2013 Hyundai Santa Fe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai, Kia looking to cut costs

Hyundai and Kia are off to roaring starts in the United States this year, underscored by Kia's best sales month ever in May. But globally the situation for the South Korean siblings hasn't been nearly so positive. Recently, they reported their fourth consecutive quarter of decreasing operating profits worldwide, and now they're "making efforts to cut costs," according to a statement in a joint email obtained by Bloomberg. However, the companies aren't detailing where they would make the cuts or how much they want to save. The amount could be significant, though. An unnamed Hyundai senior executive reportedly told a South Korean newspaper that the business might be aiming for up to 30 percent in reductions. According to Bloomberg, Hyundai and Kia are facing falling total sales worldwide. Making the situation worse is that the strong Korean won versus the weaker Japanese yen gives competitors an advantage. The automakers also angered investors enough last year to prompt a stock buyback after paying $10 billion for the land for a future headquarters. The prognosis doesn't look utterly dire, though, and new products are on the way. For example, the Hyundai Santa Fe is being refreshed in South Korea, and the next-gen Elantra debuts at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. There's also the Creta on the way for foreign markets. Additionally, several models are still awaiting the green light, including a Hyundai Genesis-based luxury crossover, a compact CUV, and the Santa Cruz unibody pickup. Meanwhile, the Kia GT is reportedly close to production, too. Related Video:

2015 Hyundai Sonata confirmed for New York debut

Despite receiving a host of improvements for the 2014 model year, the next-generation Hyundai Sonata is right around the corner. During a technical briefing today, Hyundai's North American CEO, John Krafcik, has confirmed to Autoblog that the 2015 Sonata will debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show in April.
The Sonata will be one of Hyundai's three major launches coming in the first half of 2014. First will be the 2015 Genesis sedan, which will bow at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, and also coming in 2014 is a new fuel-cell vehicle from Hyundai.
Despite the current Sonata's age relative to key rivals, it's still doing rather well for Hyundai. Krafcik told us that the sedan currently has a 42-day dealer supply, which is lower than its fresher competitors. The nipped/tucked 2014 Sonata should help keep that momentum going until this all-new 2015 model arrives next year.

Rockstar Performance creates off-road Hyundai Tucson for SEMA

Hyundai is rapidly filling its space for this year's SEMA Show on November 3 in Las Vegas, NV, but the latest addition to the growing list of debuts takes a slightly different approach. Rather than going for all-out power like the rest, Rockstar Performance Garage is bringing a tuned 2016 Tucson that's custom modified to head off-road. To handle getting through mud and over rocks, Rockstar Performance gives the Tucson a major suspension upgrade. Some 2.5-inch, adjustable coilovers are fitted at the front, and the rear is equipped with 2.5-inch shocks with remote reservoirs and progressive springs. To get the power to the dirt, 32-inch Mickey Thompson tires are mounted on some 17-inch wheels. "The focus behind this build was to create an off-roader that nobody expected," says Nic Ashby, owner and general partner of Rockstar Performance Garage. The tuners give the Tucson a meaner look thanks to a black paint job that's trimmed with yellow and silver accents, and the roof features a custom rack with an LED light bar. Inside, the stereo gets an upgrade with improved speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer. The powerplant isn't left alone, either, and Rockstar Performance fits new parts for the turbo piping and intercooler, plus a Magnaflow exhaust, to get the most from the 1.6-liter engine. Rockstar Performance's work should be quite a contrast next to the lowered, blue, 700-horsepower Tucson from Bisimoto Engineering also coming to SEMA. Related Video: ROCKSTAR PERFORMANCE GARAGE TURNS 2016 TUCSON INTO A TRUE OFF-ROADER FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 12, 2015 – Rockstar Performance Garage (RPG), the off-road specialists, have revealed details on its 2016 Tucson SEMA build. This is the first year that Hyundai has teamed up with the off-road gurus at RPG, injecting off-road lifeblood into Hyundai's popular CUV. The car will be revealed at Hyundai's SEMA press conference on November 3 at 11:30 a.m. PT, in Las Vegas. The bumper-to-bumper overhaul started with the most important piece of any serious off-roader: the suspension. The Tucson now sits six inches over stock height, riding on massive, 32-in. MTZ P3 tires from Mickey Thompson, and a fully-custom, adjustable shocks and struts system from King Shocks. The vehicle's wheel wells were reconstructed to create space for the new setup, now able to fit the massive suspension and tire combination.