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Hyundai planning pure electric Genesis model

The market for luxury EVs is set to grow bigger by at least one model. The latest is set to come from Genesis, the new luxury brand launched by Hyundai. The news, according to Reuters, was revealed by the brand's chief executive Manfred Fitzgerald at the Busan Motor Show in South Korea. "We will definitely go as Genesis brand down the road of alternative propulsions and it is very, very obvious that EV is definitely on the map," said Fitzgerald "I think full electric cars will be the future in the auto industry." The executive stopped short of providing further details or a timeline for the EV's eventual launch, however it's not the first alternative powertrain the brand will offer. The G80 (pictured) is set to gain a diesel version to join the existing gasoline model, aimed principally at the vital European market that Genesis' key rivals call home. The electric Genesis would join a growing field of luxury EVs. Faraday Future is taking aim at Tesla, German automakers like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche are expected to launch upscale electric vehicles – and others are likely to follow. Fitzgerald recently signed on as Senior Vice President at the Hyundai group to oversee the Genesis brand, having previously served as branding chief at Lamborghini. He is one of a number of Westerners recruited by Hyundai's vice chairman and heir apparent Chung Eui-sun, the impetus for the upscale brand's launch, alongside the likes of designer Luc Donckerwolke and performance engineer Albert Biermann. Related Video:

Hyundai recalls 205,000 Elantras for possible power steering failure [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Autoblog reached out to Hyundai spokesperson Jim Trainor for more information about this recall. He let us know via email: "Owners will be notified beginning in the second quarter." Also, there have been "no accidents, injuries nor fatalities," as a result of this issue. Hyundai is recalling 204,768 examples of the 2008-2010 Elantra sedan and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring because of possible failure of the electrically assisted power steering. The problem in these vehicles is that the ECU for the power steering can "sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist," according to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If this happens, then drivers could suddenly experience a more difficult time driving the Elantras. According to a chronology submitted to NHTSA (that you can read in full as a PDF, here), Hyundai first became aware of this problem in 2010 and issued a TSB for it in 2011. At that time, just 0.25 percent of sedans and 0.36 percent of Touring models were shown to have the fault. However by October 2014, the issue had gotten worse, and 1.3 percent of four-doors and 1.9 percent of the hatchbacks were exhibiting it. The automaker believed that by maintaining manual steering the vehicles were still within the law, but "the industry has increasingly handled similar issues through safety recalls." In most cases, turning the ignition off and then back on rectifies things, but to fix this, Hyundai is updating the power steering control unit on these models. RECALL Subject : Electric Power Steering Assist may be Disabled Report Receipt Date: FEB 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V100000 Component(s): STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 204,768 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2008-2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING 2009-2010 Details Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America SUMMARY: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Elantra vehicles manufactured June 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010, and 2009-2010 Elantra Touring vehicles manufactured November 1, 2008, to April 30, 2010. The electronic power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may sense a discrepancy in the steering input signals and, as a result, disable the steering power assist.

Hyundai Santa Cruz could get green light this year

The market for smaller trucks is gaining steam in the United States with introductions like the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the forthcoming, updated Toyota Tacoma. After the enthusiastic reaction to the Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz concept at 2015 Detroit Auto Show, that pickup is looking increasingly likely to see production, as well. "There is a very high probability we get the approval of the truck soon," Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski said to the TheDetroitBureau.com. Customer surveys have shown the possible pickup to be quite popular around the country, except among Texans, according to Zuchowski. However, the final sign-off still needs to come from corporate headquarters in South Korea. The production Santa Cruz might be very different from the vehicle on the stand in Detroit. The concept was just there to gauge reactions, and the company hadn't even decided on a platform at that time. The slide-out bed extension was thought to be possible in the real world, but there were reportedly still other hurdles to overcome. The unibody pickup isn't the only project Hyundai is developing for North America. The automaker also wants to step into the expanding compact crossover market with an entry specifically designed for this market. "This is a growth segment," Zuchowski told TheDetroitBureau.com. "We want a piece of it." While neither of these new models are fully approved yet, it certainly looks like Hyundai intends to be a bigger player in the truck and crossover world in the coming years. Related Video: