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Hyundai previews new Equus-replacing Genesis G90

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the new Genesis luxury brand, Hyundai is rolling out the first model in its lineup, the G90. Previewed in this image, the sedan will replace the Equus at the top of Hyundai's lineup and launches next month in Korea. It will wear the EQ900 badge in its home market. Penned in the company's new Prestige Design Division, the styling has obvious links to the new Genesis sedan (which will also get an alphanumeric nameplate) and the Vision G Coupe concept (which will likely lead to a production two-door). That means more straight lines than the curvier Equus, along with more upscale details. From the limited angles at which we're viewing it, the design appears to bear some similarities to other luxury automakers like Audi (around the headlights), Mercedes (at the tail), and even Bentley (towards the back of the greenhouse). The G90 will kick off the launch of the new Genesis brand much in the same way that Toyota launched the Lexus brand, Honda begat Acura, and Nissan gave birth to Infiniti. The G90 will be the first of six new Genesis models to launch by 2020. 'New Luxury' Takes Shape - Hyundai Motor Unveils Rendering of New G90 Hyundai Motor has revealed the first rendering of its new range-topping G90 luxury sedan, which is named EQ900 in Korea. The elegantly designed, technology packed G90 hints at the recently-launched Genesis brand's design identity and future direction. Woong-Chul Yang, Head of Hyundai Motor R&D Center and Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor, said, "Genesis' new large luxury sedan G90 will deliver a concept of 'New Luxury' to our customers. The G90 sits at the pinnacle of the Genesis brand and demonstrates how we apply our human-centered values to give our customer true satisfaction in every aspect of the vehicle ownership experience." As the Genesis brand's flagship model, G90 is a blueprint for change and innovation that will distinguish the Genesis brand. Majoring on 'human-centered' technology combined with engaging driving dynamics, G90 boasts a raft of world-best safety features and technological innovations to set itself apart in the luxury market. G90 also showcases the Genesis brand's hallmark design style 'Athletic Elegance', interpreted by the newly-formed Prestige Design Division to bring graceful and profound elegance to G90's significant proportions.

S. Korea to raise concerns about EV credits, battery sourcing in U.S. visit

SEOUL — South Korean officials will meet U.S. counterparts this week to express "concerns" about the Inflation Reduction Act, which restricts who can receive U.S. subsidies for the production of electric vehicles and where firms can source battery materials. President Joe Biden signed into law this month a $430 billion bill, seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. history. The law requires that EVs be assembled in North America to qualify for tax credits, ending subsidies for several EV models, and that a percentage of critical minerals used in batteries come from the United States or an American free-trade partner. Automakers like Hyundai Motor face short-term competitive disadvantage to manufacturers of EVs that receive tax credits in the United States, while industry sources said Korean battery makers must make changes to mineral sourcing routes, which could affect cost adversely. South Korean officials are expected to tell counterparts from the U.S. Trade Representative's office and the U.S. Treasury that the new law may violate trade norms such as the U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement and the WTO agreement, the industry ministry said. Korean automakers will consider adjusting production plans to prioritize the construction of U.S. plants for example, the ministry said, while battery makers will seek to diversify where they source minerals from. Under new rules to kick in next year, at least 40% of the monetary value of the critical minerals in batteries will need to come from the United States or an American free-trade partner, with that proportion rising to 80% by 2027. Globally, the treatment of some 58% of lithium, 64% of cobalt and 70% of graphite goes through China, according to ministry data. FALLOUT The new rules are a major complication for battery makers LG Energy Solution (LGES), SK On and Samsung SDI, battery industry sources said. South Korea's LGES supplies Tesla and General Motors, while SK On and Samsung SDI supply Ford Motor and Volkswagen among others. The three battery makers together command more than a quarter of the global EV battery market, according to SNE Research. "It's become a huge headache ... Automaker clients said they didn't expect this new law would take effect this soon," said a South Korean battery industry source.

Hyundai admits 'error' in KDM Sonata fuel economy announcement

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Hyundai is going to have to reduce the officially announced miles-per-gallon number for its 2014 Sonata. While there's a lot of similarity between this new situation and events that transpired in 2012, there are some important differences. For one, the new mileage mistake, which Hyundai says was once again caused by an error at its test centers, is only applicable to cars in the Korean Domestic Market. Secondly, it's not so much mpg as kilometers per liter. "We are very sorry for causing confusion to reporters" - Hyundai According to Reuters, the numbers for the Korean Sonata were originally announced as 12.6 kilometers per liter (29.63 mpg), a six-percent increase over the previous model. The automaker has just announced that government verification showed an actual result of 12.1 kpl (28.46 mpg), which is only a two-percent increase. Since these numbers were done using the South Korean economy test, they are not equivalent to the US EPA numbers, the latter of which say the 2014 Sonata gets 36/40/38 miles per gallon. The correction came before the new Sonata went on sale in South Korea. In an official statement, Hyundai said, "We are very sorry for causing confusion to reporters." Hyundai Motor America's Jim Trainor, product public relations senior group manager, assured AutoblogGreen that the Korean error will have "no effect" on US ratings. In 2012, Hyundai and Kia faced a media and consumer firestorm after being caught up in exaggerated mileage claims for vehicles like its 2013 Accent, Veloster and Elantra. The sister companies agreed to compensate buyers to the tune of $395 million for what they said were "honest mistakes" and "human error" during in-house fuel economy tests. There is no word yet on whether similar customer satisfaction actions will follow this domestic market snafu.