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FCA discussing tech partnership with Hyundai, but no merger

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is in talks with South Korea's Hyundai about a technical partnership, but there are no merger talks between the two, FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. FCA is often the subject of merger speculation, especially after its unsuccessful 2015 attempt to tie up with larger U.S. rival GM. Its share price jumped to record highs in August after reports of interest from China and Hyundai. "We already buy components from (Hyundai) .... let's see if we can agree on other points, especially for the development of transmissions and hydrogen," Marchionne told journalists, adding there was "nothing to announce for the moment". Asked whether this collaboration could turn into a merger, Marchionne said: "I don't believe so". (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; editing by Alexander Smith)Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hyundai testing in-car payment system with Xevo

Hyundai is working on a proof-of-concept in-car payment system with automotive software supplier Xevo. With four initial commercial partners in Chevron, Texaco, Applebee's and ParkWhiz, a future owner could use the Hyundai Digital Wallet to buy gas or food-to-go, or reserve and pay for a parking spot without leaving the vehicle. Perhaps even more important than those three, Hyundai has trialed payments with coffee chains, too. The service would be tied to the carmaker's Blue Link app suite and would store an owner's payment details to enable transactions. The carmaker still has big questions to answer about the service, such as whether the digital wallet will be contained within the mobile Blue Link app, or be integrated into the vehicle's infotainment software. An impending pilot program will determine the best deployment, but that means implementation in consumer vehicles remains awhile away. Hyundai's announcement moves it into a space slowly gaining more entrants. Ford's FordPay, launched two years ago, contains a digital wallet used for paying for service and parking, and even for keeping up with the car note. Last year, Jaguar partnered with Shell to provide in-car payments in three Jaguar vehicles. This year, Chevrolet did the same as part of the GM Marketplace, also with Shell. Hyundai's digital wallet comes not long after the South Korean carmaker announced another infotainment-based software partner. In April, Hyundai hooked up with Verisk, a company that manages a data exchange providing driving data to insurance companies. The partnership enables a Hyundai driver to share his driving habits and be assessed a Verisk Driving Score. The score would be taken into account for usage-based insurance programs offered by companies like Allstate and Progressive. Related Video:

Hyundai Palisade looks like a cross between Santa Fe, Grandmaster concept

We're getting closer and closer to seeing some full-size, three-row crossover SUVs from Hyundai and Kia. The most recent previous spy shots showed the Kia Telluride, but we now have photos revealing more of the Hyundai version, which reports say will be known as the Hyundai Palisade. It appears to take design cues from both the new Santa Fe and the recently revealed Grandmaster concept. The front, which is more visible than in previous photos, is very closely related to the Santa Fe and the even smaller Kona. It has the same split headlight setup, and the lower lights are extremely large. The fascia has elements of the corporate "Cascade" grille, and it has an upper slot like on the Kona. That slot is better integrated, though. It actually looks a bit like the grille on the Subaru Ascent. There isn't as much new about the sides and tail compared with previous images. But the profile is unquestionably inspired by the Grandmaster concept. The main cue shared between the two is the chrome strip that starts at the base of the A-pillar, goes up over the top of the doors' windows, and drops down along the C-pillar. We expect this big Hyundai SUV to go on sale either next year or in 2020. The Kia Telluride will likely go on sale around then, too, and both SUVs will probably share engines and platforms. Related Video: