2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz might be the compact pickup we've been waiting for

The recent pickup truck renaissance and the dominance of the crossover has not been a great thing for car-heavy brands like Hyundai. That doesn't mean the Korean manufacturer is sitting on its hands, though, as it's taken the 2015 Detroit Auto Show to introduce the Hyundai HCD-15 Concept, also known as the Santa Cruz. The handsome trucklet heralds an eventual production model, and while the overall styling is likely to be softened by the time a sellable model arrives, there are a number of features present on this design-only concept that give us hints about the future Santa Cruz. Rear-hinged half-doors grant access to the back seats, while the cabin itself can seat five people without much shoehorning. The cargo area, while quite compact at first glance, can easily be expanded to space Hyundai describes as "similar to a mid-size pickup." Aesthetically, we're fans of the Santa Cruz's styling, which is more brutish than "fluidic sculpture 2.," without appearing brash. The hexagonal grille, upright front fascia, and fast C-pillar are all very nice touches, although the rear tailgate does appear somewhat awkward. The Santa Cruz's theoretical powertrain (it never moved while on stage, and it lacked a real interior) features at its heart a 2.-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. With 190 horsepower, 300 pound-feet of torque and HTRAC all-wheel drive, we can only hope that Hyundai's powertrain claims see the light of day. Take a look at our full gallery of live images from the floor of the 2015 North American International Auto Show, and then head below for Hyundai's official statement on its latest concept truck. Hyundai's Fresh Take on the Sport Truck Concept Appeals to Trending "Urban Adventurer" Millennial Lifestyles Appeal of a Modern CUV with the Incremental Utility of an Expanding Truck Bed DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2015 – Today, Hyundai revealed its innovative Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This fresh concept reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers, especially Millennials, who represent the second-largest population of car buyers. "The Santa Cruz crossover truck concept meets the unspoken needs of a growing Millennial lifestyle we call 'Urban Adventurers'," said Mark Dipko, director, corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America.

Hyundai recalls over 419k vehicles in three campaigns

General Motors is the undisputed king of recalls for 2014. No one is going to contest this point. The American company is far from the only one with vehicles that need fixing, though, as Hyundai has announced another recall totaling 419,000 vehicles in three separate campaigns.
The majority of the vehicles affected come from the Santa Fe family, where 225,000 of the model year 2001 to 2006 CUVs will need their front springs replaced. It seems that the early Santa Fe's coils can rust and crack when subjected to frosty temperatures and the road salt that so often accompanies them. Should they fracture, it's possible that a crash would be the end result.
As this is an issue linked to road salt, only Santa Fes sold in 20 states - from Maine to Iowa and Wisconsin to West Virginia - are affected. Vehicles sold in Washington, D.C. are also covered in the recall.

Hyundai puts its hydrogen development program on hiatus

UPDATE: According to Pulse news in South Korea, Hyundai denies that it has paused development of hydrogen fuel cells. Instead, the report suggests the team was reshuffled as technological hurdles have slowed down progress. Time will tell which version of the report is factual. Hydrogen technology has reportedly lost one of its biggest and most vocal proponents, at least for now. Citing a long list of hurdles, Hyundai has allegedly stopped developing the hydrogen-electric powertrain it planned to put in several of its cars (including Genesis models) in the coming years. Anonymous sources told South Korean publication Chosunbiz that executives pulled the emergency brake after analyzing the results of a feasibility study. Nothing is official at this point, and the report stresses that the pause is temporary. However, the issues reportedly found are relatively serious: they include unspecified technical problems and a lack of marketability due in part to cost-related concerns. The news comes as a surprise because Hyundai has invested a tremendous amount of resources into making hydrogen a viable alternative to gasoline without many of the inconveniences associated with EVs, like long charging times and limited driving range. It's one of the few carmakers in the world that sells a hydrogen-electric car (the Nexo; pictured), and it announced plans to build about 130,000 hydrogen-powered cars annually by 2025. And yet, the Nexo is a tough sell, even in hydrogen-friendly markets like South Korea; 8,206 units were sold there through November 2021. The 671-horsepower Vision FK concept unveiled earlier in 2021 will seemingly remain at the prototype stage. Interestingly, a separate unverified report claims that Hyundai has also shuttered its engine development division. If both are accurate, it means that the Hyundai group (which includes Kia and Genesis) will exclusively develop electric powertrains starting in the near future. Several car companies have tried to pelt hydrogen-powered cars into the mainstream over the past decade and most have failed. Some of the issues facing the technology include the lack of a charging infrastructure and governments with a single-minded focus on EVs. There are 48 hydrogen charging stations in America, according to the United States Department of Energy, and 47 of those are located in California. While that's great news for Californians, it makes the Nexo completely useless for someone driving from Salt Lake City to Seattle.