2003 Hyundai Tiburon With 2008 Tiburon And Transmission 18k Miles on 2040-cars

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Hyundai files patent for smartphone feature disabler in proximity to steering wheel

Combatting driver distraction continues to be a hot topic in automotive safety, especially when it comes to young motorists. While simply not using a smartphone behind the wheel would fix much of the problem, automakers are trying to work out complicated ways to make people safer. For example, GM is experimenting with head and eye tracking to make sure folks are paying attention to the road. Now, Hyundai might have come up with a technology that offers a very simple fix: disable the phones. The Korean automaker explains the idea in explicit detail in a recently published patent. The tech specifically "limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user," according to the abstract. Depending on variables like the vehicle's speed, the system determines what smartphone functions are safe to use, including texting or voice calls. Based on a plethora of permutations in the document, these restrictions could only be for the area around the driver's seat or for the whole vehicle. The key to the patent is placing antennas around the vehicle and monitoring for cellular signals. When the system detects them, it can begin selectively deciding what features to allow on the device. The tech isn't a simple on/off switch either, and can possibly detect the time of day or importance of the caller to let messages though. The major downside to all of this is the phone would need to run a specific program or firmware for all of this to work. With such a recently published patent, it might be years before the tech arrives in Hyundai vehicles, if at all. Still, this is an interesting solution. Of course, it would be far simpler if people just put down their phones. You can read the full description of the automaker's concept, here. News Source: Free Patens Online via US Patent and Trademark Office Auto News Hyundai Technology Emerging Technologies Smartphone distracted driving patent cell phone driver distraction

2018 Hyundai Accent First Drive Review | Simply good at under $16 grand

We test a lot of fancy, complicated cars here at Autoblog. Most of the cars that come in are high-trim with as many options as possible. That's why it was rather refreshing when Hyundai sent us its new Accent in the most basic possible form, the Accent SE. It's the bottom of the Accent line starting at $15,880. There are no options available when building one out on Hyundai's website, and according to the window sticker, the only extra added to it was a set of carpeted floor mats. The only potential problem with such a basic car is that there's nothing to make up for a poor driving experience. Thankfully, that's not the case with the Accent. It's a strong value that offers a comfortable and even sometimes fun driving experience. It even provides just enough features to not feel like a total penalty box. Exterior, interior and features Being the SE trim level, our Accent was quite unadorned. It had steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, no fog lights, nothing extraneous. Despite that, it wasn't a bad-looking little thing, sporting slightly shrunken Elantra looks that aren't too far out of proportion. Appealing to this editor was the manual transmission, which is only available on this bare-bones trim. The interior feels about as basic and cheap as the exterior, and is easily one of the weakest points of the little car. The dash and door panels look as though they were molded as one unit from the same hard black plastic. There are only a couple of light gray trim pieces to keep it from looking too bleak, but it feels like a somewhat half-hearted attempt. The good news is that Hyundai doesn't completely penalize you for picking the base trim level. You still get the necessities such as cruise control, power windows and locks, air conditioning, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, six-way adjustable seats, and even hill start assist and rear-view camera. In the Accent's cousin, the Kia Rio, you miss out on the cruise control and power windows and locks. But in the Rio's favor is a far more stylish design that shows cheap materials don't have to be drab and dull. All the Accent's controls feel good and are intuitive, though, which is something fancier cars can't often say. Engine, transmission, ride and handling Where the Accent falls short in visual impressions, it makes up for them on the drive. Most impressive is the car's ride quality. We're at the peak of southeastern Michigan pothole season, and the Accent handled it with aplomb.

Hyundai reveals all-new Sonata in South Korea

We've seen the spy shots. We've seen the teasers. We've even seen the finished product uncovered in its home market. But now Hyundai has officially taken the wraps off its new Sonata, consistently one of its top sellers in North America that was surpassed only recently in the sales charts by the smaller, cheaper and slightly newer Elantra. It's Hyundai's challenger to the likes of the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion et al, which makes it a vital debut not only for Hyundai but for anyone in the market for a mid-size family sedan - and that's one of the biggest markets of all.
Set to be revealed at the New York Auto Show in a matter of mere weeks, the all-new 2015 Hyundai Sonata you see here is the latest representation of a more toned-down family design language which Hyundai calls Fluidic Sculpture 2.0, following the lead set by the new Genesis and away from the swoopy and sharply creased styling of the successful but stylistically divisive model it replaces. A good inch longer and wider than the outgoing Sonata, the new model is also over a third more rigid, thanks in no small part to the use of high-strength steel that now composes over half of the body's construction.
The all-new 2015 Hyundai Sonata follows the lead set by the new Genesis and away from the swoopy and sharply creased styling of the model it replaces.