2015 Hyundai Sonata Se on 2040-cars

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Hyundai i20 shows what brown can do for you [w/video]

With the latest generation of the i20 at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Hyundai continues to shake off its old image in Europe as a maker of cheap, unstylish little penalty boxes. This five-door hatch has to fit into the crowded, compact hatch market over there against popular entries like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo - a high bar for success. But the Korean automaker claims that its latest vehicle is up to the task because it's designed in Europe specifically with European buyers in mind.
The new i20 takes a small step a bit more upmarket with features like LED front and rear lighting and a rearview camera. However, the biggest change is the jump in interior room, though. The wheelbase is two-inches longer than before, and the growth gives the hatch best-in-class legroom and cargo capacity with the rear seats up, according to Hyundai. Rounding out the improvements is an available panoramic sunroof that the company also believes is unique for the segment.
For the Paris show, Hyundai made the i20 extra sweet by covering it in a chocolaty shade of brown to look like a little French confection on the show floor. Scroll down for all of the details about it, and for the impossibly epic launch video.

Hyundai admits 'error' in KDM Sonata fuel economy announcement

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Hyundai is going to have to reduce the officially announced miles-per-gallon number for its 2014 Sonata. While there's a lot of similarity between this new situation and events that transpired in 2012, there are some important differences. For one, the new mileage mistake, which Hyundai says was once again caused by an error at its test centers, is only applicable to cars in the Korean Domestic Market. Secondly, it's not so much mpg as kilometers per liter. "We are very sorry for causing confusion to reporters" - Hyundai According to Reuters, the numbers for the Korean Sonata were originally announced as 12.6 kilometers per liter (29.63 mpg), a six-percent increase over the previous model. The automaker has just announced that government verification showed an actual result of 12.1 kpl (28.46 mpg), which is only a two-percent increase. Since these numbers were done using the South Korean economy test, they are not equivalent to the US EPA numbers, the latter of which say the 2014 Sonata gets 36/40/38 miles per gallon. The correction came before the new Sonata went on sale in South Korea. In an official statement, Hyundai said, "We are very sorry for causing confusion to reporters." Hyundai Motor America's Jim Trainor, product public relations senior group manager, assured AutoblogGreen that the Korean error will have "no effect" on US ratings. In 2012, Hyundai and Kia faced a media and consumer firestorm after being caught up in exaggerated mileage claims for vehicles like its 2013 Accent, Veloster and Elantra. The sister companies agreed to compensate buyers to the tune of $395 million for what they said were "honest mistakes" and "human error" during in-house fuel economy tests. There is no word yet on whether similar customer satisfaction actions will follow this domestic market snafu.

Hyundai opens up European Test Centre at N"urburgring

Anyone who's anyone among automakers tests at the Nürburgring, and the latest to join them is Hyundai. After fifteen months of construction and a €6.6-million investment - just shy of $9M USD - the Korean automaker has finally completed its new trackside testing center that was initially announced back in January.
Hyundai's new European Test Centre encompasses nearly 40,000 square feet of floor space on four levels in a glass and steel building that houses workshops, offices and hospitality areas. Acting as an extension of the company's European R&D center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the new Nürburgring test center will allow Hyundai to conduct more regular and rigorous testing around the 73 corners and 13 miles of tarmac that make up the famous racetrack - definitely a good thing for a powerhouse brand that still sometimes fumbles when it comes to the dark arts of suspension and steering tuning.