2012 Hyundai Genesis 2.0t R-spec (r-title) on 2040-cars

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Marchionne now considering 'Plan B' partners for FCA merger

Okay Sergio, just stop. With the sting of rejection from General Motors CEO Mary Barra still fresh, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne is moving on and trying to find another automaker to merge with. FCA may not be giving up hope on a merger with GM, but that doesn't mean it isn't at least considering alternatives. Sergio's so-called "Plan Bs" include the Volkswagen Group, as well as smaller Asian outfits, like Mazda, Honda, Suzuki, and Hyundai. Bloomberg reports that France's beleaguered PSA Peugeot Citroen could as a sort of "fallback" option due to its relative lack of volume, an unidentified source claimed. There are, of course, problems with each option. According to Bloomberg, Volkswagen expects complete control of a company, but the Agnelli family, which holds a large portion of FCA stock, is loathe to relinquish its stake in the company. On top of that, VAG just isn't looking to make a deal right now. Mazda, meanwhile, is enjoying a new partnership with Toyota and Suzuki is partially owned by VW. Honda and Hyundai have never expressed any interest in a partnership with a western automaker. That kind of just leaves the French then, but even that remains a long shot. As Bloomberg tells it, PSA boss Carlos Tavares is still working on a turn-around plan, and would want at least another six months to execute before even considering a deal with FCA. And even then, Tavares hasn't given any indication that he's considering a pairing. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Chrysler Fiat GM Honda Hyundai Mazda Suzuki Citroen Peugeot Sergio Marchionne FCA Mary Barra psa peugeot citroen

Volvo EX30 dropped from 2024 NACTOY contention due to model year cutoff

The North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year jury announced Tuesday that the Volvo EX30 has been dropped as a finalist for the 2024 Utility of the Year award because it will not be sold to customers in 2023. As it had made it all the way to the final round before Volvo informed the jury that the car would not be available, the EX30 had to be replaced with another contender. The NACTOY board selected the 2024 Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric to fill its slot.  In fact, the EX30 was never intended to be delivered in 2023, a Volvo spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog. "The original plan had us scheduled to open order books [in November], but because we are always evaluating our production timelines and volumes, and make adjustments according to a variety of inputs, we changed that to be not before January," he said.  The other finalists for all three categories remain unchanged. The full list follows.  Car category: Honda Accord, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Toyota Prius Truck category: Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Ford Super Duty Utility category: Genesis Electrified GV70, Kia EV9, Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric The finalists were chosen from a list of 25, which was previously narrowed down from a comprehensive roster of all vehicles that are new or updated for the 2024 model year — a total of 52 eligible vehicles. Notably absent from the list of finalists were the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Toyota GR Corolla, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Mazda CX-90 and Toyota Grand Highlander, among others. The 2024 winners will be announced in January. Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is member of the NACTOY jury. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Google shows off its Android Auto system

Cars fitted with the Apple CarPlay system should be in dealerships next year, available as a delayed option on the 2015 Hyundai Sonata and eventually expected to be available on Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari vehicles. Google isn't that far behind with its Android Auto, and after Hyundai showed it off at the LA Auto Show, Google Developers used their Dev.Bytes program give us a better look at it. Any phone with Lollipop 5.0, the latest version of Android, will be able to interface with the system after being plugged into the car's USB port. The Google Now cards you're familiar with on the phone will appear on the infotainment screen, and from there you're in a mobile Android world. A report in Edmunds says that Whatsapp will be an option from the start, and nifty Google tricks like "contextual search via voice control" respond to queries based on what's being discussed. Although Bloomberg recently did a video examining the Google vs. Apple question, your choice won't be binary; in Hyundais, at least, both systems will be fitted, plugging a phone in will decide which one comes up on screen. We don't know when we'll see it dealerships, but the video will give you a glimpse into your Android future.