2014 Hyundai Sonata Se 2.0t on 2040-cars

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Hyundai Sonata's slow sales start to trigger more daring redesign

On paper, the latest Hyundai Sonata has been a winner. The sedan sold 216,936 units in 2014, around 13,000 more than the previous year, and the new model posted healthy year-over-year gains in both December and November. However, according to a report from Wards Auto, the Korean brand isn't happy with how the vehicle is doing and is planning a redesign, to be timed with the future refresh. Unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, the latest Sonata has a more refined, almost luxurious air about it, and the sedan ditches the swooping styling from the previous generation. It also comes at a slightly lower base price. But the more mature design is also the problem. Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski told Wards during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show that the new model was "not as distinctive" as its predecessor. Previously, "people would seek us out because we look different. And we don't get that now," he said. While no details on the redesign were divulged, Zuchowski said the company was already at work on the shape. He suggested the changes would debut for the Sonata's refresh, likely in the 2017 or 2018 model years. Autoblog reached out to Hyundai about the possible design change and spokesperson Derek Joyce told us, "Dave was simply referring to our normal mid-cycle refresh where it's typical to make styling tweaks." According to Wards, the latest Sonata isn't conquesting as many buyers from other brands as Hyundai would like. The company reportedly raised incentives to get them to move. So while sales were up, the automaker was disappointed. AutoTrader senior analyst Michelle Krebs confirmed to Autoblog that incentives were high for the Sonata, but that had nothing to do with its design. "The midsize car segment has fallen out of favor with buyers who want utilities so they are carrying very heavy incentives. We expect that trend to continue and then some in 2015," she said. A previous report also claimed that the 2015 Sonata wasn't living up to sales expectations in part due to its more traditional styling. But the company shot down those claims because the sedan was still rolling out the entire range to dealers at the time. Even now, Hyundai is still adding the Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In to the lineup in the coming year.

Cars we're thankful we drove in 2019

We drove a lot of cars in 2019, and there's still a month to go. We drove them in our home office in Michigan, at our remote offices in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the globe on myriad press launches. We could count them, but hey, that seems boastful.  Instead, we want to be thankful. Not only for the opportunity to do this wonderful task some might describe as a "job," but for the new, shiny cars that brighten our days (and most hopefully yours). We asked our fellow editors which car they were most thankful to drive in 2019 ... here are our answers. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Performance Senior Editor Alex Kierstein Every once in a while a car comes along that changes the narrative on a company or its segment, and everyone scrambles to experience it for themselves. This year, for me, that car’s the Veloster N Performance, perhaps the most transformative car the companyÂ’s ever built. Everyone whoÂ’s driven it, here and elsewhere, says it captures all those intangibles that make great driving hatchbacks great. And IÂ’m thankful that I got a go in it before all of them left the fleet, because it does. It upends the segment long dominated by the GTI, a car that nails its brief. The N is rowdy and loud, sure, but it also has some of the most deftly tuned suspension IÂ’ve come across in a front driver. My advice: if youÂ’re in the market for something fun and unique, go test drive a Veloster N. I think youÂ’ll be thankful you did. 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 47 Photos 2019 Audi E-Tron Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder IÂ’m pleased that I got to drive the Audi E-Tron. ThatÂ’s high praise for a year in which I also drove the stellar Jaguar I-Pace. The E-Tron, while not as sporty as the Jaguar, is excellently executed, and feels like a more refined, polished offering. ItÂ’s quick, whisper-quiet, comfortable, stylish inside and out, and incredibly sturdy. Some may lament that it doesnÂ’t do much to stand out from ICE vehicles, but I donÂ’t think it needs to. What it does need to do is win over the electro-skeptical, and I think Audi put its best foot forward with a crossover that can do just that, and more. So, yeah, not only am I thankful that I got to drive it, IÂ’m glad that itÂ’s compelling enough that itÂ’ll hopefully make potential customers feel the same. 2020 Audi E-Tron View 13 Photos 2013 Peugeot 508 West Coast Editor James Riswick My choice totally sucks.

Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept looks ready for Le Mans

It's Bugatti versus... Hyundai? Yes, the revered hypercar manufacturer is facing some stiff competition for coolest car at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show from the affordable South Korean brand, and it's because both companies chose the German show to introduce their Vision Gran Turismo Concepts. While we'll leave Bugatti's entry to another scribe, we're going to spill plenty of ink on the new N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai's entry to the eponymous video game's well-received Vision program. While so many of these concepts have some basis in reality, Hyundai has tossed out its production vehicles in favor of a far racier concept. Yes, the N 2025 looks better suited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans prototype class than an auto show stage. Details are scarce – automakers don't usually give out a lot of info on powertrains and the like in these Vision GT cars – but Hyundai says it "highlights sustainable technology," which makes us think that there's some kind of hybrid drivetrain underneath that aerodynamic body. Perhaps the coolest thing about the N 2025, though, is that it's not hard to imagine it on a race track of the future. Hyundai has only ever really played around in the World Rally Championship, but with this Vision GT car, it shows the South Korean brand may have the chops for a much higher tier of racing. Check out the photos from Frankfurt and let us know what you think about this latest Vision Gran Turismo car. Hyundai Motor's New High Performance Sub-brand 'N' Takes Center Stage at Frankfurt Motor Show - The sub-brand N will build new momentum for an exciting driving performance and provide emotional driving experience for customers - The latest motorsport challenger and two dynamic concepts will also be introduced at the Motor Show August 26, 2015 – Hyundai Motor will showcase its high performance sub-brand N at the Frankfurt International Motor Show 2015. The result of intensive testing and product development, the sub-brand N builds on Hyundai Motor's successful motorsport experiences and technology capability to drive future performance-oriented and race-track-capable models forward and bring 'the most thrilling winding road' fun to customers who truly love cars. The N builds on not just Hyundai Motor's continued advancement as a primary competitor in World Rally Championship (WRC) but also on the company's dedication and investment to create striking and pioneering high performance cars.