2012 Hyundai Se on 2040-cars

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GM out, Hyundai in as NFL audibles auto sponsorship

Hyundai has officially replaced General Motors as the primary automotive sponsor of the National Football League, a position the American giant has occupied since 2001. Although the financial details of the deal weren't published, Automotive News reports that GM spent at least $25 million per year as part of its sponsorship deal, although after all was said and done, it worked out to more than $150 million per year. The move is a coup for Hyundai, which now gains the rights to NFL trademarks for use in its advertising. As part of the four-year agreement, the company also has advertising access to big off-season events, like the NFL draft and scouting combine, and will provide support vehicles during events like the Super Bowl. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's president and CEO, said in the attached statement. "We can't wait to show the NFL's 188 million fans the great design, advanced technologies, dynamic performance and numerous safety features within the Hyundai lineup." "We are pleased to welcome Hyundai to our family of sponsors," Renie Anderson, the NFL's senior VP of sponsorship, said. "We appreciate Hyundai's enthusiasm as we work together to reach our fans with innovative programs during our season and with our major calendar events throughout the year." Scroll down for the official press release from Hyundai and the NFL, and keep an eye open for the automaker during the NFL Kickoff festivities this September. Related Video: HYUNDAI GOING PRO: ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP Four-Year Deal Allows Hyundai to Tap into the Passionate Fan Base of the Most Popular Sport in the U.S. FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., and NEW YORK, June 29, 2015 – Hyundai Motor loves sports and has a long history of celebrating fan passion across the globe. In its latest sports marketing venture, Hyundai is now an official automotive sponsor of the National Football League. The NFL has the largest and most avid fan base among U.S. sports, and Hyundai will soon connect this passion with the enthusiasm Hyundai owners have for their vehicles. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

IED Torino students dream up the PassoCorto for Hyundai

Every year the students at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Turin work up something new to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show. It's usually a concept for an Italian automaker (like the Alfa Romeo Gloria, the Cisitalia 202 E or the Abarth ScorpION) or at least something European (like the concepts they worked up with McLaren or the ones they did for Aston Martin). But this time they've wandered a little farther from home in designing a sports car for Hyundai.
It's called the PassoCorto - Italian for "short wheelbase" - and it was designed in collaboration between the grad students in the Master in Transportation Design program (under the supervision of Pininfarina design Luca Borgogno) and the Hyundai's European design center.
The design (theoretically) calls for a 1.6-liter twin-turbo four, mounted amidships and driving 266 horsepower to the rear wheels. It looks pretty promising, and if Hyundai were ever keen on taking on the likes of the Alfa Romeo 4C and Porsche Cayman, this strikes us as a damn good place to start.

Car buyers are paying big money for technology they don't use

J.D. Power released the results of its Tech Experience Index study that measures "how much owners like [in-car] technologies and how many problems they experience with them." Among the study's findings, automakers are loading vehicles with more software and digital experiences that owners claim they never learn how to use or decide they don't need. For example, owners report to J.D. Power that gesture controls, like those used by BMW (spinning a finger, for instance, can raise or lower the audio volume), don't improve the overall ownership experience. In fact, gesture controls received the lowest overall satisfaction score in the study for a second consecutive year. In another example, the study found that 61% of owners claim never having used "in-vehicle digital market technology," while 51% of respondents said they didn't need it. Driver/passenger communication technology was another sore point with users, with 52% saying they have never used the technology, and 40% of those saying they have no need for it. (10 Features owners say they want, and 7 they really don't). Conversely, some technologies are well received by owners. For American owners, rear-view cameras and so-called "ground view" cameras were among the top three desired technologies. We assume that "ground view" is a surround-view or 360-degree camera system. The one-pedal driving possible in a number of EV's with adjustable regen braking also scored very high marks and few claimed issues.  While it could be argued that owners who don't want to use a specific piece of technology should just avoid using it, the reality is that all of these unused features add cost to the final price of any vehicle. Considering that the average transaction price of a new vehicle hit a record $45,031 in September of 2021, controlling spiraling costs is a big deal. J.D. Power's survey results found that dealerships can play a big role in explaining new technology to buyers. Scores for some technologies like trailer assistance received higher scores from owners who received training from their dealers. Unfortunately, 71% of owners say they were taught how to use tech from outside sources whereas only 30% learned from a dealer. The results of this study are the product of responses from 110,827 owners of current model-year vehicles that J.D. Power surveyed after 90 days of ownership from February through July 2021.