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Autoblog Podcast #317

Mitsubishi Mirage, Toyota thinks of beefing up US production, Marchionne on Alfa, Dart and minivans, Ford Atlas concept, Honda Gear concept
Episode #317 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Jeff Ross and Michael Harley bookend the other podcast topics with a pair from the Montreal Auto Show, the Mitsubishi Mirage and Honda Gear concept, and in between we talk about Toyota building all its US-market cars stateside, Hyundai building a Nurburgring test facility, Sergio Marchionne's latest words about Alfa Romeo, Dodge Dart powertrains and the future of Chrysler vans. Some chatter about the Ford Atlas concept finishes up the meat of the 'cast and then we wrap with your questions. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #317:

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.

Hyundai reveals more 2015 Genesis details

After we posted the renderings of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis last night, Hyundai issued a full press release revealing some of the details about its next-generation sedan. Set to make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in a few months, the 2015 Genesis promises to bring a whole new level of styling and technology to the Korean automaker's portfolio.
Hyundai says that the design used on this car is part of its Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 language that we expect to slowly make its way across the entire lineup. Major styling changes include a taller, upright, single-frame grille (think Audi), larger headlights, sharper body lines and the swept-back, couple-like roofline. Except for spy shots, we still have no clue what the interior of the new Genesis will look like, but Hyundai says the sedan will be more intuitive for drivers to interact with. On the Genesis-foretelling HCD-14 Concept, this included a head-up display, as well as eye- and hand-gesture recognition.
For the drivetrain, Hyundai hasn't revealed much, except that the 2015 Genesis will get an all-new HTRAC all-wheel drive system. The sedan should also be better to drive, thanks to a more even weight balance, a stiffer chassis and Advanced Traction Cornering Control (ATCC) electronic suspension. Replacing the electro-hydraulic power steering system in the current model, the new Genesis will get a full-electric, rack-mounted power steering system. For more info on the upcoming 2015 Genesis sedan, check out the full press release posted below.