2013 Hyundai Elantra Gls on 2040-cars

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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.'

China, meet Hyundai's new Mistra sedan

If there was no Hyundai badge, the front end styling of the Korean automaker's new China-only Mistra sedan could have fooled us into thinking it was a refreshed Nissan Altima. Walk around for profile and rear-end views, and we can see more than a bit of Azera in the newest Hyundai, too.
But the Mistra is indeed made for the Chinese market, Carscoops reports, and with a 185.6-inch length, 109.1-inch wheelbase and 71.7-inch width, in size it slots right between the Elantra and Sonata sedans. On the outside, the Mistra maintains Hyundai design cues but loses some of the swoopy styling employed on the Elantra and Sonata for more straight lines and angles.
The Mistra carries its more-restrained-than-Sonata looks to the interior, where occupants will be pleased to find brushed aluminum-look accents on the dashboard, some nice-looking wood trim (if that's your thing) and an easy-to-read instrument cluster with a digital center readout, similar to that in the Genesis sedan.

Kia design chief Peter Schreyer named Hyundai-Kia President

Automotive News reports Peter Schreyer has been appointed the first non-Korean president of Hyundai-Kia Motor Group. Schreyer is expected to retain his role as the chief designer for Kia, while also taking on new, high-level executive duties. He is now one of three presidents at the automaker.
The designer made a name for himself at Volkswagen, where he penned the 1998 New Beetle and lent his eye to the Audi TT. In 2006, Schreyer moved to Kia, where he quickly revised the brand's styling from bland, forgettable lines to bold, "tiger nose" creations. Analysts attribute much of the brand's recent sales success to Schreyer's influence.
Kia is expected to move 2.75 million units worldwide next year, while sister company Hyundai will likely beat its 2012 sales forecast of 4.29 million units, according to CFO Lee Won Hee.