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Is Hyundai's conservative new Sonata struggling out of the gate?

"But so far, Sonata sales are up compared with last year even while we're still ramping up to full speed," - Jim Trainor
According to Reuters, the redesigned-for-2015 Hyundai Sonata is not enjoying the same degree of success in the early going as the previous sixth-gen model, which proved to be one of the most important models in the company's history and ushered in the company's so-called "Fluidic Sculpture" design language that we still see today. Citing a recent review from The New York Times that called the car's more conservative styling "bland" and "boring," Reuters also points to analysts who claim the higher price of the new Sonata, as well as smaller rebates and incentives, are hurting sales. Honda and Toyota both offered anywhere from $600 to $800 more on the hoods of their Accord and Camry sedans last month.

Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai/Kia fined $755M for exaggerated MPG ratings; BMW dealers want more i8s

The fine against Hyundai and Kia has grown to $755 million for overstating fuel economy ratings. $360 million of that fine comes from the EPA for violation of the Clean Air Act: $100 million is a civil penalty, $210 million is a forfeiture of greenhouse gas credits and another $50 million will pay for independent fuel economy audits on future models. The remaining $395 million is a settlement for customers who purchased the affected vehicles. A slew of 2011 to 2013 models were found to have fuel economy ratings overstated by one to six miles per gallon. Customers will be awarded funds to offset the unexpected fuel costs or to put toward a new Hyundai or Kia vehicle. Read more at Hybrid Cars. BMW dealers are awaiting details on new dealership standards - and BMW i8 models for their showroom floors. According to BMW National Dealer Forum Chairman Steve Late, BMW dealers are anxiously waiting to see what sort of updates they'll need to do to get in line with BMW's Future Retail 2016 program. As for the new EVs, Late says that the BMW i3 sales were slow to start, but that once people learned more about it, "wham, bam, it is taking off." The i8 shortage is a bigger problem: "I was allocated three for 2014, and I have a waiting list of 47 people. This year, maybe I will get eight or 10, and I still won't be able to fulfill them." Still, Late says he won't sell the cars at an upcharge. Read more at Automotive News. Opel is reportedly planning an electric version of its Karl hatchback. According to German automotive magazine Autobild, Opel will begin selling the diminutive Karl EV by the end of 2018. The electric car will offer a driving range of about 93 miles. The gasoline-powered version is expected to begin deliveries this June. Read more at Automotive News Europe. PSA Peugeot Citroen says it will keep its Hybrid Air program alive as it looks for a cost-sharing partner. Hybrid Air technology uses a compressed air hybrid system to improve fuel economy as we saw in the Peugeot 208 Hybrid Air concept. A French newspaper reported that Hybrid Air won't make it to commercialization, and that the program's team of engineers has been reduced. A PSA spokesperson confirms the change to the program, saying, "We are now waiting for another partner to help us begin the production stage." Read more at Automotive News Europe. Related Video:

Kia Soul EV starts production next month amidst modest sales projections

The hamsters in those Kia Soul commercials? Looks like they'll be riding real quiet and quite clean a little sooner than we thought. Kia is now saying it will start production of the 2015 Soul EV next month, and sales will start later this year in the company's home country of South Korea. Additionally, according to Reuters, Kia is keeping sales expectations low, suggesting it should sell about 5,000 Soul EVs a year at a price of around $39,000, though the out-of-pocket costs should be cut in half because of South Korean government subsidies. Kia's taking a somewhat conservative approach to its early sales target as it focuses largely on the US and Europe during its first phase, said Kia spokesman Michael Choo. "We are currently conducting launch feasibility studies for the secondary phase of Soul EV introduction and plan to expand sales to other countries at a later stage," he said. "Hence, we believe the sales volume of the Soul EV will steadily grow following our initial full year of sales." As for the US, Kia spokesman James Hope tells AutoblogGreen that while the company hasn't set a definitive debut date, "we are targeting Q3 of this year." Hope says Kia isn't providing Soul EV sales guidance for the US, so we'll just have to see where the EV chips fall come September or so. Reuters also notes that sister company Hyundai will start selling its own battery-electric vehicle in 2016, a timetable confirmed by Hyundai Senior Vice President Lee Ki-sang. Both Kia and Hyundai are shooting for a South Korean electric-vehicle market that they hope will expand exponentially from a total of just 713 sales last year. The front-wheel-drive Soul EV will have a 81-kilowatt electric motor, and its single-charge range will be about 120 miles. The model was first shown off at the Chicago Auto Show last month, but Autoblog scored an early prototype test drive ahead of the reveal – check out our feature drive report here. Kia Motors shows Soul EV and next-generation hybrid powertrain at Geneva Show (SEOUL) March 4, 2014 -- The new Kia Soul EV made its European debut at the 84th Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva, Switzerland, today alongside a special technology exhibit of the brand's next-generation hybrid powertrain.