2014 Hyundai Elantra Gt Base on 2040-cars

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Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV deliveries running behind schedule

Things are running a little bit behind on Hyundai's hydrogen-powered Tucson Fuel Cell CUV program in the US. The last time we checked in with the South Korean automaker's H2 project, we heard that the first deliveries were supposed to happen by the end of March. Speaking with Hyundai's Kevin Lee at the Hyundai booth at the SAE World Congress this week, we learned that deliveries are now going to happen closer to a month from now. Globally, there are roughly 70-100 of these hydrogen CUVs running in customer hands today. Lee told AutoblogGreen that the first US-bound units will be shipped from South Korea at the end of April or beginning of May but there is no actual date set for the first customer delivery. He said he expects 100 or fewer H2 powered Tucson CUVs to be operating in the US by the end of this year, all of them in Southern California. He said the customers in this first batch are being selected based on the location of the nearest hydrogen fuel station. While the number of stations is small today, more are on the way. Globally, there are roughly 70-100 of these hydrogen-powered CUVs (also known as the ix35) running in customer hands today, in places like South Korea, Germany, Norway, Austria and Italy. Some H2 stations charge Hyundai a flat rate per fill while others charge the automaker a general station maintenance fee. In the US, the Tucson Fuel Cell CUV leases for $499 a month (with $2,999 down) for 36 months, and comes with unlimited hydrogen refueling as well as Hyundai's Valet Maintenance. Lee told us that one reason for the "free" hydrogen is that even the small number of public hydrogen stations out there (nine in SoCal) does not have a cohesive set of rules for how to sell H2 to the public. The stations are not yet certified to charge customers based on dollar per kilogram in California, Lee said, since that regulation has not yet been set by the Division of Measurement Standards (DMS). Currently, "each station is different," he said, with some charging Hyundai a flat rate per fill and others charging the automaker a general station maintenance fee. This situation will likely change by the end of the year, he said. Lee said Hyundai is already busy working on the next-gen fuel cell vehicles and trying to reduce costs but was not able to share any details.

Hyundai, Porsche top J.D. Power APEAL study

Just as they did in the Initial Quality Study, Porsche and Hyundai have taken the premium and non-premium crown, respectively, for the 2014 J.D. Power APEAL study. This is the tenth consecutive year for that Porsche has been rated the best premium make in the APEAL study, which attempts to figure out how pleased owners are with their purchases. For 2014, it asked 86,000 owners of MY2014 cars to rate their vehicles in 77 different categories 90 days after their initial purchase. The resulting figures were plugged in deliver the APEAL score, which is rated on a 1,000-point scale.
The industry average sits at 794 points for 2014, although that's a one-percent decline over last year's rating. In this year's study, premium brands averaged 840 out of 1,000, while non-premium makes average 785. For their part, Porsche netted an impressive 882 points, while Hyundai earned an 804. Interestingly, only four non-premium brands (Hyundai, Ram, Volkswagen and Mini) finished above the industry average for 2014.
It's also interesting to see the clear delineation between premium and non-premium brands, with an eight-point gap between the non-premium champ, Hyundai, and the lowest-rated premium brand, Volvo.

Hyundai recalls 43k Genesis and Equus models for faulty lighting

As you can imagine, it'd be a bit of a problem if the brake lights on your car didn't work. And that, unfortunately, is precisely the problem that Hyundai has found with some of its higher-end offerings, prompting the Korean automaker to issue a recall. (One of a great many recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today, as you can no doubt see.) The problem apparently revolves around a failure in the circuit that's supposed to illuminate the taillights when the driver hits the brakes. If that doesn't work, of course, the vehicle behind would be more likely to crash into the Hyundai in question. As a result, Hyundai is recalling precisely 42,925 units, split between the 2009-2011 Genesis (manufactured between April 30, 2008, and November 21, 2010) and the 2011 Equus (manufactured between July 31, 2010 and November 21, 2010). Owners of those vehicles will be notified to bring their vehicles in to have their brake light circuits repaired. RECALL Subject : Inoperative Stop Lamps Report Receipt Date: NOV 07, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V713000 Component(s): EXTERIOR LIGHTING Potential Number of Units Affected: 42,925 Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America SUMMARY: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Hyundai Genesis vehicles manufactured April 30, 2008, to November 21, 2010, and 2011 Hyundai Equus vehicles manufactured July 31, 2010, to November 21, 2010. Due to a circuit failure, the stop lamps in the affected vehicles may not illuminate. CONSEQUENCE: A following vehicle may not recognize that the vehicle is slowing or coming to a stop if the stop lamps on the vehicle do not illuminate as expected. There is an increased risk of a rear-end crash as a result. REMEDY: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the stop lamp switch circuit, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-714-865-3920. Hyundai's number for this recall is 125. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.