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Hyundai shoots down the rumor claiming it is done developing engines

Hyundai has clarified that the recent rumor claiming it had stopped developing gasoline- and diesel-burning engines to focus on various forms of electrifications is false. It said that development work remains on-going and that the internal combustion engine still has a future. "Hyundai Motor Group can confirm that it is not halting the development of its engines following recent media speculation. The Group is dedicated to providing a strong portfolio of powertrains to its global customers, which includes a combination of highly efficient engines and zero-emissions electric motors," said senior group manager Michael Stewart in an interview with Motor1. The report that emerged in late 2021 claimed that the Hyundai Group (which includes the Hyundai brand, Kia, and Genesis, among other entities) had completely stopped designing piston-powered engines to focus on electrification. It claimed that most of the engineers had been assigned new roles related to electrification, though it also noted that some were staying behind to continue refining the technology. If this sounds familiar, it's likely because Hyundai recently shot down a separate but similar rumor that said it had put the hydrogen-electric powertrain it planned to install in many of its cars (including some upmarket Genesis models) on hiatus. The carmaker explained that it has merely reshuffled the team that's developing the technology because unspecified technical hurdles have slowed down the project. Several electric Hyundai models are in the pipeline, including the production version of the Prophecy concept unveiled in 2020 and a relatively big SUV previewed by the 2021 Seven concept. But, its comments suggest that more gasoline-powered models are on the way as well, which is great news; its range of N-tuned high-performance models includes excellent cars and there's still room for it to grow. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

Kia takes the wraps off new Sorento

We've seen the spy shots (twice) and we've seen the teaser images, but now Kia has finally revealed the finished form of its upcoming new Sorento crossover.
Taking some styling cues from the Kia Cross GT concept from the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, but with better proportions, the new Sorento packs a more pronounced grille in an altogether more aggressive (though not necessarily better-looking) front end than the model it replaces. Sheet metal is more sculpted all around, and despite the wrap-around taillights, the rear end looks familiar.
The new Sorento stretches 3.7-inches longer overall, on a 3-inch longer wheelbase, but sits half an inch lower, promising more interior space and of course updated equipment and features. The Eco Dynamics badge on the tailgate suggests the availability of green tech like stop/start ignition and such. Kia will reveal the new Sorento in Korea later this month ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.