2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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Hyundai considering upscale Genesis-based crossover

Hyundai already offers upscale entries in its lineup such as the Equus and Genesis (pictured above), but unlike many brands in North America, the company lacks a luxury crossover to further compliment the sedans. The latest signs suggest that hole in the lineup might be filled in the near future, though. According to four, unnamed company insiders speaking to Reuters, the Korean automaker might build a posh CUV on the Genesis' platform. "We are considering developing premium, large SUVs based on customers' needs. We plan to respond to the fast-changing market centered around SUVs by beefing up our SUV line-up," said a statement from Hyundai to Reuters. The idea stems from a proposal last year to pounce on the booming luxury CUV market. However, this strategy doesn't have a green light yet, and it could be years before the crossover sees showrooms. Potentially holding things back is the brand's concern about its power in the luxury market. "We are timid when it comes to bigger SUVs," a source said to Reuters. Hyundai also remembers the struggles of the Veracruz in North America, and the vehicle was eventually replaced by the three-row Santa Fe. Finally, there's a worry that higher gas prices around the time of the proposed debut could be a problem, too. Even if the plans for the luxury model don't pan out, this is hardly the end of Hyundai's upcoming crossover plans. A compact CUV is reportedly under consideration for North America, and there's the much-rumored Santa Cruz unibody pickup potentially on the way, too.

Autoblog Podcast #389

Episode #389 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Mark Pereira from Autoblog Canada talk about Johan deNysschen's move to Cadillac, rumors of more BMW nomenclature changes, a second generation for the Subaru BRZ, and cars from 2004 that we miss. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #389: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Johan de Nysschen moves to Cadillac BMW model designations changing even more Subaru BRZ getting second generation Cars We Miss In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2015 Volkswagen GTI 2015 Chevrolet Silverato 2500 Diesel Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Mark Pereira Runtime: 01:59:10 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Johan deNysschen - 36:12 BMW Nomenclature - 53:58 BRZ - 56:27 Cars We Miss - 01:05:07 Q&A - 01:30:09 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Auto News Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Hyundai Subaru Volkswagen

Hyundai tops VW and Buick in China, survey says

You may be aware of the long-time competition in China between Volkswagen and Buick, but another brand apparently should be in that conversation too: Hyundai. In a recently published annual consumer survey, the Korean company actually took the top spot to beat out its German and American rivals in second and third, respectively. The results were part of the China Brand Power Index that interviewed 11,500 people around the nation and was paid for by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. While Hyundai proved popular with voters, its sales haven't necessarily shown that yet. According to Bloomberg, the brand had falling numbers in China for the first quarter of the year. Even Ford outsold the South Korean automaker in the same period, despite scoring lower on the survey. Meanwhile, Audi ranked as the populace's favorite luxury brand, which is hardly a surprise given the Four Rings' strong sales in China. In January alone the automaker saw a 15-percent boost in volume there. Parent company VW's strong performance was somewhat more surprising, though. State media severely criticized the German automaker in March, and customers protested last year for the allegedly poor handling of a recall.