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2016 Hyundai Tucson and Sonata each get TSP+ rating by IIHS

Hyundai is no stranger to building vehicles that get Top Safety Pick+ honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but the company is getting two of the awards at once thanks to the latest results from the 2016 Tucson and Sonata. Both models feature a front crash prevention system that's rated highly by the safety agency. The biggest advancement in this round comes for the new Tucson. In the small-overlap front crash, it now earns the IIHS' best score of Good, versus Poor – the lowest – for the previous generation. In the latest test, the crossover shows at most six inches of intrusion into the passenger compartment, compared to 16 inches last time. The airbags work to protect the head, and the sensors indicate a low risk of injury. The Tucson has Good ratings in all the other safety evaluations, too. The 2015 Sonata already did quite well when checked last year, but Hyundai apparently wasn't happy with the sedan's Acceptable result in the small-overlap front crash. According to the IIHS, the automaker adjusted the driver's seatbelt and the front suspension in hopes of a better score. However, even with the tweaks, the 2016 Sonata kept the same result. It scored Good in the other safety categories. The company isn't giving up on acing things, though. "Modifications are planned to take Sonata to 'Good' in the small overlap test," Hyundai spokesperson Jim Trainor said to Autoblog. The IIHS gave the crash prevention tech in both models its top Superior grade. The systems' automatic braking was able to avoid accidents from 12 and 25 miles per hour. The forward collision warning added the last bit needed to give them the maximum six points from the institute. Related Video: Hyundai Tucson and Sonata earn 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards ARLINGTON, Va. — A redesign for 2016 has taken the Hyundai Tucson from a poor to good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's small overlap front crash test. With an available front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating, the small SUV qualifies for the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. The 2016 Hyundai Sonata also earns a superior front crash prevention rating and a TOP SAFETY PICK+. In the Tucson's small overlap test, the driver's space was maintained well, with maximum intrusion of 6 inches at the parking brake pedal, but no more than 3 inches at other locations. The dummy's movement was well-controlled, and the front and side curtain airbags worked well together to protect the head.

Hyundai Veloster facelift includes new 7-speed DCT, light cosmetics

Hyundai hasn't given the Veloster the exterior overhaul that we expected, but it has outfitted the quirky, oddly doored hatchback with some new tech, at least in the Korean market. The biggest change for the Veloster is confirmation that the previously rumored seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will replace the current six-speed unit in the Turbo. It's mated to the same 1.6-liter, forced-induction four-cylinder featuring 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The exterior receives a few tiny tweaks, too, with new wheel designs and slightly different silver trim around the grille, but the bigger changes are found in the cabin. Those alterations aren't limited to new materials: Hyundai has included a new engine sound equalizer for the Veloster that lets drivers select from six different engine soundtracks. The instrument cluster also gets slightly altered, and there are new two-tone looks for the seats, as well. According to a blog post by Hyundai, the price for the Turbo with the seven-speed dual clutch starts at 23.7 million won ($22,000). Unfortunately, there's no official word whether these changes are going to make it across the Pacific to the US market. We've got an inquiry in with Hyundai Motor America, and will let you know if we hear more.

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.