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Hyundai previews Brand N performance division

Hyundai has slowly created a presence for its N performance sub-brand since launching the name on the i20 WRC in late 2013, but so far the company has limited the badge to rally cars and concepts. A recent video suggests the moniker might reach the road soon. While Brand N isn't well known yet, Hyundai takes development of its performance credentials quite seriously. The company's European Technical Center at the Nurburgring is handling an increasing amount of the work, and former BMW M GmbH chief engineer Albert Biermann leads the way. He also provides narration for this clip. Beyond the camouflaged hatchback, some of Hyundai's other high-speed machines also make an appearance here. The i20 WRC plays in the dirt a little, but the big star is the wild RM15 concept. Based on the Veloster, it sports a mid-engine, 296-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder driving the rear wheels. The wide-body coupe looks great running around the 'Ring, too. Hopefully it indicates how far Brand N intends to go. Related Video:

Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).
Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.
Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.

Hyundai Ioniq model lineup shown ahead of Geneva debut

Hyundai released information on all three versions of the Ioniq ahead of their debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week. We've already taken a close look at the Toyota Prius-fighting hybrid model but now we have new information on the electric and plug-in hybrid variants. While the two hybrid models are nearly identical, the battery-electric Ioniq has an enclosed nose for better aerodynamics. The plug-in comes with an upgraded electric motor making 60 hp, compared to 43 in the hybrid. It uses the same 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, but Hyundai has to yet to divulge if the total system power in the plug-in is higher than the 139 horsepower figure for the hybrid. Using an 8.9 kWh battery, the plug-in is said to offer 31 miles of electric range. The larger, heavier Ford Fusion Energi plug-in uses as 7.6 kWh battery and is rated at 20 miles of electric range. On a loose estimate we'd guess the Ioniq plug-in will be rated around 25 miles of electric driving. As for the electric Ioniq, Hyundai is only giving us the numbers: 28 kWh battery, 118 horsepower, 103-mph top speed. Range is a quoted 155 miles, but again we're not sure what cycle that's on. The 110-hp, 30 kWh Nissan leaf manages 107 miles on the EPA sticker, so we expect similar (possibly lower) numbers from the Hyundai. We still don't know when any version of the Ioniq will go on sale in the United States, but with confirmation that the related Kia Niro is still 11 months away we don't expect the Hyundai to be in showrooms before the end of the year. View 7 Photos Green Geneva Motor Show Hyundai Electric Hybrid hyundai ioniq