2014 Hyundai Elantra Sport on 2040-cars

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Surprise Costs Have A Cost: Why we turned down the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

They say you can always tell the pioneers. They're the ones with the arrows in their backs. Unfortunately, that was our experience pursuing – and eventually rejecting – the new hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hyundai Tucson. I first heard about Hyundai's new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2013. As a tech buff, the thought of driving a new, clean technology vehicle sounded exciting. Best of all, Hyundai was wrapping the new vehicle in a smart, familiar package, as a loaded current-generation Tucson SUV. The FCV Tucson was billed as $499 a month with $2,999 down, with free fuel and free maintenance. Our family needed a new, small, fuel efficient SUV, so I signed up for information on the upcoming lease program. Someone has to go first. Why not us? In the spring of 2014, I learned more at a Clean Fuel Symposium, held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. The panel was packed with experts on alternative fuel vehicles. One spokesperson outlined the chicken or egg problem with alternative fuels like hydrogen: fuels first or vehicles? Another said something that I should have heard more clearly. "If the argument [to move to alternative fuel vehicles] has to start with a change of behavior from consumers, that's a hard row to hoe." I would soon to learn what an FCV would really cost, both in hours and in dollars. Nonetheless, I was ready to try jumping the hurdles and get an alternative fuel car. A low impact on the environment, plus free fuel and a solo car pool lane sticker? What could go wrong? My wife was a much harder nut to crack. My habit of jokingly calling it a "nuclear-powered" car probably didn't help much either. Our conversations went like this: "A what kind of car?" "Hydrogen fuel cell." "What?" "It's essentially an electric car." "Don't those things have a really short range?" "Yes. That's what the hydrogen is for. You fill it with hydrogen to fill the fuel cell, instead of charging it overnight like an electric car." "Where do you get hydrogen?" "Well..." It turned out the nearest hydrogen station was in Burbank, about 13 miles from our house. In LA traffic, that could be more than half an hour's drive each way. Since there's an excellent bakery in Burbank (Porto's), I told my wife I was fine with taking the time each week to fuel up every 200 miles or so.

Hyundai reveals more 2015 Genesis details

After we posted the renderings of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis last night, Hyundai issued a full press release revealing some of the details about its next-generation sedan. Set to make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in a few months, the 2015 Genesis promises to bring a whole new level of styling and technology to the Korean automaker's portfolio.
Hyundai says that the design used on this car is part of its Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 language that we expect to slowly make its way across the entire lineup. Major styling changes include a taller, upright, single-frame grille (think Audi), larger headlights, sharper body lines and the swept-back, couple-like roofline. Except for spy shots, we still have no clue what the interior of the new Genesis will look like, but Hyundai says the sedan will be more intuitive for drivers to interact with. On the Genesis-foretelling HCD-14 Concept, this included a head-up display, as well as eye- and hand-gesture recognition.
For the drivetrain, Hyundai hasn't revealed much, except that the 2015 Genesis will get an all-new HTRAC all-wheel drive system. The sedan should also be better to drive, thanks to a more even weight balance, a stiffer chassis and Advanced Traction Cornering Control (ATCC) electronic suspension. Replacing the electro-hydraulic power steering system in the current model, the new Genesis will get a full-electric, rack-mounted power steering system. For more info on the upcoming 2015 Genesis sedan, check out the full press release posted below.

2019 Hyundai Veloster N Review | Testing Hyundai's hottest hatch in America

WILLOWS, Calif. — Turn 5 at Thunderhill Raceway is notorious, with an uphill approach that launches you toward a blind crest. As you reach the top you see an off-camber curve sweeping off to the right as it drops 1.5 stories before you. And it's at that very moment the car peaks and becomes momentarily weightless. This is where I, and the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, came in too hot over the summit. As the asphalt dropped away in front of me I expected the Veloster N, pulled by momentum and gravity, to rocket straight into the sand ahead. But then a strange thing happened. The inside wheel tucked in as I yanked the wheel rightward, the nose jerked starboard, and the Veloster N hunkered down and pulled me through the turn like a loyal sled dog. This is evidence that the Veloster N is very much the spiritual successor to the inexpensive, tossable, front-drive compact heros of a generation ago. Race tracks swelled with Acura Integras, Nissan Sentra SE-Rs, Toyota Celicas, and the like. You could drive them to work like a responsible citizen during the week, and autocross every weekend. The Veloster N is a key part of the final phase of Hyundai's grand plan in the U.S. market. In the late 1980s, they entered the market with rock-bottom prices but not much else. By the 2000s, a focus on quality led to the 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. And by the 2010s, styling became a focus, enticing customers to buy cars with their hearts. But making Hyundais fun to drive? That's the N line's job. N stands for Namyang, the location of Hyundai's R&D center in South Korea, as well as Nurburgring, where dynamic testing of its N cars took place. And yes, that's cars as in plural. The first N model, the i30N, has already become very well respected as a serious sporting machine in Europe. Savvy observers might note that the i30 is sold as the Elantra GT in the U.S., but Hyundai says the i30N will remain exclusive to Europe. Instead, they've developed the Veloster N specifically for the Korean and North American markets. And with a lower profile, it puts down even better numbers than its European cousin. The Veloster N comes in two flavors, both powered by a 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four. Standard trim churns out 250 horsepower, 49 more than the Veloster Turbo, put down through 18-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports perched at the ends of electronically controlled dampers.