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Keep it simple, stupid | 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In First Drive

The Ioniq is Hyundai's "golden medal project," conceived from the outset as a car to beat the Toyota Prius and be the most efficient on the market. Ki-Sang Lee, Hyundai's senior vice president in charge of eco R&D, promised that if they could accomplish that feat, he'd give every single engineer on the project a gold medal. The result of their work is an attractive trio – hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric – built on the company's first dedicated green vehicle platform. And Lee gave out more than 500 gold medals to his engineers. With a growing number of drivers – bolstered by Millenials replacing the buying power of baby boomers – who value efficiency and consider the environmental impact of their purchases, hybrids and electric cars should be a popular choice, right? While cheap gas has not helped to encourage people to make the switch to greener vehicles in the last couple years, the added cost and complexity of electrified cars have also been barriers to wider adoption. Hyundai's approach appears solid. The Ioniq hybrids are straightforward, affordable, and something drivers would be proud to own without appearing smug. So Hyundai has built the car people claim to want, but will the drivers show up at dealerships? The Ioniq is attractive for a number of reasons, not the least of which is pricing. The Ioniq Hybrid starts at $23,035, undercutting the Toyota Prius by $2,535 (with its base MSRP of $25,570). It's also more efficient, with EPA mpg figures of 57 city/59 highway/58 combined. The most efficient Prius (the Two Eco trim level) falls slightly short at 58 city/53 highway/56 combined. While the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn't have price or fuel economy figures yet – it doesn't go on sale until the fourth quarter of 2017 – we do know its 8.9-kW battery pack offers over 27 miles of all-electric range and can be topped off in 2.5 hours on a Level 2 charger. The Ioniq's green cred doesn't stop at its efficient powertrain. Sitting inside the cabin, you wouldn't realize that the soft plastics contain 25 percent sugar cane, or that the headliner and carpet contain about 20 percent of the same renewable plant material. There's no way to tell by look or feel that door trim uses recycled plastics mixed with wood powder and volcanic stone, making it 20 percent lighter. Interior metallic paints use soybean oil to lessen their environmental impact. Even better, it all agrees with the senses.

Hyundai previews Intrado fuel-cell crossover concept

We may still be several months off from the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but it's apparently not too early for Hyundai to give us a glimpse at what to expect when the Palexpo's doors open in March.
Called Intrado, Hyundai's new concept car takes the form of a high-riding crossover with styling that takes its cues from the Korean automaker's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. Designed and engineered in Germany, the concept bears the codename HED-9, a giveaway that it's the ninth concept from Hyundai Europe Design. Inspiration is said to have been drawn from aircraft, with a lightweight form and a name borrowed from the underside of an airplane's wing.
Hyundai isn't saying much more, revealing only the teaser rendering above. But it has indicated that the Intrado concept packs a new hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain that's both smaller and lighter than the one powering the existing ix35 Fuel Cell, which (last we heard) Hyundai was hoping to bring Stateside as part of its Tuscon lineup by 2015.

Hyundai brings US troops to the Super Bowl, virtually

Hyundai waited until after the game ended to show off its most impressive Super Bowl commercial. Through the magic of technology, Hyundai brought troops from a US Military Base in Zagan, Poland, right into Houston to watch the game, along with their families. Hyundai reportedly bought the first three 30-second commercial spots after the game ended – and in this case, considering that this was the first Super Bowl in history to go into overtime, the Korean automaker certainly got its money worth. In addition to Corporal Trista Strauch, Specialist Erik Guerrero and Sergeant Richard Morrill, and their families, the commercial featured ex-NFLers Joe Montana and Mike Singletary. We don't know exactly how Hyundai was able to pull it off in real time, but the end result was pretty impressive. To see how it all went down, check out the commercial above. Related Video: