2014 Hyundai Sonata Gls on 2040-cars

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Sunday Drive: An automotive flavor for every taste

Last week was flush with interesting new vehicle debuts, led by the new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. This crossover is entering straight into the heart of one of the world's most competitive automotive segments, and it's doing so with a fresh sense of style and a brace of new technologies. Our readers are clearly intrigued – the Santa Fe was the biggest news story of the last week on these online pages. It's fitting that a crossover generated a lot more interest than a traditional wagon, though we don't really have to be happy about it. Still, the completely new, fully redesigned Volvo V60 is worth taking another look at. First of all, it's pretty, in a traditionally Scandinavian way. Second, it's quick, with a 0-60 time of as little as 4.8 seconds. And finally, it's practical, with all kinds of room for cargo without the dynamic penalties of an unnecessary lift kit. Moving on from new vehicle debuts, we took another long look at the Honda Ridgeline. It's definitely a non-conformist pickup truck, based not on a body-on-frame platform but on a more carlike unibody design. That means it can't tow as much as some other trucks, but it also means the Ridgeline drives better than any of its more truckish competitors. It's the Swiss army knife of pickup trucks. Rounding out our coverage from last week are three sets of spy photos, each showing the interior of a hotly anticipated new model. One is a truck, one is a crossover, and the last is a sportscar. All of them are worth another look. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week for all the most important news in the automotive world. 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe unveiled 2019 Volvo V60 | Sleek, swift new twist on the Swedish wagon 2018 Honda Ridgeline | Pocketknife pickup is up for anything 2019 GMC Sierra interior looks just like the Silverado's 2019 Cadillac XT4 interior has actual buttons, no more touch-sensitive panel 2020 Porsche 911 992 spy shots show interior and manual transmission Cadillac GMC Honda Hyundai Porsche Volvo Truck Crossover Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan hyundai santa fe

2017 Genesis G90 First Drive

The Genesis G90, new flagship of a new brand, makes me think of Shakespeare. Specifically, the tragedy of Troilus and Cressida, one of the Bard's more obscure and difficult works. But not because that play has much to do with the G90, but because that oft-forgotten work lent the Toyota Cressida, itself an obscure thing, its name. We're playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon with old playwrights and forgotten Toyota sedans because the luxurious Toyota Cressida directly paved the way for the Lexus LS400 to emerge a few years later. Since Lexus was the most phenomenal success to emerge from the late 1980s Japanese luxury brand movement, what better template for success? Genesis's Cressida was the Hyundai Equus. Both were uniquely badged, both sat slightly apart from a much less luxurious lineup. Both were not quite translated to American tastes, attempting to pass off indigenous flavors as export bonuses. The Cressida was pinched and cramped within, and frosted with gimmicky electronics; the Equus was tailor-made to a Korean businessperson's tastes. Both tested the waters and proved to product planners that there was room for a luxury brand. Lose the battle, win the war. Don't tell that to Troilus, though. Genesis won't quit with the G90. They're planning six vehicles by 2020, and the G80 (the old Hyundai Genesis sedan) is going on sale in September. A smaller G70 sedan will follow up later on. We expect an all-wheel drive coupe (or coupeish four-door) to replace the unloved Genesis Coupe, which should be significantly more upscale and luxurious to compete with the German brands. If it looks anything like the Vision G coupe concept from 2015, that won't be hard. Erwin Raphael, brand manager in the US for Genesis, tells us that a small SUV built on the G70 platform and a mid-sized one built on the G80 platform will follow (and in this SUV-crazy market, can't come soon enough). The slide below, provided by Genesis, shows the way forward. Genesis will craft its luxury brand not only with product, but also with a few customer service pillars that are worth a mention. Genesis expects most of their cars will be leased, and so they include a bunch of perks crafted to a typical lease period, like free service. On top of that, all Genesis dealers will offer a valet-style service to pick up your car for maintenance while dropping off a loaner. Other brands and dealerships do this piecemeal, but it will be a brand-wide pillar for Genesis.

John Krafcik stepping down as Hyundai CEO, replaced by VP of sales

Hyundai Motor America has announced that its affable president and CEO, John Krafcik, will be stepping down from his post on January 1, at the completion of his contract. He'll be replaced by the current executive vice president of sales, David Zuchowski.
Krafcik has helmed Hyundai through a product renaissance that's seen the Korean automaker go from budget afterthought to household name in less than a decade, launching stylish new models and expanding into new markets. "On behalf of Hyundai Motor Company, we sincerely thank John for his visionary leadership and relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction, which has driven Hyundai's record growth over the past five years," said Im Tak Uk, the COO and executive vice president of HMA's parent company, Hyundai Motor Company.
"It's been a sincere privilege and honor to lead Hyundai Motor America over the past five years, and I am confident that with Dave's succession, our brand will continue to expand and thrive for years to come," said Krafcik in a Hyundai press release, available below. "We have many of the best and brightest employees in the business coupled with a committed and talented dealer network that will continue to pay dividends."