April Fools' Day brings Jeep Sedan, Hyundai N Roadster, Toyota Yaris pickup and more
Mon, Apr 1 2019 There is one day out of the year when public relations professionals have permission to lie to journalists and to the public: April Fools' Day. Manufacturers release details about wild, weird and wacky new technology, concept vehicles and services. Some take it to obvious outlandish extremes (Jeep Sedan anybody?), while others plot to mislead with products that are just outside the realm of possibility. Check out all the "jokes" below.BMW Motorrad
BMW doesn't want to exclude anybody from experiencing the thrill of high-level racing, so it is introducing 'iRace" autonomous programming on its S 1000 RR sport bike. It includes beginner, sportsman, advanced and unlimited driving modes, and stores GPS information for all Superbike world championship tracks.
Hyundai
Hyundai is wrong for this. The Hyundai N Roadster is the work of South Korean designer Yeonjoon Park and features a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, rear-wheel drive and a hard convertible top. Hyundai says this is a "concept (for now)," but we think it'd make a seriously great Mazda Miata competitor.
Honda
Honda wins the award for the best interactive gimmick, as its press release for the '90s-inspired special-edition Pastport includes a live hotline number with a message from Fred Savage. Call 1-833-PASTPORT for more information.
Jeep
Put the Jeep Cherokee face on the Chrysler 300's body, and voila! The 2019 Jeep Sedan is born. We can't decide if the name or the rendering is better.
Land Rover
Accessibility to charging ports is of major concern to anybody with a plug-in vehicle. So, with the recent launch of the Range Rover P400e and Range Rover Sport P400e, Land Rover is putting forth an effort to install more stations around the globe. First up is Scotland's Isle of Skye. Adventurers need juice too!
Lexus Australia
Lexus expands its Encore service to include doggos. The new service, called Enpaw, will take pups to luxury boarding kennels in style.
Toyota U.S.
Toyota created the Yaris Adventure pickup for "those who want to tell their friends they own a truck but never veer off pavement." It's part Mazda 2, part RAV4, 100 percent ute and it looks ... great? Creating a new segment might be all fun and games to Toyota, but Ford is reportedly considering a Focus-based ute in a similar, albeit larger, style.
Toyota Australia
Toyota is launching a new HiAce van, and it's already getting a limited-edition variant called the PieAce. The soft-top convertible van can be ordered in four orientations: two-seat long wheelbase, two-seat super-long wheelbase, five-seat long wheelbase, or 12-seat super-long wheelbase. No matter the amount of people in the van, there is pie for all, thanks to a built-in oven in the rear tailgate.
Lamborghini
Lamborghini's playful contribution to April 1 is an angular supercar-style trailer. Seems like a missed opportunity not to use the Urus to tow it, however.
BONUS: Tesla
Elon Musk likely thinks he could legitimately be a pop star, but his Harambe-themed track was released awfully close to April Fools' Day.
Featured Gallery Hyundai N Roadster Concept
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- News Source: BMW, Hyundai, Honda, Land Rover, Lexus, Toyota
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- Humor
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- Hyundai
- Jeep
- Land Rover
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- Sedan
By Tony Markovich
See also: BMW's Mini plant closes for 4 weeks for the Brexit that didn't happen, Genesis bringing an EV concept and G90 to New York Auto Show, Land Rover wins legal battle over Evoque clone Land Wind X7.