2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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Hyundai mulling new small CUV under Tucson

Hyundai maintains it can barely build enough of its core models to satisfy North American consumers, but that doesn't mean it isn't keen to expand its offerings to capture developing segments of the market. According to Edmunds, one of those expanding niches could be the burgeoning subcompact crossover segment. The website quotes Hyundai North America president and CEO John Krafcik as acknowledging his company is "very under-represented" in crossovers, the market's hottest vehicle type.
With the discontinuation of the Veracruz, Hyundai is down to two CUV nameplates, Tucson (pictured) and Santa Fe, the latter of which covers two segments with a two-row Sport and long-wheelbase three-row model. And while Hyundai commands seven percent of the US sedan market, the company estimates it only has two percent of the truck segment.
And while Krafcik stops short of confirming a new model, he acknowledges "a new segment is emerging" underneath the Tucson and says, "I think it's something to look at." At the moment, the subcompact softroader segment remains small and somewhat amorphous, with tiny CUV offerings like the Buick Encore, Nissan Juke, and now-discontinued Suzuki SX4 illustrating that there are a lot of different ways to package and market such a vehicle.

EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers

The unintended acceleration brouhaha at Toyota led to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration tightening the vise on recall procedures. Likewise, the fuel economy kerfuffle that blew up with Hyundai and Kia's admission of overstated fuel mileage claims could lead to the Environmental Protection Agency policing automaker assertions by performing more audits.
At least, that's what a senior engineer with the government agency said while in Michigan giving a talk, according to a report in Automotive News. What that actually means, however, is still in question. Just ten to 15 percent of new vehicles - something like 150 to 200 cars per year - are rested by the EPA to verify automaker numbers. The EPA's own tests include a "fudge factor" to adjust lab mileage for real-world mileage, and the agency still relies on automakers to submit data for tests that it doesn't have the facilities to perform. How much more auditing can the EPA really expect to do, or perhaps a more relevant question would be how much more accurate could the EPA's audits become?
The price of gasoline, the psychological importance of 40 miles per gallon to a frugal car buyer, an automaker wanting to further justify the price premium of a hybrid, all of these things contribute to fuel economy numbers that insist on creeping upward. Perhaps the senior engineer encapsulated the whole situation best when he said, "Everybody wants a label that tells you exactly what you're going to get, but obviously that's not possible. A good general rule of thumb is that real-world fuel economy is about 20 percent lower than the lab numbers." If the lesson isn't exactly 'buyer beware,' it's at least 'buyer be wary.'

Is this the new Hyundai Elantra?

Hyundai's future models have a tendency to leak out of the South Korean market before they are shown elsewhere, and that appears to be the case with the next-gen Elantra. According to Indian Autos Blog, the official unveiling isn't scheduled in South Korea until April, but at least one shot of the upcoming sedan is online a few weeks early. Based on this single photo of the front of the car, Hyundai's designers are vastly altering the Elantra's styling for its latest generation, moving it closer to the current Sonata. The grille receives the wide, trapezoidal shape from the latest members of the brand's lineup, and the headlights wear a more angular look, as well. This image also barely shows an arching crease running up the side through the door handles. According to Indian Autos Blog, the powertrain range for the future Elantra might include the new 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder from the recently unveiled Tucson. In European trim, the engine makes 174 horsepower and is paired with either a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual. If you're wondering why it's worth caring about a Korean-market Hyundai, it's because the automaker often only lightly tweaks designs (if at all) before bringing them to the US. So, this is quite likely an accurate preview of the next-gen Elantra in North America, as well.