Hyundai testing more variants of top-secret commercial van

 
The commercial van market in the US is exploding with new products at the moment, with entries from Ford, Ram, Nissanand others. And we are seeing images (again) of Hyundaitesting its own van in Europe, as well, though it's not known whether the model will make it to the US. While the company has offered work vehicles overseas in the past, this one appears to be a direct competitor to European vehicles with large bodies and tiny wheels like the Ford Transit andMercedes-Benz Sprinter.

The latest images show off not just the standard commercial van but also the pickup version, and interior for the first time. According to our spy shooters, Hyundai did not want people to see the inside of the test vehicle, reaching out specifically in an attempt to secure the pictures you see here. It's hard to say what's worth being so secretive about, but that big infotainment screen certainly looks like a nice addition. We still aren't sure whether the Korean company has opted for front- or rear-wheel drive for the model, but the gearshift suggests that it's using a six-speed manual transmission.

The pickup truck version has a cab that looks just like the standard van. Testing this variant suggests that Hyundai is addressing the need for multiple body configurations in the commercial space.

Source: autoblog.com

2015 Hyundai Sonata plays a more mature tune

Hyundai's new North American CEO Dave Zuckowski pulled a silky sheet off of the redesigned 2015 Sonatahere at the New York Auto Show, ushering in not only a new era of domestic stewardship for the company, but also a new, more mature design direction for its mass-market vehicles.

Though we've already seen the striking sedan in a wealth of recent photos, seeing the car in person confirmed that Hyundai has another hit on its hands. The Sonata employs the Korean automaker's new "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" design language, which we already witnessed in the new, much lower-volumeGenesis. Hyundai describes the language as being more dignified, respectable and confident. We certainly agree with that.

Gone are the swooping lines of old, which grabbed our attention on the previous generation. They've been replaced by straight edges and harder angles, most noticeably along the car's beltline. A larger, more refined grille with a wide air intake leads the car down the road. The stance is athletic, with a steeper, coupe-like roofline, quad chrome-tipped exhaust ports and horizontal lines in the rear, which give the car a planted look. The redesigned headlights are wing-like in appearance and, man, that burnt orange color is sexy.

Under the hood, the engines remain the same – a 2.4-liter four cylinder and 2.0-liter turbo-four – though both have been tweaked to improve performance, mostly in low-RPM situations. Additional updates include a redesigned and bigger interior, which Hyundai says greatly emphasizes ergonomics and comfort, a much more rigid platform, a wealth of new safety features and lots of new tech and infotainment updates, including the smart trunk, first seen on the new Genesis. It's one of the simplest, yet most novel features we've seen in 2014.

Source: autoblog

HYUNDAI’S SANTA FE WINS WINTER VEHICLE AWARD FOR BEST AFFORDABLE CROSSOVER

Hyundai’s 2014 Santa Fe proved it can weather the storm, earning the distinction of Best Affordable Crossover under $28,000 in the 2014 Winter Vehicle Awards. For the second year in a row, the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) acknowledged the Hyundai Santa Fe as one of the best in its class for winter driving in New England. This year the Santa Fe tied with the 2014 Kia Sorento.

“This award from NEMPA recognizes the careful detail our engineers put into building the Santa Fe,” said Trevor Lai, Product Manager, Hyundai Motor America. “With features like the Active Cornering Control All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system, Santa Fe drivers can operate their vehicles in confidence in a wide range of weather and road conditions.”

NEMPA members evaluated numerous vehicles during the winter months to determine which ones offer the best winter driving in New England. Vehicles selected for the Winter Vehicle Awards offer a combination of winter-specific features and options plus the dynamic qualities that make for safe, enjoyable and competent all-weather driving.

“Every year during Official Winter Vehicle of New England judging, NEMPA members are looking for vehicles that perform well in a number of different segments. Competitors in this particular segment have it tough,” said Craig Fitzgerald, NEMPA President. “Not only do they have to offer outstanding winter performance, but they have to provide all the qualities New England drivers are looking for in a crossover – cargo capacity, room for six-plus – and then do it at a price under $28,000. That’s a tall order that Hyundai managed to pull off with the Santa Fe.”

