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Ward's releases 10 Best Interiors list for 2014

While we're still a ways off from the automotive awards season proper, where things like North American Car and Truck of the Year, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and Car and Driver's Ten Best are named, that doesn't mean there aren't trophies being handed out to deserving automakers. Ward's 10 Best Interiors being one of them.
As the name might imply, the magazine focuses on the very best interior treatments in the US market. Whereas some awards purposely exclude extreme, high-dollar offerings, Ward's considers them - the only requirement is that a vehicle has a "new or significantly redesigned interior."
Ward's offered up the list of winners in simple, alphabetical order, and it only seems fair to do the same:

2017 Genesis G90 signals Equus' evolution

As predicted, Hyundai's executive-level Genesis EQ900 has crossed the Pacific to make its big debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Known in the North American market as the Genesis G90, the first-ever vehicle for the new Genesis brand will occupy the same position as the old Hyundai Equus at the top of the heap. That means lots of interior space, most of which is finished in luxurious materials and stuffed full of technology. From the lone interior image Hyundai sent out, the cabin is clearly an evolution of the Equus' aesthetic. There's a large swath of real wood on the dash, which is topped by Nappa leather. The expansive center display sits atop a high, curving transmission tunnel that houses the traditional knob-and-dial controller for the infotainment, as well as the shift lever and HVAC buttons. Hyundai stretched the G90's wheelbase by 4.5 inches over the old Equus, but in the process, it removed an inch of backseat legroom. Now there's only 37.8 inches in the second row, which doesn't compare favorably to the 42.9 inches in the back of the Audi A8L or the 43.1 inches offered in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Unlike the EQ900 that was shown early last month, the US-market G90 will only offer a pair of engines. On the one end, we have a 3.3-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, capable of 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. The 5.0-liter V8 from the Equus will be offered too, and it still churns out 420 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. But with peak twist from the V6 model available between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm and less than 60 horsepower difference between the two engines, it sounds like the smaller engine will be the one to have, especially if it proves significantly lighter (Hyundai hasn't published the G90's weight yet). Both engines are paired to eight-speed automatic transmissions and can be paired with Hyundai's H-TRAC all-wheel-drive system. Look for more on the new G90 from its Detroit debut. And in the meantime, head over to our December 9 report on the new flagship model for more on Peter Schreyer's design and the safety equipment.

Facelifted Genesis G70 spied in new photos

The updated Genesis G70 was spotted testing on the road in Europe, and spy photos shared with Autoblog depict a prototype wearing significant camouflage that could be hiding some big updates to Hyundai's luxurious newcomer.  Mid-cycle refreshes are often nip-and-tuck affairs, but the extent of the coverings on this prototype suggest that Genesis has more in store for its compact luxury sedan than a fresh set of LEDs and some delicately re-drawn bumpers.  According to our spies, there may even be revisions to the materials used in the unibody and exterior panels to reduce weight and improve both efficiency and performance. The sedan's manual transmission is expected to live on for at least another model year, but whether it will carry over to the face-lifted model remains to be seen.  While both the head- and taillights on this prototype do appear to be new, we expect the G70's list of updates to be far more comprehensive, including updated powertrains and chassis updates. One of Hyundai's latest generation of turbocharged four-cylinders making at least 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque is even rumored to be making an appearance. Currently, the four-cylinder engine in the G70 makes 252 hp and 260 lb-ft. Based on Hyundai's estimates for the Sonata N-Line, the G70 could be getting a boost of nearly 40 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers might be conservative, as the G70's rear-wheel drive platform will take more readily to extra power than the Sonata's front-wheel drive setup. Increased power from the turbo four would make the 365-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.3L V6 less of an upgrade, but we suspect Hyundai will massage the 6's output to keep the natural order of things intact.  Related Video: