The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says small cars can suffer some expensive damage in very low-speed driving.

The IIHS conducted a battery of tests on 20 small cars that found fault with many in the test, with 3- and 6-mph simulated impacts resulting in damages totaling nearly one-third of the vehicle price in some cases.

At the speeds used by the IIHS, only the bumpers should sustain damage, and then it should be cosmetic, they reasoned. The bumpers' job is to protect the expensive, structural portions of the vehicle such as hoods, headlights, and fenders. Automotive designers can take these realities into account while designing bumpers, but in most cases the IIHS found that bumpers in the economy class were substandard when it came to protecting the vehicles' sheetmetal.

Worst offenders in the class were the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen Rabbit, all of which sustained damage of $4,000 or more in a single test. The Ford Focus was the best performer, with its worst damage about one-third of the cost the worst performers' in a single test.

It is the physics of these low-speed collisions that often quickly turns a fender-bender into a hefty insurance claim. A properly designed bumper, such as in the Ford Focus, meets the colliding vehicle square at bumper height, and both bumpers are able to absorb impact and protect other parts of the vehicle. But it was aggressive and trendy styling mixed with less than thorough engineering, found the IIHS, that contributes to bumpers that either push the colliding vehicle underneath the bumper (underriding) or push it above the bumper (overriding). In both cases, pricey components and accessories are damaged, and sheetmetal can also be deformed. Also at fault were flimsy bumpers that, even when colliding properly, weren't stout enough to handle the impact. Finally, bumper shape and height are critical design factors that can mean thousands of dollars' difference in an impact.

A series of four crash tests were performed to assess and compare bumper performance: full front and rear into a barrier designed to mimic the front or back bumper on another vehicle, and front and rear corner impact tests as well. Full-width impact testing was done at 6 mph, corner impact testing at 3 mph.

"Small cars are supposed to be economical, but there's nothing economical about three or four thousand dollars in repairs after a low-speed collision," says Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's senior vice president Joe Nolan.

Hyundai will take some front-and-center space at this year's SEMA aftermarket extravaganza when it shows off this 2010 Genesis Coupe, suitably altered and blown by HKS.

The HKS tuners will unleash their version of hell on the Genesis Coupe, which bows early next year in V-6 and four-cylinder form. The plan is to install a turbo and engine-management controls, a new exhaust system and intake system, and a fully adjustable suspension to beef up its performance potential--along with the likelihood of Vin Diesel appearing publicly in one.

Also on tap: the rather obvious body add-ons from Ken Style, including a deep front-end air dam and some sill sculpting.

“We’ve designed Genesis Coupe from the start to be tuner-friendly,” John Krafcik, Hyundai VP for product planning, in a release.  “Partnering with an industry leader like HKS is a terrific way for us to stretch the performance envelope of Genesis Coupe.”

Sales of the stock Genesis Coupe start in spring, with a 212-horsepower turbo four standard and a 306-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 available optionally.

Write it on your Phil Collins fansite: The Genesis has finally gotten a five-star rating.

Of course, we're not talking about the "Sussudio" Genesis, but the 2009 Hyundai Genesis here. Fitted with all kinds of standard airbags and stability control, the Genesis has earned five-star crash ratings in front and side impacts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Hyundai also notes the Genesis sports the first electronic active head restraints on a "popular" brand, which in the company's definition excludes BMW, Benz, and Lexus.

As a result of the rating, we're updating our full review of the Genesis to include the latest information--as we'll do when the IIHS issues its stats on the big luxosedan.

Toyota, Honda, GM, and Ford are some of the world's biggest car companies--and Hyundai wants to be in their clique. So while all those brands offer a range of hybrid vehicles, so too will Hyundai, starting with a gas-electric version of the Sonata sedan.

Automotive News reports that Hyundai's American product chief John Krafcik confirms the Korean automaker is working on a hybrid powertrain for its mid-size sedan. He tells the News that the hybrid will feature a lithium-ion battery--the advanced kind being developed by Toyota, GM, and others--and that a prototype will be shown this fall.

The hybrid Sonata likely will be modeled after the next-generation Sonata; the current sedan bowed in 2006. The new hybrid is expected as a 2011 model. And while it will offer battery-augmented power, it won't be a plug-in, Hyundai's Krafcik adds.

TheCarConnection.com's spies have caught the new 2010 Hyundai Portico crossover testing in the California desert.

Originally shown in concept form at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, the production Portico pictured here is expected to reach the market as a 2010 model, slotting in above Hyundai's Santa Fe and Veracruz.

The packaging of the Portico straddles the line between wagons and minivans in the vein of the Mercedes R-Class.  It will likely be positioned against GM's Lambda CUVs (Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook), albeit with fewer SUV overtones.--KGP Photography