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Hyundai Palisade and Genesis GV80 production idled

In February of this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced Hyundai Motor Company to idle production at most of its factories in South Korea. The Chinese suppliers that provided wiring harnesses for models like the Hyundai Palisade and Genesis GV80 hadn't recovered from their COVID-19 shutdowns, causing a shortage of components. Since then, Hyundai, along with automakers around the globe, has faced repeated hurdles to restoring desired production numbers. Just-Auto reports another hiccup, with Hyundai compelled to shut down lines that build the Palisade and GV80 at its Ulsan, South Korea complex again last week over a lack of parts. Just-Auto didn't specify the parts in question. On top of that, Hyundai had already idled three lines at two plants after an employee at a supplier died, the cause of death thought to be COVID-19. Kia needed to do the same for two entire facilities in South Korea after two plant workers were diagnosed with the illness. In the U.S., Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama was idled from March 18 to May 4, resuming production at lower output on May 4 to manage inventory after the coronavirus and lockdown measures gutted new car sales.   Hyundai, like giant Ford and tiny McLaren, will be ruing the lost momentum of its recovery. The group turned in its best quarterly profit since 2017 at the end of last year, thanks to the larger margins that crossovers and SUVs deliver. Hyundai brand U.S. sales last year of 688,771 units was tantalizing close to an annual sum the brand hasn't hit since 2012. In January, the automaker predicted it would improve on last year's 3.5% group operating profit margin by hitting 5% this year. The nearly 10,000 reservations taken for the GV80 fueled the optimism, when Genesis sold just over 21,000 vehicles in total last year in the U.S. However, through the first quarter, group sales were down 11% globally and in the U.S. Worse, Just-Auto says the group's global sales have nosedived 26% through the first five months. The production halts on the models that deliver the best return will prolong the pain and make it sharper. Related Video:

Hyundai's bizarre pooping robot baby pitches new Sonata

There are certainly some very weird auto ads out there, but a new challenger is entering the ring with Hyundai's absolutely bizarre Exobaby commercial for the latest Sonata. Blending inspiration from the video game Mega Man, the classic 1970s TV show The Six Million Dollar Man and a waking nightmare, Exobaby falls very deeply into the uncanny valley. Its proportions and movement come off as just slightly distorted, and the result is a baby that's more creepy than cute for this ad. Things get even odder just a few seconds in when the robo-toddler poops. Ostensibly, the Exobaby ad is supposed to show off all of the high-tech features on the Sonata, but many viewers are just going to be left trying to figure out what they're watching. If you need just over a minute of weird advertising to lift your day, then this Hyundai commercial must be seen. Related Gallery 2015 Hyundai Sonata News Source: HyundaiWorldwide via YouTubeImage Credit: Related images copyright Hyundai Marketing/Advertising Weird Car News Hyundai Videos Sedan car ads

Apple's digital car keys may work with Hyundai and Genesis models this summer

Apple's digital car key feature might soon be useful for unlocking more than a handful of BMW models. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed Hyundai and its upscale Genesis badge will support Apple CarKey "by the summer." It's not certain which models would provide the option, but it's notable that some trim levels of the Ioniq 5 and other Hyundai cars include NFC for a (currently proprietary) digital key. While remote lock controls have been available through smartphones for a while, CarKey (and its Android equivalent) treats the phone more like a physical key. You just have to bring your phone or Apple Watch to the door handle to unlock it, and you can even place your phone in a given area to start the car. People with ultra-wideband iPhones (such as the iPhone 11 and newer) can even leave their phone in their pocket when opening and starting the vehicle. If the leak is accurate, Apple's move could significantly expand the audience for digital car keys — you wouldn't need to shop from one high-end marque to even consider it. A deal would also suggest the tussle over a possible EV collaboration wasn't enough to deter Apple and Hyundai from exploring a CarKey team-up. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Genesis Hyundai Technology Smartphone Apple