2021 Hyundai Kona Limited on 2040-cars

Auto blog

All the Hyundai Santa Cruz needs now is the green light

Ever since Hyundai took the wraps off the Santa Cruz concept nearly a year ago, we've been closely watching to see if the Korean automaker would put it into production. The signs have been looking good, but this could be our clearest indication yet. According to the company's North American product planning chief, the road ahead is clear for the compact pickup. "We're very anxious to do something with the idea," Mike O'Brien told AutoGuide. "The engineering feasibility work has been done," and 18 months of preparation have already gone into laying out the business case. Now all it needs is the green light from the head office. Hyundai unveiled the Santa Cruz concept – codenamed HCD-15 – at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The design calls for a compact pickup crossover, similar in concept to the Honda Ridgeline, but smaller. It would be targeted towards young customers interested in outdoor activities who don't want to track the elements inside their vehicle along with their mountain bikes, kayaks, surfboards, and snowboards. If approved, the Santa Cruz would likely share its underpinnings with the Tucson crossover. Hyundai sells a good 50,000 Tucsons each year in the US, and the Santa Cruz is estimated to match (if not exceed) that number, helping Hyundai double its sales based on the same platform. The Santa Cruz is also tipped to be Hyundai's first diesel model in America. "The diesel is the most promising because of the fuel economy it delivers," said O'Brien. "It best matches in our research of what these customers are looking for... Outstanding fuel economy, good torque and good driveability."

Hyundai Prius-fighting hybrid spied wearing new camo

Hyundai's engineers certainly don't want the public to see its upcoming dedicated hybrid model in several of these new spy shots, but the company can't deny that the machine is on the way. These test cars were first spotted last summer as Prius-like five-door hatchbacks. However in these photos and the second set, it would seem that the model has morphed into a more sedan-like shape similar to the Chevy Volt. Unlike the last time we saw this car during arctic testing, the vehicle no longer is covered in plastic concealment. That obfuscation has been replaced with a very effective camo pattern on everything but the roof, and in several photos, workers are actively standing in the way of the spy shooters' lenses. Beyond the whole model's general shape, there are a few details to pick out, though. You can easily spot the outline of the brand's hexagonal grille up front. There appears to be a rather complicated air dam design there, too. In profile, the shape of the rear hatch creates an integrated spoiler at the back. While the camouflage makes it very hard to tell, we don't see a plug-in port on this example. According to our spies, this test car was being driven with a slew of other electrified models, including a BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf, and Kia Soul EV. Given that group, perhaps the engineers were specifically benchmarking the electric performance for this outing. Earlier reports suggest that Hyundai's latest hybrid could debut in the second half of 2016. Power reportedly comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with hybrid assistance and a lithium-ion battery. Plug-in and five-door hatchback versions are also rumored.

Is Hyundai's conservative new Sonata struggling out of the gate?

"But so far, Sonata sales are up compared with last year even while we're still ramping up to full speed," - Jim Trainor
According to Reuters, the redesigned-for-2015 Hyundai Sonata is not enjoying the same degree of success in the early going as the previous sixth-gen model, which proved to be one of the most important models in the company's history and ushered in the company's so-called "Fluidic Sculpture" design language that we still see today. Citing a recent review from The New York Times that called the car's more conservative styling "bland" and "boring," Reuters also points to analysts who claim the higher price of the new Sonata, as well as smaller rebates and incentives, are hurting sales. Honda and Toyota both offered anywhere from $600 to $800 more on the hoods of their Accord and Camry sedans last month.