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Hyundai/Kia's Prius rival to arrive by 2017

The Toyota Prius is the undisputed king of the hybrid market, but Hyundai and Kia are hoping to challenge its reign in the coming years with their own dedicated model. However, in all likelihood this is the same technology being shared between them. "We will take the lead in the future by raising the competitiveness of our environment-friendly cars like hybrid-only cars, plug-in hybrid cars and fuel cell hydrogen cars," Hyundai Motor CEO Kim Choong-ho said to Reuters, during the launch of another vehicle in South Korea.
While Kim didn't say when the model would be ready, Autocar in Europe spoke to people at Kia, who said that the company's own hybrid was two years away and codenamed the DE. The initial vehicle is reportedly a five-door hatchback that's about 169-inches long, with more conventional styling than the Prius. Its powertrain is reportedly based around a 1.6-liter engine with electric assist. A plug-in version might follow later, and other bodystyles on the platform are possible. A recently spotted test mule might show the current state of development on the project (pictured above).
According to Reuters, the decision for the new vehicle comes in order to meet tighter emissions in some markets. However, it seems like a challenging move for the US market. Hyundai already sells its Tucson fuel cell in limited quantities and the Sonata hybrid, and Kia has the Optima hybrid and Soul EV. Industry analysts are also predicting that hybrids might have a hard time versus internal combustion engines in the coming years. In addition, Toyota is rumored to get fuel economy close to 60 miles per gallon for some versions of the next Prius. All of these factors make selling the models here a potentially difficult undertaking.

2014 Hyundai Equus

A Lesson In How To Out-Lexus The LS
I think that the new BMW 4 Series is an attractive coupe. The design is a little bit on the wrong side of "fussy" I'll grant you, and I don't particularly care for the look of the scalloped, black-bordered vents on the fender sides - functional though they may be. But for the most part, I find the coupe to be pretty pleasing to look at.
You all, by and large, do not care for the 4 Series. (For the sake of constructing my intellectual argument, I'm going to make the ridiculous statistical assumption that the 140 or so comments on our 4 Series First Drive provide a representative opinion of our readership as a whole.) In the first 24 hours after we published our review of the car, you felt moved to comment that it was "ugly," "REALLY ugly" and "a disappointment" among other, less reprintable statements of ardor.

Hyundai promoting younger execs in bid to 'smoothen an eventual leadership succession'

Experience versus the next generation. It's the decision any organization has to make when it comes to its succession of leadership. But even companies that value wisdom over vitality will eventually have to hand the reins to a new generation of leaders. And that seems to be what the Hyundai Motor Group is preparing for. The Korean automaker has promoted three executives in their early 50s to the rank of Executive Vice President. Chief marketing officer Cho Won-hong (50), PR chief Kong Young-woon (50) and Kim Gyun (52), head of strategic planning at Kia, are all being promoted to the role, putting them in senior leadership positions at one of the world's largest automakers. Reuters frames the promotions as earmarked to "smoothen an eventual leadership succession" at Hyundai. The family-owned company is currently chaired by Chung Mong-koo (76), who has given little indication that he's preparing to step down in the near future. But when he does, he's widely expected to relinquish control to his only son, current vice-chairman and former Kia president Chung Eui-sun (44, pictured), who is said to have chosen the aforementioned US-educated Cho for the promotion. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: SAMUEL KUBANI/AFP/Getty Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Hyundai Kia