2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0t 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

Genesis teases future large SUV with GV80 concept

After years of rumors that Genesis would add an SUV to its lineup, Hyundai's in-house luxury brand unveiled the GV80 concept at the New York Auto Show Wednesday. Genesis didn't reveal key details of the concept, such as its dimensions and whether it would fit three rows, but prior intel suggests a Genesis SUV would be a little larger than a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a little more expensive. However, the press release does establish three facts: opulence abounds, the high-rider previews the brand's future design language, and a hydrogen fuel cell powers the GV80 – conceptually, at least. The overall shape – dressed in a "bespoke Ice Granite finish" – seems a touch common, although we must note that numerous players already crowd the large luxury SUV field. To give the GV80 a unique identity, Luc Donckerwolke, head of Genesis design, tapped the arsenal of luxury and detailing he amassed during stints at Lamborghini and Bentley. Genesis' trademark crest grille gets filled with diamond mesh, and sits in a contoured channel that defines a spine running the length of the SUV. The quad headlights are nothing more than four swept-back slits. Along the sides, 23-inch wheels frame a deep vent carved into the bodywork, while the mesh pattern in the five-spoke alloys matches the trussed B- and C-pillars. In back, thin, fiber-optic taillights emphasize width and stylized vents in the lower fascia cool the powertrain. The interior puts on the real show. An analog speedometer jazzes up the digital dash cluster, the driver's display flowing into a curved, 22-inch OLED screen set atop the "bridge" instrument panel. The display's two zones serve driver and passenger separately. The driver can use the glass touchpad multi-function controller and knurled metal wheel to toggle through functions, and the passenger taps the metal pinstripes set into the ash wood console and center tunnel. That tunnel runs the length of the cabin, creating four distinct seating areas. Rear-seat passengers can also touch the metal stripes to control seatback screens. Many cows died to create the interior ambiance, with smooth and quilted-diamond-stitched leather everywhere. Suede, polished aluminum, and slate ash wood provide contrasts from the dash to the cargo area. The GV80's "advanced plug-in hydrogen fuel cell" specs remain a mystery, but it might not be an empty tease. Two years ago, Hyundai showed off the Intrado compact CUV concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

Hyundai celebrates selling one-millionth Santa Fe

Hyundai celebrated a milestone yesterday when it sold the one-millionth Santa Fe crossover, which was the Korean automaker's first-and-only SUV when it was introduced in 2000. Hyundai credits the Santa Fe as being a key factor to the company's growth and success in the US, but it didn't describe the one-millionth Santa Fe or say where it was sold.
Before Hyundai introduced the crossover, which has been offered in short- and long-wheelbase versions from the start, it was primarily known for making inexpensive economy cars. Today the majority of Santa Fes are produced at its factory in West Point, Georgia, though they were previously made at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama. Today the Alabama plant makes Sonata and Elantra sedans. Hyundai says it will produce nearly 500,000 vehicles in the US this year, and will sell a total of 700,000 vehicles here.
Check out the press release below, for more details.