Maker, Fiat captured Print/Outdoor with its "Letters" ad, and Toyota's Tundra Endeavor Campaign spot and BMW's A Window into the Near Future were co-winners for Experiential.
You can watch all of the press release and winning videos below or check out all of the finalists, announced last month, for a refresher.