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2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets new performance parts at SEMA

Hyundai is planning a line of aftermarket performance parts being developed for the 2019 Veloster Turbo sport coupe and, it says, other sporty models. New accessory parts include a high-performance K&N high-flow air filter, Borla axle-back exhaust systems, a B&M sport shift kit, Eibach springs and anti-roll bars, and lightweight, performance alloy wheels. Hyundai is putting its stamp of approval on the parts, saying it validated them all and adding that the components do not invalidate the automaker's various warranties, including its 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. The parts will be sold through Hyundai dealers. The 2019 Veloster Turbo gets a new multi-link suspension, replacing a torsion-beam configuration, plus aluminum suspension parts to save on weight and sharpen handling dynamics. The base Veloster, which starts at $19,385 including destination charge, is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 148 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Higher trim levels get a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that puts out 201 hp and 195 lb-ft. Hyundai says it will continue to expand aftermarket performance offerings for models like the Veloster Turbo, Elantra Sport and Elantra GT Sport. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai Veloster Turbo Customs and Performance Parts: SEMA 2018 View 10 Photos Related Gallery Hyundai Veloster Turbo performance parts SEMA Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Aftermarket SEMA Show Hyundai Coupe Hatchback Performance hyundai veloster turbo 3-door

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.

Hyundai And Kia Penalized $350 Million For Overstated MPG Claims

Nearly two years after Hyundai and Kia announced they exaggerated fuel economy numbers for several of their most popular models, the two Korean automakers have paid a heavy penalty for the transgressions. The Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement Monday that will cost the two car companies approximately $350 million. The financial sum includes a $100 million fine, the largest ever levied under the Clean Air Act, and about $200 million in forfeited greenhouse-gas emissions credits. At a time when car buyers rank fuel economy as a top concern when they head to dealerships and the federal government has mandated increased efficiency, Attorney General Eric Holder said the settlement should serve as a warning to automakers not to fudge their numbers. "This will send a strong message that cheating is not profitable," he said. The settlement ends a federal lawsuit filed against the automakers in U.S. District Court, but it's important to note that it doesn't end a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of consumers. A preliminary settlement in that case, based in Los Angeles, was approved last month, but final approval isn't expected until July 2015. Officials with the EPA said the $100 million figure roughly equals the economic benefits the two companies received from exaggerating the mileage claims on the window stickers of new cars. Fuel-efficient boasts helped Hyundai and Kia establish a strong foothold in the U.S. marketplace. Advertisements for the Hyundai Elantra stated the vehicle achieved 40 miles per gallon in highway driving, and helped the car win the prestigious North American Car Of The Year honors at the Detroit Auto Show for its 2012 model. In July 2011, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog began receiving complaints from consumers that the Elantra and other Hyundai models fell short of their stated mileage claims in real-world driving. The group wrote to the EPA and Hyundai, asking both to investigate. Government officials said Kia had overstated the mileage on its popular Kia Soul crossover by 6 miles per gallon, and more than a dozen overall models were affected. On Monday, EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said the violations were "egregious." Based on the exaggerations, the EPA calculated that Hyundai and Kia had underreported the greenhouse gas emissions of their fleets by about 4.75 metric tons over the estimated lifetime of the vehicles. That figure aided in the $200 million credit forfeiture.