2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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Genesis changes its mind on retail plans

Genesis will apparently open the doors to its nascent dealership network to all existing Hyundai dealers, reversing its earlier plan to launch a separate, much more limited retail network as a way to distinguish the brand. The brand's general manager, Erwin Raphael, told Hyundai's dealer council last week that Genesis would allow all Hyundai dealers the opportunity to sell the luxury brand in the U.S. That amounts to a 180 on plans announced in January, when the two-year-old spinoff said it planned to build out a network of about 100 Genesis retailers in around 48 mostly urban luxury markets, with first dibs on the franchises going to high-performing Hyundai dealers. The plan was to have separate branding, with the long-term goal of having them all operating out of standalone facilities after launching in temporary or shared showrooms. Per Automotive News, Genesis will no longer confine its sales to those 48 markets. All Hyundai dealerships will be able to apply to be licensed as Genesis dealers, though 2019 models will only be shipped to the newly franchised Genesis retailers. About 350 "elite" Hyundai dealerships that already sell the G80 and G90 sedans can continue to sell them, or take previously offered settlement money and move on. Those who become or remain Genesis dealers will have to sign new or separate franchise agreements that were expected to go out this week or next. Genesis will still require separate, standalone stores and service facilities. The news will likely please Hyundai dealers who have been frustrated or confused by Genesis's rollout strategy and are eager to play a role in the brand's growth. It also could provide a sales lift for Genesis, whose sales during the first four months of 2018 fell 17.5 percent to 5,390. They'll also be hoping for a boost when the compact G70 sedan launches this summer. Related Video:

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV deliveries running behind schedule

Things are running a little bit behind on Hyundai's hydrogen-powered Tucson Fuel Cell CUV program in the US. The last time we checked in with the South Korean automaker's H2 project, we heard that the first deliveries were supposed to happen by the end of March. Speaking with Hyundai's Kevin Lee at the Hyundai booth at the SAE World Congress this week, we learned that deliveries are now going to happen closer to a month from now. Globally, there are roughly 70-100 of these hydrogen CUVs running in customer hands today. Lee told AutoblogGreen that the first US-bound units will be shipped from South Korea at the end of April or beginning of May but there is no actual date set for the first customer delivery. He said he expects 100 or fewer H2 powered Tucson CUVs to be operating in the US by the end of this year, all of them in Southern California. He said the customers in this first batch are being selected based on the location of the nearest hydrogen fuel station. While the number of stations is small today, more are on the way. Globally, there are roughly 70-100 of these hydrogen-powered CUVs (also known as the ix35) running in customer hands today, in places like South Korea, Germany, Norway, Austria and Italy. Some H2 stations charge Hyundai a flat rate per fill while others charge the automaker a general station maintenance fee. In the US, the Tucson Fuel Cell CUV leases for $499 a month (with $2,999 down) for 36 months, and comes with unlimited hydrogen refueling as well as Hyundai's Valet Maintenance. Lee told us that one reason for the "free" hydrogen is that even the small number of public hydrogen stations out there (nine in SoCal) does not have a cohesive set of rules for how to sell H2 to the public. The stations are not yet certified to charge customers based on dollar per kilogram in California, Lee said, since that regulation has not yet been set by the Division of Measurement Standards (DMS). Currently, "each station is different," he said, with some charging Hyundai a flat rate per fill and others charging the automaker a general station maintenance fee. This situation will likely change by the end of the year, he said. Lee said Hyundai is already busy working on the next-gen fuel cell vehicles and trying to reduce costs but was not able to share any details.

Vegas dealer sets world record with 218-Hyundai parade

How many Hyundais would you need to gather in one parade to set a world record? 218, it turns out. That's how many of the Korean automobiles gathered for a recent procession which has now been certified by Guinness as a world record. The event was orchestrated by Henderson Hyundai just outside of Las Vegas, NV, raising $4,000 for the STOP DUI campaign. Though the parade was actually held back in December as part of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, it was just verified by Guinness now, with each of the 218 motorists to receive a certificate of participation at a celebratory event at the dealership this coming Saturday. The record had been previously set by Lithuanian business consulting firm UAB SDG. Of course that's just the record for Hyundais specifically. Guinness also keeps records of other brands and vehicle types as well. Ram, for example, set the record for the most pickups in a parade this past April at 451, while a procession of 964 Ferraris set another record at Silverstone in 2012. Henderson Hyundai Superstore In Nevada Sets A New Guinness World Record For The Largest Parade Of Hyundai Cars LAS VEGAS, June 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Henderson Hyundai Superstore, the number one rated Nevada Hyundai dealer three years in a row by DealerRater, announced today that it has been awarded a Guinness World Record for coordinating the largest parade of Hyundai cars ever. In honor of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month last December, Henderson Hyundai Superstore called on local Hyundai owners to participate in its attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world's largest parade of Hyundai cars and pledged to make a donation for each participating vehicle to STOP DUI, a local organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the consequences of intoxicated driving. With a total of 218 Hyundai cars participating in the parade and a donation of $4,000 to STOP DUI, they officially set the world record previously held by UAB SDG, a business consulting firm based in Kaunas, Lithuania. "Our goal was to give our clients and community members an opportunity to actively participate in bringing awareness to a problem that is devastating families in our area," said Frank Maione, owner of Henderson Hyundai Superstore.