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Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept takes a sleek look at the future

After seeing the promising lines of Hyundai's latest concept car last week in a shadowy teased rendering, we now have a better idea about what this sleek concept is all about. The 2013 Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept received its official debut today at the Detroit Auto Show, and it's expected to be a pretty good indication of the styling direction for the next-generation Genesis sedan, although not quite the real deal.
Comparing this concept to spy shots of a Genesis prototype captured early last month, we can see that many elements of the HCD-14 will be incorporated into the newest Hyundai luxury sedan. As is the case with any concept car, the oversized carbon fiber wheels and suicide rear doors will certainly not be making it to the production model, but it will be interesting to see if the next-generation sedan has some of this car's styling cues like the hard-edged body creases along the side of the car, the coupe-like roofline running all the way to the rear of the car leaving no true decklid, or even the fine details like the "Genesis" etched into the headlights.
In addition to the styling of the car, there are plenty of new features being introduced on the concept that may be intended for the final product. This includes cabin technology features like a head-up display, hand-gesture recognition, and even a system that is able to track a driver's eyes to select options in various vehicle functions such as audio or climate controls. There also luxury appointments like the real milled wood accents and the iPad storage station. Hyundai is also promising improved driving dynamics with a more rigid chassis, new driver-selectable settings for various driving conditions and, of course, carrying over the 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

2015 will be the biggest year ever for cars at CES

Like the SEMA Show, major automakers are paying increasing attention to the CES, with 2015 expected to be one of the most auto focused yet. Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Hyundai, Mazda, Audi, BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will all be in attendance when CES 2015 kicks off next week, taking up a record-breaking 165,000 square feet of space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "We've come a long way from a single car on a carpet," Ford's Alan Hall told Bloomberg. Unlike SEMA, or a more traditional auto show, like the upcoming festivities in Detroit, CES doesn't necessarily focus on entire cars or the way they perform, but on the way our technology will interact with vehicles, and in how those vehicles will deliver information to drivers. "CES has become a major launch point for a lot of the big automakers," IHS tech analyst Mark Boyadjis told Bloomberg. "CES is a way for them to get on a global stage for technology." As for what kind of wares automakers will trot out in Las Vegas, we already know that BMW will show off an autonomous i3 electric car that can navigate its way through a multistory car park and can be hailed via a smartwatch app. According to Bloomberg, Hyundai will show off its own smartwatch app for the Genesis sedan, while Audi and Mercedes-Benz will show off autonomous vehicles next week. Automakers won't be the only companies looking to capitalize on CES. Tech firms, like chipmaker Nvidia, are becoming increasingly involved in the automotive game and will be in town showing their wares off to OEMs. "Two years ago, our booth would have been filled with PCs and people playing video games," Danny Shapiro, Nvidia's senior director for automotive business, told Bloomberg. "This year we made a strategic decision to shift the focus of the booth on automotive and de-prioritize some of the other things." Needless to say, you can expect to see a lot of news out of Las Vegas come next week. Stay tuned. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Julie Jacobson / AP CES Audi BMW Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Mazda Toyota Volkswagen Technology CES 2015

Genesis gets serious about selling cars in China with new CEO

Hyundai's Genesis brand announced Tuesday that former Mercedes-Benz vice president Markus Henne was named CEO of Genesis Motors China. Henne will be in charge of the company's push to introduce the brand to the world's largest automotive market.  Henne will report to the brand's new global boss, William Lee, who was appointed to run the luxury subsidiary in October. One of Lee's key goals is to expand the brand's footprint in Europe and introduce it to China. Henne previously served as VP of Sales & Marketing for Mercedes-Benz in Taiwan, and prior to that oversaw the AMG division in China.  Hyundai does not yet have an ETA for formally introducing the Genesis brand to the Chinese market. Feasibility studies are still pending.  Unfortunately, while China's auto market is massive, with more than 20 million units sold to date so far in 2019, it's also one of the most tumultuous. This will be yet another major obstacle to the success of Hyundai's premium brand, which has struggled to gain traction in the United States thanks to corporate restructuring and an anachronistic product mix leaning heavily on sedans.  Genesis is working hard to correct the issues with its lineup. A lack of crossover/SUV offerings would likely be the headline for any other struggling brand, but the company's woes extend far beyond the showroom appeal of its current offerings.  In 2019, Genesis completed a restructuring of its U.S. operations. America is the brand's core market, and for much of 2018, it was unable to do business in most states thanks to Hyundai's decision to spin Genesis off into an independent brand with its own dealer franchises. Throughout the year, sales volumes tumbled as Genesis simply did not have retail outlets through which to move product.