Hyundai apologises for overstating fuel efficiency

A new Sonata sedan on display in Beijing. Hyundai Motor yesterday said it had overstated the fuel efficiency of the car.

Dow Jones /Seoul

Hyundai Motor yesterday said it had overstated the fuel efficiency of its new flagship Sonata sedan and issued an apology, a fresh blow to Hyundai’s credibility after it admitted in 2012 exaggerating fuel economy figures for autos in the US.

The auto maker said on March 4 that the average mileage of its revamped Sonata sedan was 12.6 kilometres per litre. On Friday, the Korean government said its tests for car showed a mileage of 12.1 kilometres per litre.

“We gave out a tentative figure we got from an internal test. The mistake resulted from our effort to emphasise the improved fuel economy of the new Sonata, even though it was heavier than the previous model,” Hyundai said in a statement.

At a preview event for the new Sonata, Hyundai vice president Hwang Chung-yul touted the new family sedan’s fuel economy, saying it was a 6% improvement from its predecessor’s 11.9 kilometre per litre.