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NHTSA investigating 8 million airbags not made by Takata

In a shocking turn of events, we have a line of airbags under investigation that weren't made by Takata. Rather, Automotive News reports that 8,000,000 airbags made by ARC Automotive Inc. are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to Automotive News, NHTSA is looking into ARC's airbags after two injuries and a recent death were attributed to the company's products. The two injuries occurred first and prompted the initial inquiry of 490,000 airbags, which then expanded after an airbag from a different line caused the death of a Canadian driver. The airbags in question are found in GM, FCA, Hyundai and Kia products, and all automakers are cooperating with the investigation, Automotive News reports. It is also important to note that these airbags have not been recalled, as NHTSA is trying to determine the issue and whether a recall is necessary. NHTSA also told the news outlet that the ARC inflators use a different design than those from Takata, instead using some pressurized gas and an ammonium nitrate charge. While the design may be different, the Takata inflators also used ammonium nitrate propellant, which other manufacturers have avoided. We will be watching this situation closely to see what develops. Here's hoping – for our collective safety and sanity – that we won't have to go through another airbag crisis like with the Takata recall. Related Video: News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Hyundai Kia Safety FCA airbag fiat chrysler automobiles

Hyundai Sante Fe gets zombie survival machine treatment for NY Comic-Con

Surviving a zombie invasion isn't easy, and Hyundai takes life-or-undead situations pretty seriously, as made clear by its devotion to creating zombie-annihilating vehicles. Earlier this year, Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead comic series that gave birth to the hit television series of the same name, designed a Zombie Survival Machine around a Hyundai Veloster hatchback.
This year, TWD fan Anson Kuo has conjured up a Santa Fe sports utility vehicle capable of mowing down hoards of zombies with extra room for passengers and supplies. Hyundai says Kuo's design was built by Galpin Auto Sports and will be unveiled at New York Comic-Con on October 10.
"We love Anson Kuo's take on this Santa Fe Zombie Survival Machine - it's creative... and deadly," says Steve Shannon, vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America.

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In First Drive

Hyundai is coming to the plug-in hybrid sedan party a bit late. No surprise there. Company execs are fully aware of that fact and were eager to say, "Hey, no big deal," at a media briefing on the new 2016 Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid in California last week. The press materials for the new cars offered lots of comparison charts that "proved" (using numbers) that the Hyundais are all-around better than their midsize competition. While Hyundai is at the forefront of the hydrogen fuel cell game in the US with the Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle, the Korean automaker has a lot of ground to make up when it comes to plug-in vehicles. Good thing, then, that the Sonata is a smooth operator and solid performer out on the road. If you're going to show up late, you better make a dramatic entrance. While I much prefer the distinctive shape of the sixth-generation Sonata, there's nothing inherently bad about the new style in the current models. The Hybrid and PHEV update the seventh-gen look of the 2015 Sonata with more aerodynamic front and rear ends, new rocker panels, distinctive headlights and taillights, and eco-spoke alloy wheels. All of these changes reduce drag, dropping the coefficient from 0.27 in the gas-only car to 0.24 for the hybrids. You know what other vehicle has a 0.24 cD? The Tesla Model S. We asked why the standard Sonata doesn't get this slippery update and were told that the improvements came along after the gas model's design had been locked in, but there is a chance some of these changes will find their way to the non-electric vehicle in a future facelift. After spending a day with the new Sonatas, I can say that Hyundai is most welcome at the plug-in vehicle party. The Honda Accord PHEV and Ford Fusion Energi don't get the attention or sales they deserve, and there are some who will say Hyundai got all dressed up for a shindig that's not really worth attending (ever-stricter fuel economy regulations beg to differ). But the more the merrier, in my opinion. And since the Sonata PHEV will indeed be available in all 50 states (with a big caveat) later this year, it won't be long until we see if Hyundai can inject some life into the scene. The main problem is that we don't yet really know how the PHEV compares in terms of MSRP, since Hyundai isn't releasing pricing until some point closer to launch. The automaker did say it expects the PHEV to qualify for a $4,919 tax credit from the federal government.