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NHTSA investigating 8 million airbags not made by Takata

In a shocking turn of events, we have a line of airbags under investigation that weren't made by Takata. Rather, Automotive News reports that 8,000,000 airbags made by ARC Automotive Inc. are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to Automotive News, NHTSA is looking into ARC's airbags after two injuries and a recent death were attributed to the company's products. The two injuries occurred first and prompted the initial inquiry of 490,000 airbags, which then expanded after an airbag from a different line caused the death of a Canadian driver. The airbags in question are found in GM, FCA, Hyundai and Kia products, and all automakers are cooperating with the investigation, Automotive News reports. It is also important to note that these airbags have not been recalled, as NHTSA is trying to determine the issue and whether a recall is necessary. NHTSA also told the news outlet that the ARC inflators use a different design than those from Takata, instead using some pressurized gas and an ammonium nitrate charge. While the design may be different, the Takata inflators also used ammonium nitrate propellant, which other manufacturers have avoided. We will be watching this situation closely to see what develops. Here's hoping – for our collective safety and sanity – that we won't have to go through another airbag crisis like with the Takata recall. Related Video: News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Hyundai Kia Safety FCA airbag fiat chrysler automobiles

Autoblog Subcompact Crossover Comparison | Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Jeep Renegade, Kia Soul

LAKE LEELANAU, Mich. — Consumers, and consequently automakers, are increasingly moving away from sedans and into crossovers as drivers seek more space and utility on roads heavily populated by larger and taller vehicles. While the various crossover segments are dominated by bigger, more expensive, family-oriented vehicles, those at the very bottom of the size and price ladder are a little different. The diverse selection of subcompact crossovers are targeting an equally diverse selection of buyers who need something sized to fit into their urban and suburban driving lives — not to mention their budgets. Some sort of active, outdoorsy lifestyle is almost always intended. Enough of these small crossovers have popped up that we thought it high time to pick some popular competitors — the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Jeep Renegade and Kia Soul — and pit them against one another in a four-way comparison test. We tried to spec them out as closely as we could in terms of price, with the Jeep standing out as the sole outlier with a price over $30,000. Following in the footsteps of our midsize pickup comparison test, we drove up to Michigan's pinky, where weÂ’d eat, sleep, and breathe these four crossovers to figure out which came out on top based on our 100-point ranking of objective and subjective metrics. Autoblog Subcompact Crossover Comparison View 36 Photos Certainly, there are more choices available than this four (a Subaru Crosstrek in particular was not available at the time of our test), but we think the HR-V, Kona, Renegade and Soul are a representatively diverse collection of popular choices. Without further ado, here are the results of our test, starting with fourth place. Related: Autoblog's Midsize Pickup Truck Comparison Test Fourth place: 2019 Honda HR-V AWD Touring – 72.2 points The Honda HR-V is the second oldest vehicle in this comparative set behind the Jeep Renegade. We first tested it in April 2015. More so than its Jeep counterpart, the Honda feels its age. ItÂ’s dated inside and out, the infotainment tech is in dire need of an update (yes, even though it was actually recently updated), and the CVT feels at least a generation behind most others currently available. And that powertrain is the biggest issue that held the HR-V back from a better score in our comparison. Of the four vehicles, it has the least power, which makes the CVT even more of a nuisance.

2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 First Drive [w/video]

The original Hyundai Genesis was something of a mixed bag. A great first effort, no doubt, but as with any, well, genesis, there were weak points – the infotainment system and some interior materials, for example. In creating its second-generation model, Hyundai paid plenty of attention to these shortcomings while wisely deciding to retain the most notable of the original model's strengths: its 5.0-liter V8. The 420-horsepower rocket from the former Genesis R-Spec has once again been named the top-flight engine for this updated, 2015 model. Hyundai has comprehensively overhauled its first rear-wheel drive sedan, and while it might use an older – but impressive – engine, the 5.0-liter V8 isn't nearly as big of a story this time around. That's because it's now wrapped inside a far better package, as we found during a week behind the wheel. Hyundai's stylists have matured the Genny, opting for significantly more standout sheet metal in this new iteration. The old car featured a more traditional three-box shape, while the second-gen car is more open about its rear-drive layout, featuring a long hood and a short rear deck that feeds right into an aggressively raked rear window. The upright front fascia, with its broad, crisply styled grille and almond-shaped headlamps is clean and fashionable while still coming off as sort of conservative. Around back, Hyundai maintained some semblance of its old fluidic design, with sweeping, wraparound taillamps, while the V8 model's bumper is home to sporty, staggered quad exhausts. That said, the updates to the exterior are overshadowed by the comprehensive overhaul found in the cabin. The Genesis finally has an interior befitting of its price tag, thanks in large part to the swath of natural-looking matte wood trim on the dash, complemented by aluminum accents. The upper and lower dashes are finished in plastic, but its quality is no better or worse than what you'd find in a German competitor. However, while the cabin certainly feels much better than the last-gen model, there are still a few shortcomings. The "ultra premium" leather is standard on the 5.0's wide, supportive seats, and while it feels very, very nice, we did notice that even with fewer than 8,000 miles on the clock, a regular parade of denim-clad auto journalists has already started to stain the driver's side bottom cushion – something we noted during our year-long test of Hyundai's larger Equus.