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Kia design chief Peter Schreyer named Hyundai-Kia President

Automotive News reports Peter Schreyer has been appointed the first non-Korean president of Hyundai-Kia Motor Group. Schreyer is expected to retain his role as the chief designer for Kia, while also taking on new, high-level executive duties. He is now one of three presidents at the automaker.
The designer made a name for himself at Volkswagen, where he penned the 1998 New Beetle and lent his eye to the Audi TT. In 2006, Schreyer moved to Kia, where he quickly revised the brand's styling from bland, forgettable lines to bold, "tiger nose" creations. Analysts attribute much of the brand's recent sales success to Schreyer's influence.
Kia is expected to move 2.75 million units worldwide next year, while sister company Hyundai will likely beat its 2012 sales forecast of 4.29 million units, according to CFO Lee Won Hee.

Autoblog Minute: VW finds CO2 'irregularities', Takata dropped by automakers, SEMA recap

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle, US regulators hit Takata Corporation with a substantial fine, and we head to Las Vegas for a look at tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle. US regulators issue a significant fine to Takata Corporation. And we take a peek inside tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. The VW diesel emissions scandal, first brought to light in September, gets a new wrinkle, as an internal investigation by the German automaker revealed [00:00:30] irregularities in CO2 emissions that could affect approximately 800,000 vehicles. VW estimates the issue could pose a 2-billion euro economic risk. VW claims that most of the vehicles affected have diesel engines, but industry analysts say a 1.4-liter gas engine is also affected. VW says that fuel consumption figures were set too low during the CO2 certification process. During all of this, sales of some diesel-powered Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche models [00:01:00] have been halted. Takata Corporation is back in the news in connection with its deadly airbag scandal. Federal regulators fined Takata $70 million. If the parts supplier does not comply, the fine could balloon to $200 million. Takata was also dropped this week by its biggest customer, Honda. And now, Toyota and Mazda will be following Honda's lead in dropping Takata. We're also hearing that Mitsubishi and Subaru are considering a switch in air-bag inflator suppliers. SEMA 2015 [00:01:30] came and went. We saw offerings from Mopar, like the AWD Challenger concept. Honda unveiled a Ridgeline that it will race at the Baja 1000, which gives us a hint at what future production model could look like. The celebrity presence was also felt in Vegas as it always is. Kid Rock brought a Duramax Diesel Chevy Silverado, and Acura restored and presented Ludacris with his now famous 1993 Acura Legend. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to come back on Saturday for my full recap, [00:02:00] where I'll have some added insight into Hyundai's foray into the luxury sector. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive.

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.