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Weekly Recap: Hyundai scores NFL sponsorship after GM exits

Hyundai replaced General Motors as the official automotive sponsor of the NFL with a four-season deal that was announced this week. Hyundai gets exclusive sponsorship rights for mainstream and luxury cars, though not for pickups – as it doesn't have one in its current portfolio. "There may be another automotive truck sponsor, but not one that competes with our vehicle lineup," a Hyundai spokesman said in an email. That leaves the door open for another truckmaker to enter the fray. GM used the NFL to promote its GMC division, which makes pickups and sport-utility vehicles. The Detroit automaker decided to quit the sponsorship, which it had held since 2001, a GM spokesman said. Financials were not released, but ESPN said the sponsorship will cost Hyundai $50 million a year, double what GM paid. It gives Hyundai access to NFL trademarks for use in its marketing and advertising, and Hyundai will provide promotional vehicles to the league for the Super Bowl and other events. Hyundai celebrated the agreement by lighting up its Fountain Valley, CA, headquarters this week with a football field and the NFL logo. Hyundai's sister company, Kia, is the official automotive sponsor of the NBA. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration, and tell the Hyundai brand story," Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski said in a statement. Hyundai will officially kick off its sponsorship when the NFL season begins on Sept. 10 with a primetime game featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Toyota Mirai rated at 67 mpge, 312-mile range The Environmental Protection Agency gave the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric car a 67-miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating. The figure is for city, highway, and combined driving. The EPA also said the Mirai will have a 312-mile range. The sedan will arrive in dealerships in California this fall and will cost $57,500, though incentives can drop the price significantly. The Mirai will also be offered as a $499-per-month lease. Both come with three years or $15,000 worth of free fuel. Toyota plans to expand sales to the Northeast United States later. Toyota's top female exec resigns in wake of arrest Meanwhile, in other Toyota news, the automaker's communications chief and top female executive, Julie Hamp, resigned.

GM Ultium tech can scavenge heat from everywhere, even you

GM likes to give us tidbits about its Ultium platform from time to time, and today it’s telling us about the platformÂ’s ability to capture waste heat from the propulsion system. In addition to capturing from the propulsion system, it can also capture humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle and even from passengersÂ’ body heat. Yes, you, your family and/or your friends are a usable heat source as far as GM EVs are concerned. It then deploys the heat in an advantageous way. If at this point, youÂ’re screaming, "Heat pump!" youÂ’d be right. WeÂ’re talking about an elaborate heat pump system that GM is using for its Ultium-based vehicles. Every Ultium-based GM vehicle gets this system that is covered by 11 patents and four publications. The waste heat it collects is used in a number of ways, but its primary use is to heat the cabin quickly and efficiently. GM claims it can heat the cabin of its Ultium-based vehicles quicker than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines. Plus, when put to use, GM claims that using the heat pump provides its EVs with up to 10% more range than theyÂ’d have without. Beyond heating the cabin, the heat pump is capable of putting waste heat to use by preheating the battery prior to charging so that you can charge quicker. The system can even cool the propulsion system in preparation for Watts to Freedom (WTF) launch control starts. GM says this was vital in helping the Hummer EV achieve its bonkers 0-60 mph time of about 3 seconds. “Having a ground-up EV architecture gives us the freedom to build in standard features like UltiumÂ’s energy recovery capabilities,” said Doug Parks, GM executive VP of global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “This helps us squeeze more efficiency, performance and overall customer benefit out of our EVs.” GM says itÂ’s been developing heat pump technology since the EV1 and its heat pump. This is the modern evolution of that technology, and GM says itÂ’s going to be implemented in every Ultium-based vehicle as a standard feature. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Electric Future Vehicles

2024 GMC Acadia First Drive Review: Big on character

BLUFFTON, S.C. — The 2024 GMC Acadia is a revamped take on the brandÂ’s popular three-row SUV. ItÂ’s quite a bit bigger than the outgoing model, with 8.4 more inches of wheelbase and 10.6 extra inches of overall length. ThatÂ’s a huge boon to cargo space (up 80%), while also adding 27% to second-row legroom. Its new looks align more closely now with the GMC Sierra pickup, granting it a brawnier personality. While itÂ’s in many ways quite similar to the updated 2024 Chevrolet Traverse, (including in size, now) GMC did an admirable amount of design work to differentiate the Acadia from its close relative. The tall, truck-like grille gives the Acadia more presence than before, and the C-shaped LED headlights add character. Along the side, the chunky C-pillar is hidden from sight, while the D-pillar is expanded. This provides a better view for third-row passengers, and has the added benefit of obscuring the cargo area from onlookers. Around back, we see more LED lighting, as well as quad exhaust tips GMC said were inspired by the C8 Chevy Corvette, complete with their squarish shape. The overall look is more truckish, but it still has a sporty slant. Under the skin, much is shared with its Chevy platform-mate. It sports the same new 2.5-liter turbo four producing 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque and shifts via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine employs the same “ePhaser” to adjust the camshaft on the fly to advance and delay the spark according to power and efficiency needs. And just like the Traverse, the front-wheel-drive Acadia gets 20 miles per gallon city, 27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined, or 19/24/21 mpg with all-wheel drive. In addition to the base Elevation trim ($43,995 including destination, with AWD costing another $2,000), the Acadia boasts the more luxurious Denali trim ($55,695 for FWD and $57,695 for AWD), as well as the off-road-ready AT4 trim ($51,395 with AWD standard). WeÂ’ll have to wait to evaluate the feature content in the Elevation, but the Denali and AT4 were on hand for us to evaluate in South Carolina. Our first stint in the Acadia was in the Denali. Getting inside, itÂ’s immediately noticeable that the AcadiaÂ’s interior is a big step up over that of the Traverse. Up front, the centerpiece is the tech interface standard on all Acadia trims: a portrait-oriented 15-inch infotainment screen running Google Built-In, as well as an 11-inch driver display.