2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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2015 Hyundai Genesis priced from $38,000*

Today's rear-wheel-drive 2014 Hyundai Genesis sedan with the model's base 3.8-liter V6 starts at $35,200. Come the new 2015 model, Hyundai has announced that price of entry will climb to $38,000. And if you're so inclined, the Korean automaker will include its new HTRAC all-wheel drive setup for $2,500, for a bottom line of $40,500. The extra $2,500 for AWD rewards you with more than improved foul-weather handling, as the HTRAC model prepared for cold climes with standard heated steering wheel and rear seats, as well as headlight washers.
If that's not enough power, stepping up to the company's well-liked Tau 5.0-liter V8 requires $51,500, a marked $4,100 bump over the price for its 2014 model equivalent, but then again, there's more standard equipment. And that's pretty much the top of the line, because the big eight-cylinder can't be had with all-wheel drive. (Note: *All prices are subject to a $950 destination fee).
Having successfully kept the Genesis' starting price below $40,000 even after handling and destination, Hyundai has thrown new equipment into the base car beyond its exterior and interior redesign. Gewgaws like paddle shifters, rain-sensing wipers, power folding outside mirrors, power height and lumber-adjustable passenger seat and one-touch power windows in the rear compartment are luxury touches that add more than their raw weight in upscale perception.

Hyundai hits milestone with 10 million cars sold in US

Hyundai entered the US market in 1986, and initial success with the Excel was followed by a difficult period of quality woes. The company refused to bow out of the country, and began a turnaround. Now after nearly 30 years, the automaker is a highly respected player in the market and is celebrating the milestone of selling its 10 millionth vehicle in the US. Amazingly, just five models make up nearly 85 percent of Hyundai's lifetime US sales, and unsurprisingly the Scoupe isn't one of them. The brand's bestselling model in that time is the Sonata with nearly 2.5 million examples on the road and 24.98 percent of the company's total volume. At 24.85 percent of deliveries, the Elantra barely squeezes into second place, and the Santa Fe is a somewhat distant third with about 1.25 million deliveries. Rounding out the top five are the Excel – Hyundai's first US model – at 11.47 percent and the Accent at 11.03 percent. Since opening in 2005, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been responsible for a healthy portion of those 10 million total sales by assembling 2.66 million vehicles, including the Sonata and Elantra. "About 56 percent of the cars Hyundai sells in the United States are made here," company President and CEO Dave Zuchowski said in the milestone's announcement. Take a look at where Hyundai is today and at some of its vintage models in the gallery above. With volume up consecutively for the last seven years, it probably won't take another three decades for the automaker to celebrate the 20 million mark. Milestone Marks Automaker's Continued Investment in U.S. Market and Economy FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 28, 2015 – Hyundai marked a monumental milestone today, selling its 10 millionth vehicle in the United States. Having started in 1986 with a single nameplate, reaching 10 million sales is a significant achievement that showcases the success of Hyundai's continually expanding lineup. "The United States has been a key region of focus for nearly three decades, and this landmark achievement comes after years of accelerated growth and the strategic rollout of our product line," said Derrick Hatami, vice president of national sales, Hyundai Motor America. "Today serves as a testament to the design, quality and value of Hyundai's product portfolio. The American car market continues to be on the rise, with more than 17 million new car sales expected in 2015.

Less stressful than a taxi: We ride in Hyundai's Autonomous Ioniq Electric

The day after California told Uber to halt the testing of its driverless cars, Hyundai gave us a brief ride in an autonomous Ioniq Electric. The trip was mostly uneventful — our driver/engineer didn't hit anyone, and, unlike Uber's, Hyundai's car didn't run any red lights. You may think that's faint praise, but at the speed of advancement we take nothing for granted. More than once during our ride around a pre-mapped, all-right-turn route in Las Vegas, the Ioniq had to sort things out for itself, and the longer you ride the more you realize the scope of data we humans process without noticing. This Ioniq was identified only by its Korea-spec origins — dual charging ports for fast and regular recharge and no side marker lights — and Nevada's autonomous vehicle license plate. Tourists were completely unaware that it was driving itself. The autonomous Ioniq uses one 140-degree and two 110-degree Ibeo LiDAR units in the front fascia, plus a camera array inside the cabin at the top of the windshield. A single camera is used for traffic-light detection, with stereo units for the driving assistants. According to Hyundai, the autonomous gear detects objects knee-high but also will not drive into a low-hanging tree branch. We're also told the system works in rain and snow, citing the all-conditions approval certificate from Nevada, though that center front sensor looks prime for snow packing in heavy stuff. Essentially, one processor collects all the input data and combines it to a singular view, and a second processor tells the car what to do about it. Hyundai notes that minimal system power consumption was a primary target. The cabin sports the prototype-standard large red kill switch, an extra display atop the center of the dash, and two real-time monitors hanging behind the rear seats. The dash display is there so human drivers know the car is aware of its surroundings — it shows traffic lights as red or green (yellow is not detected but it will not panic stop if it loses a green light), speed limit, vehicle speed, route, a steering wheel to denote autonomous operation, and pedestrians detected. One rear monitor shows what the traffic-light camera sees, the other what the LiDAR units are picking up, from road curbs to people, vehicles and buildings. The ride experience is drama-free if a bit on the cautious side. Braking is often moderate to heavy, more on/off than the modulation range of many human drivers, but we felt no panic braking or ABS intervention.