japan carsВ auction

It wasn’t long ago that two-door variants of compact cars were both expected and somewhat popular, but the options lately have dwindled. Even the Americans—once mainstays in the segment—have backed out, with the new Ford Focus and the Chevy Cruze eschewing the formula, while Chrysler hasn’t had a little coupe since the first-generation Neon. Absent those, in which cars will high school girls of the future hang leis and plastic necklaces? A two-door Honda Civic or a Kia Forte Koup? Read the rest of this entry »

Lately, Hyundai seems to have adopted the role of the auto industry’s kid brother. Products like the Equus and the Genesis sedan and coupe seem to be the relatively young Korean brand’s way of saying to the rest of the business, “Anything you can do, I can do!” With as many bases covered as is prudent at a time of economic uncertainty, and with the gas-price EKG in the midst of a high-altitude hang-up, the company is now following its competitors into the hybrid-sedan arena.

Hyundai’s first hybrid for the U.S. is the

– and . The 2.4-liter inline-four is tuned to run on the more-efficient Atkinson combustion cycle, dropping output from 198 hp and 184 lb-ft to 166 and 154. In place of a torque converter, the Sonata hybrid has an electric motor that makes 40 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque and is disengaged from the gas engine by a hydraulic clutch during electrical operation. Read the rest of this entry »