2019 Hyundai Sonata Se on 2040-cars

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South Korea firms up fuel economy regs following Hyundai/Kia debacle

According to a report from Reuters, South Korea's government has drafted strict new rules for automakers to follow when calculating fuel economy. The legislation comes after a major snafu by Hyundai and Kia that resulted in the automakers lowering the estimated fuel mileage of many popular models - some by several miles per gallon, including the Soul subcompact above - and compensating owners in the US and Canada for the reduction.
The new fuel economy rules were announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea and will see average mileage ratings drop by roughly three to five percent, according to the report. In addition, manufacturers found guilty of overstating mileage figures will be liable for fines of up to $900,000.
These sweeping new regulations will go into effect in the second half of 2013 and, while they won't have any effect on EPA estimates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the United States, they are expected to result in new ratings for the two automakers in their home market of South Korea, where they enjoy a whopping 70-percent market share.

Autoblog Podcast #362

Episode #362 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Chris Paukert cover the year-end news, including the surprise resignation of Hyundai Motor North America CEO John Krafcik, strong early sales for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, and 2015 Ford F-150 rumors ahead of its expected Detroit Auto Show debut. Dan also had a chance to look back at 2013 and ahead to 2014 with Autoline's John McElroy. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #362:
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Rally Argentina crash hospitalizes six spectators

This weekend's Rally Argentina ground to a halt when one of the competing vehicles struck a group of spectators. The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, when the Hyundai i20 WRC piloted by Hayden Paddon and John Kennard lifted over a crest, landed sideways, snapped to the left and hit several spectators who were gathered by the side of the rally stage to catch the action. Paddon and Kennard were left unharmed and their i20 made it back to the garage on it own, but six of the injured spectators were evacuated to nearby hospitals in Cordoba. Two were airlifted by helicopter and four were taken over road by ambulance. According to reports, one of the injured spectators has already been released, but another 25-year-old man remains in intensive care. The 14-mile state from Capilla del Monte to San Marcos was canceled in the wake of the incident. We wish all involved a speedy recovery.