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Hyundai-Kia claims 'greenest' title from Honda, Big Three still big losers

Let's start with the good news. On average, any new car you buy in the US today will be 43 percent cleaner than any average new car in 1998. Here's some more good news, for Korea anyway, Hyundai-Kia has been named the cleanest automaker in the latest study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which looked at 2013 model year vehicles sold between October 2012 and September 2013 from the top eight automakers (by volume). The bad news? The big three Detroit automakers are, on average, still making the dirtiest cars in the showroom. The big three Detroit automakers are, on average, still making the dirtiest cars in the showroom. The problem for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler lies in their trucks, which sell well but tend to have pretty bad fuel economy (compared to sedans, at least). The UCS calculates its list by averaging "the per-mile emissions for each light-duty vehicle sold by each automaker" and then factors in "the fuel economy, fuel type, and sales volume of each type of vehicle sold by each automaker" and "the upstream global warming emissions from producing and distributing the fuel used by each vehicle, as well as emissions from the vehicles themselves." That all means that, the more trucks you sell, the worse you're gonna do. Then again, the more trucks you sell with 18 mpg, the more you're helping drivers put CO2 into the air, so the UCS is doing a fair comparison of the things that this study is trying to track. More details on the methodology are available on page six of the study PDF. In case you were wondering (we were), UCS did make sure to use the revised mpg numbers for Hyundai and Kia models that were originally overstated. Hyundai has apologized for and fixed those figures and even with the new, corrected numbers, Hyundai's total emissions are dropping at a rate of about three percent a year, enough for it to take the greenest company title for the first time. In fact, this is the first time that an automaker other than Honda has come out on top in the UCS ranking, which has been released six times now, including the first one in 2000 (which looked at 1998 model year data). In 2010, Honda was almost knocked off the winner's perch by both Hyundai and Toyota, but managed to hold on. Chrysler, on the other hand, came in dead last (again) in the ranking of the top eight automakers, snagging the "dirtiest tailpipe" award once (again). Read the UCS' press release below.

Hyundai HND-12 Enduro Concept shows Seoul a motorcycle-inspired CUV

While the New York Auto Show is grabbing our attention with major debuts, Seoul, South Korea, is celebrating its own automotive event. There, Hyundai is showing off a new three-door crossover concept called the HND-12 Enduro that's inspired by long-distance, off-road motorcycles. Despite its rugged inspiration, this concept isn't made to get dirty, Instead, the Enduro is aimed at folks living in cities "with energetic, athletic lifestyles," according to Hyundai. The result looks like a Veloster after spending a lot of time at the gym that's mixed with a smaller take on the Intrado concept. To fit Hyundai's modern style, the Enduro wears a hexagonal grille but features a polished aluminum blade at the bottom that wraps around to a the muscular, black-cladded fenders. Even with its higher ride height, the concept looks a bit more like a sporty three-door hatch than a CUV in profile. The roof has just the slightest curve and leads to a tiny rear window, which is outlined almost completely by the taillights. To lend a little more utility, side steps near the rear wheels make it easier to load the top, but good luck finding much room up there to carry anything. Although, one neat feature is a sliding storage drawer hidden in the bumper just below the hatch. Inside, the Enduro is driver-focused with the center console and dashboard enveloping the pilot. Hyundai designers also try to bring in some motorcycle cues with a steering wheel inspired by the hand moldings of a road bike. While purely a concept for now, power from the Enduro comes from Hyundai's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and it's linked to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Related Video: HYUNDAI MOTOR INTRODUCES 'ENDURO' LIFESTYLE CUV CONCEPT AT 2015 SEOUL MOTOR SHOW Urban crossover utility vehicle harmonizes with energetic, athletic lifestyles 'The Professional Gear' for drivers wanting to escape the ordinary Design concept is expressed in rugged, versatile yet sophisticated form language April 2, 2015 - Hyundai Motor is celebrating the world premiere of its all-new design concept, the 'Enduro' lifestyle urban crossover utility vehicle (CUV), at the 11th Seoul Motor Show today (Thursday). The name 'Enduro' is derived from 'Endurance.' Also, Enduro visually combines SUV looks with rally motorcycles which compete in the world's toughest rally events. The Enduro is designed as the perfect partner for individuals living in the modern city with energetic, athletic lifestyles.

Hyundai testing more variants of top-secret commercial van

The commercial van market in the US is exploding with new products at the moment, with entries from Ford, Ram, Nissan and others. And we are seeing images (again) of Hyundai testing its own van in Europe, as well, though it's not known whether the model will make it to the US. While the company has offered work vehicles overseas in the past, this one appears to be a direct competitor to European vehicles with large bodies and tiny wheels like the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
The latest images show off not just the standard commercial van but also the pickup version, and interior for the first time. According to our spy shooters, Hyundai did not want people to see the inside of the test vehicle, reaching out specifically in an attempt to secure the pictures you see here. It's hard to say what's worth being so secretive about, but that big infotainment screen certainly looks like a nice addition. We still aren't sure whether the Korean company has opted for front- or rear-wheel drive for the model, but the gearshift suggests that it's using a six-speed manual transmission.
The pickup truck version has a cab that looks just like the standard van. Testing this variant suggests that Hyundai is addressing the need for multiple body configurations in the commercial space.