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Genesis G70 to reportedly get Sonata N-Line turbo engine

The Genesis G70 is still relatively new, but that doesn’t mean Genesis isn't going to tinker with it. This report from Car and Driver claims that the new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder going in the Hyundai Sonata N-Line will also be making its way into the G70Â’s engine bay. Hyundai estimates this engine will produce 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque in the Sonata. ThatÂ’s a significant improvement over the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used as the base engine in the G70 today, which makes 252 hp and 260 lb-ft. Doing the math, the G70 could be getting a boost of about 38 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque. Increased power from the turbo four would make the 3.3-liter, twin-turbo V6 less of an upgrade at 365 hp and 376 lb-ft, unless Genesis squeezes out more power. We wouldn't complain about that. The news does casts doubt on the future of a manual transmission option. Genesis offers the manual in only one trim of the G70 now, and thatÂ’s paired with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Take that engine away, and we can only hope that Genesis feels itÂ’s necessary to mate up a manual with the new 2.5-liter turbo. As of now, the Sonata N-Line is the only Hyundai announced to use this engine, and itÂ’s being paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic in that application. Car and Driver says the manual take rate on the G70 so far is only 4 percent, which isnÂ’t a promising statistic. The most obvious time for this powertrain news would be paired to a mid-cycle refresh of the G70. As itÂ’s still a relatively new car, we donÂ’t expect to see that until 2021 or 2022. We'll let you know if any of this conjecture becomes reality.

VW planning to push Hyundai for World Cup eyeballs

Adidas was an official sponsor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the German sportswear company got drowned out of early advertising buzz by Nike, which wasn't a World Cup sponsor. The American company's Write the Future ad put it at the top of Nielsen's study of online buzz, ahead of Adidas. The same thing happened to official World Cup sponsor Budweiser when it got drummed out of the top ten in Nielsen's buzz ratings, while Danish brewer Carlsberg - not a Cup sponsor - ranked sixth.
Volkswagen hopes to score the same goal on Hyundai during this year's World Cup in Brazil. Hyundai and Kia have been official sponsors of the global soccer federation FIFA since 2002 and are official sponsors of the World Cup through 2022. VW has "a major ad buy" planned to run on ABC, ESPN and Univision as well as digital and social media channels during the competition, which begins June 12, to promote the GTI. VW of America's VP of marketing said the Cup's attraction to young males and Hispanics makes it the perfect place to promote the hot hatch.
The sparring between Hyundai and VW has already begun. Volkswagen's Gol compact, named for the Portuguese word for a soccer goal, has been the best selling car in Brazil for 27 years, and the German company sponsors the national soccer team. When Hyundai Brazil began a promotional campaign promising to extend its five-year warranty for six if the Brazilians won a sixth world cup, Volkswagen of Brazil complained to the soccer federation, which asked Hyundai to pull the campaign. As of this writing, that hasn't happened, so we expect it'll be boots on, gloves off, on and off the pitch this summer.

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.