2009 Hyundai on 2040-cars

Auto blog

A spotter's guide to Super Bowl LIV car commercials

Set to kick off on Fox at 6:30 ET on Sunday, February 2, from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, the big game will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout Super Bowl LIV, viewers will see about 50 commercials, each of which costs as much as $5.6 million per 30 seconds, according to AdWeek. Originally, there were more than 77 ad slots, so several companies could be paying well more than $10 million for a single, longer commercial. Numerous car companies have already announced their commercials, or their intentions to show commercials, during the game. Here's a roundup of the ones we know about so far. During the game on Sunday, we'll be livestreaming and adding links to the new commercials as they become available, so check back with us for that post.  Audi: E-Tron Sportback Maisie Williams has experience wearing many faces, and in Audi's Super Bowl commercial, she does her best Elsa impression. In the spot, titled "Let It Go," Williams faces the rigorous task of getting through L.A. traffic, but she's alleviated by the comfort of the Audi E-Tron Sportback electric crossover. The commercial is meant to signal the company leaving its gas past behind and moving forward to a sustainable future.  Genesis: GV80 Genesis makes its Super Bowl debut with a commercial that will show its all-new SUV, the GV80, to viewers around the world (many of which will be seeing the vehicle for the first time). The ad features Chrissy Teigen and John Legend as the purveyors of "new luxury," while "old luxury" is left for the birds. GMC: Hummer General Motors is bringing back the Hummer nameplate as a premium electric GMC truck. GM says it will have 1,000 horsepower and will be capable of going zero to 60 mph in three seconds. GM brought in NBA legend and Hummer fanboy LeBron James for the debut commercial. Hyundai: Sonata Hyundai is known for bringing in the big-time celebrities for its commercials, and 2020 is no different. A new advertisement called "Smaht Pahk" features John Krasinski, Chris Evans, and Rachel Dratch, all three of whom are from the Boston area. The trio gets into full character as they discuss the new high-tech parking feature on the redesigned 2020 Hyundai Sonata, and David Ortiz makes a cameo at the end. Even when New England isn't in the Super Bowl, New England is in the Super Bowl.

Weekly Recap: Kia leads Korea's quality surge

The rapid rise of Korea's auto brands in the US market has been apparent on the sales charts for several years, and now it's showing up in an area that's just as crucial: quality. Kia and Hyundai earned the highest rankings among mainstream brands in the J. D. Power Initial Quality Study released on Wednesday. The study tracks problems owners report during the first 90 days they own their car. Kia reported 86 problems per 100 vehicles, or fewer than one problem per car sold, to take second in the rankings behind luxury sportscar-maker Porsche (80). Kia's score improved by nearly 20 percent compared with the 2014 study. "The big industry story is Kia," Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in a video statement, noting Kia's infotainment systems were the key reason for its improved performance. Hyundai was fourth for the second straight year, though its score actually worsened by one, to 95. Even with Hyundai's slight dip, Korean quality increased 11 percent, according to the study, which far outpaced American and European companies' three-percent increases. Japanese brands improved one percent. Hyundai Motor Co. (parent company of the Hyundai and Kia brands) captured four individual vehicle awards, which tied for the most with General Motors, Nissan, and Volkswagen. "The Korean brands have really taken off," Stephens said. "There's movement in the industry, and the patterns are shifting." Another luxury brand, Jaguar (93 problems), slotted in between Hyundai and Kia in third place. Infiniti was fifth, followed by BMW. Chevrolet was the highest domestic brand, taking seventh place, followed by Lincoln, Lexus, and Toyota, which were all well above the industry average of 112 problems per 100 vehicles. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Kirk Kerkorian dead at 98 Kirk Kerkorian, a billionaire activist investor who wielded enormous influence on the Detroit Three car companies in the 1990s and 2000s, died Monday. He was 98 years old. Kerkorian made headlines in 1995 for trying to take over Chrysler – with the help of former chairman Lee Iacocca – before being fended off by Chrysler management. His takeover attempt ultimately pushed Chrysler to be sold to German giant Daimler. He tried to buy Chrysler again in 2007 when Daimler put Chrysler on the market, but Kerkorian fell short and the automaker was sold to private equity firm Cerberus.

2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe gets minor update, price bump

Hyundai is releasing the Genesis Coupe for the 2016 model year with a new six-inch color display in the center stack in place of the previous dot-matrix display. That's it. Oh, except for a price increase. The coupe still packs a 3.8-liter V6 as standard, driving 348 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. For some buyers, the Genesis Coupe makes for a compelling alternative to the likes of the Nissan 370Z (which only has two seats) and the Infiniti Q60 Coupe (which is significantly more expensive). Now starting at $26,950 (in base form with the manual), the 2016 model comes in $200 more expensive than the 2015 model. The R-Spec starts at $29,900 for 2016 (representing a $400 increase), and the top-of-the-line Ultimate model lists at $33,750 (or $350 more than the outgoing model). 2016 GENESIS COUPE OFFERS ENHANCED STANDARD COLOR DISPLAY WITH POWERTRAIN AND CONTENT TO SATISFY PERFORMANCE COUPE BUYERS Standard 348-Horsepower, 3.8-liter Direct-injected V6 engine FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., November 6, 2015 – Hyundai's popular Genesis Coupe continues to enhance its appeal in the fiercely-competitive sport coupe segment. Genesis Coupe offers a 348-horspower, 3.8-liter direct-injected V6 standard, ensuring its buyer maximum powertrain performance at a very affordable price point. This powertrain ensures Genesis Coupe continues to carry its recognized success as a rear-drive, high-output performance sport coupe for everyday enthusiasts. For 2016, Genesis Coupe adds a new 6-inch color center display to the center stack, replacing the former dot-matrix display. 2016 Genesis Highlights - New, vivid 6-inch color center-stack display replaces dot-matrix display 2016 Genesis Coupe Transmission MSRP 3.8 Base M/T $26,950 3.8 Base A/T w/Shiftronic® $28,150 3.8 R-Spec M/T $29,900 3.8 Ultimate M/T $33,750 3.8 Ultimate A/T w/Shiftronic® $34,950 AGGRESSIVE DESIGN TO MATCH DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE The Genesis Coupe strikes a menacing demeanor, with an aggressively designed front fascia, grille, headlights, LED daytime running lights, fog lights and hood with heat extractor cues. The side view reveals aggressive 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs with deep dimensional sculpting. Finally, the rear taillights provide a visual spark via premium LED illumination.