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Hyundai spotted testing Prius rival

That Hyundai is gearing up to go after the Toyota Prius with a dedicated hybrid of its own is no great secret. We've seen prototypes for it testing twice before. But this is our best look at the Korean challenger yet, wearing its own bodywork and in the light of day. Spied undergoing testing in Germany, this prototype dubbed AE HEV (likely for Advanced Experimental or Alternative Energy Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is still heavily camouflaged to keep it away from prying eyes (like ours). But there are still some details we can discern from underneath the cloth cladding. For starters, you can see the horizontal slates on the front grille, blue accents on the headlights, maybe even a strip of LED daytime running lights. There looks to be a spoiler at the back similar to that on the European hatchback version of the Honda Civic. Of course it's another Honda whose form this prototype seems to be emulating, and that's the Insight. It'll be interesting to see if Hyundai can succeed where the Insight failed, and take the fight to the Prius. Expect to see it emerge sometime in the second half of next year.

April Fools' Day brings Jeep Sedan, Hyundai N Roadster, Toyota Yaris pickup and more

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.

88,000 interested in Hyundai Tucson fuel cell, first units due in 60 days

Hyundai thinks it has a hit on its hands with the Tucson Fuel Cell CUV, an Internet hit at the very least. At the Washington Auto Show this week, Michael O'Brien, the vice president of corporate and product planning for Hyundai Motor America, announced that 88,000 people have visited the car's microsite. Since the company isn't yet taking orders for the vehicle, we'll have to take this as a sign that people are interested in a hydrogen-powered CUV. "The response surprised even us," O'Brien said. "The response surprised even us" Hyundai expects to deliver the first Tucson Fuel Cell to a "small group" of customers in the US within 60 days, O'Brien said. As we learned last year, Hyundai will lease the CUV for $499 a month (and $2,999 down) for 36 months. That price includes as much hydrogen refueling as you like, plus Hyundai's Valet Maintenance. The Tucson Fuel Cell is already in production and available in other markets (as the ix35 Fuel Cell), following 16 years of development and what O'Brien said were "hundreds of millions of dollars" spent on R&D. Hyundai has tested its fuel cell cars for over 2.4 million miles, including extreme heat, cold and altitude tests (but it hasn't shot a bullet into the tank a la Toyota). Hydrogen cars are "as clean and by some measures cleaner than today's EVs" but are more practical, with longer range and shorter refueling times, O'Brien said in DC. There's more in the press release below. Hyundai Receives Strong Consumer Interest With 88,000 Visitors To Its Dedicated Fuel Cell Microsite In Just Two Months $499 per month to drive the World's First Mass-Produced Fuel Cell Vehicle, Including Unlimited Free Hydrogen Refueling and At Your Service Valet Maintenance WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai is witnessing exceptionally strong consumer interest in its next-generation Tucson Fuel Cell CUV, with more than 88,000 unique visitors to its Hyundai.com fuel cell microsite since the program's November introduction. Consumers selected for the program can drive the Tucson Fuel Cell for just $499 per month, which includes unlimited free hydrogen refueling and "At Your Service" valet maintenance at no extra cost. For the first time, retail consumers will be able to put a federally-certified hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in their driveways, with availability beginning in late Spring 2014 at select Southern California Hyundai dealers.