Hyundai: Sonata 2.0 Turbo hits 60 in 6.5 seconds, returns 34 mpg highway

According to Hyundai, its new 274-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine for the 2011 Sonata sedan is going to be a real gem. To wit, the Korean automaker says the boosted-four will propel its midsize sedan to 60 miles per hour in just 6.5 seconds. That's serious speed for the segment and it means the Sonata will at least have the accelerative chops to stick with the rest of the sport sedan competition.

Of course, these days frugality is just as important as horsepower, and Hyundai assures us that its 2.0T-powered Sonata will be able to return the promised 22 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway – all on regular-grade fuel. For those who like to keep track of such things, Hyundai claims those figures are 16% and 17% better respectively than the outgoing 3.5-liter V6.

Want more? Well, that's all we can share for now... but our initial driving impressions will be on their way just as soon as Hyundai gives the word. Stay tuned.

[Source: Hyundai]

Beijing 2010: 2011 Hyundai Accent debuts as Verna across the Pacific

Hyundai's fluidic sculpture design language has now spread to the smallest vehicle in its lineup, and the new sub-compact slated to take the place of the aging Accent was unwrapped on the floor of the Beijing Motor Show. We've been seeing spy shots of the next generation Accent for some time and it very clearly follows the same design path as its big brother the Sonata.

The little sedan, badged the Verna outside the U.S., has the same rounded coupe-like greenhouse and rising crease up the sides. Inside the Verna/Accent definitely has a more attractive, higher-quality feel than the current model, although calling it up-scale would be slightly disingenuous. We'll have to wait and see what kind materials the North American model gets before making a decision.

Power is slated to come from either a 1.4- or 1.6-liter inline-four, producing 106 horsepower and 120 hp, respectively, with a standard five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic. Expect the U.S. version to come packing the larger four-pot when it goes on sale early next year.

Kia Forte awarded IIHS 'Top Safety Pick'

Much like parent company Hyundai, Kia has been working hard to revive its brand image. New products like the Soul and Forte have been relatively well received so far, and with new stunners like the 2011 Sportage and Optima on the way, Kia should benefit from a healthy boost in sales. But strip away the sleek new designs and clever interior packaging, and you'll find that Kia's core value of crafting extremely safe vehicles is still holding strong, especially now that the 2010 Forte sedan has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Forte received ratings of "Good" (the highest achievable) in front, side, rear and rollover impact crash tests – something that safety-minded buyers will surely appreciate. What's more, this gives the Forte more ammo to compete head on with the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, its two main competitors, which have also been dubbed as Top Safety Picks by IIHS. Curiously, only the sedan was mentioned in the IIHS study, so we can't say if this prestigious honor carries over to the two-door coupe Koup.