2014 Hyundai Tucson Limited on 2040-cars

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Hyundai spotted testing Prius rival

That Hyundai is gearing up to go after the Toyota Prius with a dedicated hybrid of its own is no great secret. We've seen prototypes for it testing twice before. But this is our best look at the Korean challenger yet, wearing its own bodywork and in the light of day. Spied undergoing testing in Germany, this prototype dubbed AE HEV (likely for Advanced Experimental or Alternative Energy Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is still heavily camouflaged to keep it away from prying eyes (like ours). But there are still some details we can discern from underneath the cloth cladding. For starters, you can see the horizontal slates on the front grille, blue accents on the headlights, maybe even a strip of LED daytime running lights. There looks to be a spoiler at the back similar to that on the European hatchback version of the Honda Civic. Of course it's another Honda whose form this prototype seems to be emulating, and that's the Insight. It'll be interesting to see if Hyundai can succeed where the Insight failed, and take the fight to the Prius. Expect to see it emerge sometime in the second half of next year.

We visit Hyundai's Nurburgring test center

Understanding the achievement and the message of Hyundai Motor Group having a European Technical Center at the Nurburgring might be easier if we look at what Hyundai has done in the US. In 1985 Hyundai Motor America set up shop in California. The first car sold here was the 1986 Excel, a rebodied Mitsubishi Mirage with a Hyundai interior treatment. This was the first Mirage, which also served as the Chrysler Colt in hatchback form and circled back as the Mitsubishi Precis so Mitsu could get around Japanese automakers' voluntary export quotas of the time. The Excel made such an impression on reviewers and buyers that in Car and Driver's 1986 review they wrote that "'astounding' is not too strong word" to describe the company's progress, and said, "Our guess is that Hyundai will be a major force in the US car market almost from the moment it opens its doors." Hyundai sold 168,882 Excels in the US in its first year, back when the Ford F-Series led all comers with 544,969 sales. That's what happened. The company sold 168,882 Excels in the US in its first year, back when the Ford F-Series led all comers with 544,969 sales, the Chevrolet Celebrity came second of all vehicles with 408,946 sales, the Honda Accord seventh with 325,004 sales. The Excel sold even better the following year, and the year after that. Three years on, buyers began to discover that one of the things the Excel did best was disintegrate. It's been called "fantastically crappy," Popular Mechanics would later say the Excel "deserved to fail," and they decomposed so thoroughly that you'll have a hard time finding one in any junkyard. Buyers got so allergic to the Flying H badge that sales declined for ten consecutive years. By 1999, when Hyundai's model range was four times larger than it had been in 1986 – Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Tiburon – the brand sold just 90,217 cars in the US. Two important things happened around that nadir. In 1998, as a way of reassuring potential customers, Hyundai became the first automaker to introduce a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. In 1999, Mong-Koo Chung became the CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, promoted from 11 years as CEO of Hyundai Motor Service, a role that put him in charge of global warranty claims. Having spent all those years of his life wading through that carnage, he swore when he took the top spot that he'd get the situation fixed. In 2014 the JD Power Initial Quality Survey ranked Hyundai the leading non-premium brand.

2015 Hyundai Genesis to offer Google Glass integration

We suppose it was simply a matter of when (rather than 'if') wearable technology would infiltrated automobiles, and apparently that time has come. Hyundai has just announced that its new-for-2015 Genesis Sedan will be compatible with Google Glass thanks to its Blue Link infotainment system.
"As a leader in connected car technology, we're always exploring new ways to use technology to enhance the ownership experience for our customers. Wearables are a great way to extend the experience outside of the vehicle by leveraging these small screens to quickly access remote features and deliver timely vehicle information," said Barry Ratzlaff, the executive director of Customer Connect and Service Business Development for Hyundai.
Customers will need to download a Blue Link Glassware app to manage their new Genesis, but once that's sorted, owners will be treated to little "cards" that pop up on the Google Glass interface. Push notifications will show when maintenance is due and customers will even be able to schedule service via Glass. Features like remote start, remote locking and a vehicle finder will also be available, while points of interest will be selectable and loadable into the navigation system via Google Send-to-Car.