The 2014 Santa Fe comes equipped with new safety technologies and premium features including blind spot detection, rear parking assistance, standard vehicle stability management, anti-lock braking system and seven airbags. The Santa Fe is equipped with Active Cornering Control All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system, which cooperatively helps control torque and braking in conjunction with the Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system. The 2014 model is powered by the highly acclaimed 3.3-liter V6 engine offering ideal fuel economy, drivability and a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs.

Source:  http://www.hyundainews.com/

2015 GENESIS: THREE GREAT FEATURES

There’s so much to love about the all-new 2015 Genesis. From its embodiment of Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 styling to its liberal use of high tech safety and infotainment technology, we could write about it all day. Luckily for you readers, I’m just going to focus on three great new features.

For years we’ve all been spoiled by truly hands-free vehicle access, where the car keys remain in a pocket or purse for unlocking doors or starting the engine. I can personally say it’s a feature I truly love. Over the last few years, automakers have found new and creative ways to extend the use of this technology for situations for when both hands are occupied. For example, someone carrying a full load of groceries can leg-kick under the rear of the vehicle to activate a power tailgate or trunk. While this does come in handy, we wanted to take it a step further with the new Genesis (and avoid any awkward stares from people wondering if the leg-kick is a new dance move). With Smart Trunk, our engineers made it simple. It allows the driver to keep both feet comfortably on the ground, simply standing by the trunk for a few seconds, waiting for it to open automatically. The system also provides an audible warning and flashing lights prior to opening. No leg kicking or special dance moves required.

2015 Genesis will be the first in the Hyundai lineup to offer our second-generation Blue Link system. Blue Link offers over 30 features, from safety and security to remote control with the Blue Link app. Our second-generation system has been designed with speed and accuracy in mind, which is why we worked with Google to bring Destination Search to our customers. This powerful destination search engine can be accessed through the Blue Link button (voice recognition) and navigation display, or throughmyhyundai.com and the Blue Link mobile app, to send a destination to the car. I’ve spent some time with the feature and it really is as good as it sounds.

Another feature that really sets the Genesis apart from the others is the Genesis Intelligent Assistant^® App. As they say, “time is the ultimate luxury.” Our teams worked hard to create a proactive app for Genesis designed to save the driver time and add more convenience to the ownership experience. The app combines Blue Link features along with data from the vehicle, the owner’s smartphone and the internet. Multiple layers of intelligence allow the app to send proactive notifications and recommendations to the Genesis owner in preparation for their drive. One notification that will come in handy is a reminder to remote start the car on a hot or cold day. My personal favorite is the suggested departure time which uses traffic data to suggest when it would be best to get on the road, in order to make an appointment on time.

So there you have it – three great features available in 2015 Genesis that are sure to impress.

What are your favorite features of the next Genesis?

Source:  http://www.hyundailikesunday.com/

1 in 5 motorists name their car, do you?

 

We all know someone who's named their car. And chances are – let's face it – that person is probably a girl. We're not being sexist here: we're just looking at the numbers presented by a new study from DMEautomotive.

The industry research group conducted a study that indicates that one in five American car owners have named their vehicles. But that one in five is likely to be female and between the ages of 18 and 24. The study upsets certain notions of men being more attached to their cars than women, and millennials not caring about cars: at 23 percent, women proved more likely to personify their vehicle than men (at 18 percent), and car owners in their late teens or early twenties are the four times more likely to name their cars than someone over 55.

Because most women (by far) view their car as female and men are pretty evenly split, there's about twice as many "female" cars on the road as "male" ones (those identities having been ascribed by the vehicles' owners). But this part had us scratching our heads the most: apparently one in four cars that have names, have names that begin with the letter B: as the tidy infographic above shows, Baby, Betsy, Bessie and Betty (along with Black Beauty) rank among the most popular names for cars in America.

Of course some cars may be more susceptible to being named than others, though the study (whose findings you can read below) doesn't get into that. As our friends at Road & Track discovered, Mini dealers have devised a simple way of figuring out whether an owner may be interested in trading in: if they've named their Mini, chances are slim that they'll be willing to part with it.

By Noah Joseph
Courtesy of http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/15/car-name-study-poll/