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2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and Sport reveal facelifts in Chicago

Hyundai needs crossovers. With the national average cost of gas at just $1.71 as of this writing, (short-sighted) consumers are charging back to dealers demanding new high riders. That's bad news for car-heavy manufacturers like Hyundai, and good news for brands that have embraced CUVs, like Subaru. Consider this: Hyundai sold 181,725 crossovers from its roughly 800 dealers in 2015. In that same period, the Subaru Forester alone racked up 175,192 sales, and that's with a dealership network 25 percent smaller than Hyundai's. At the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai is showing off updated versions of its two-tier Santa Fe range. There's a new, more pronounced and rectangular grille; sharper, less organic headlights, and LED running lamps in front. But there are also a bunch of new gizmos and gadgets that Hyundai expects to elevate the Santa Fe's safety rating. A backup camera is now standard and you can now snag adaptive cruise control with a stop-start mode. There's also a raft of new safety features, including lane departure warning, automatic high beam assist, and auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection. It's partially because of that last item that Hyundai thinks the new Santa Fe will score an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. The company hasn't explained what changes will allow it to improve on 2016's Moderate rating in the small-overlap test, though. But if Hyundai is correct, it'd be a serious coup – the Santa Fe hasn't been honored by the IIHS since its redesign for model year 2013. It'd also put the Santa Fe in a rarefied class of ultra-safe mid-size CUVs. Only the Honda Pilot and Nissan Murano have scored TSP+ ratings. Prices increase by $400 on naturally aspirated models and $450 for the top-of-the-line turbocharged trims. The new Santa Fe is arriving at dealers now. View 12 Photos 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LINE-UP FEATURES ENHANCED DESIGN, INFOTAINMENT, LED LIGHTING, CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY Comprehensive Product Improvements Combine to make New Models even more Appealing in every Facet of the Ownership Experience CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2016 – The award-winning Hyundai Santa Fe lineup continues to dramatically improve for the 2017 model year. The improvements span everything from fresh exterior design and LED lighting signatures to additional infotainment, convenience and safety technologies and new Drive Mode selection with Sport, Eco and Normal settings.

Autoblog Minute: Toyota factories closed after explosions in China

Fallout from explosions at the port city of Tianjin halt Toyota production in two of its nearby Chinese factories. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Fallout from explosions at the port of Tianjin halt Toyota production in two of its Northern Chinese plants. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. Two of Toyota's plants are closed following the deadly explosions that hit the busy port city of Tianjin, China. The Associated Press reports over 100 people dead, hundreds injured and many still missing. According to the Japanese automaker 50 Toyota employees were injured in last weeks [00:00:30] event and they plan to shut down production in their Chinese plants until Wednesday. Various automakers were also affected, including Renault and Hyundai who claim a significant loss of vehicles. As the Chinese government works to investigate the cause and fallout of this tragedy our thoughts are with the victims and their families. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

Hyundai CEO touts new EV platform with mention of a pickup

A couple of years ago, one of the prominent concerns about a saturated EV auto-scape was how carmakers would accentuate brand differences among vehicles converging on a frightening sameness. The cars wouldn't make any noise, they would all emphasize aerodynamics, and they would all basically ride on a battery pancake. So far, the fears have been avoided; a Volvo XC40 Recharge won't be confused for a Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance, and the Ford won't be confused for a Tesla Model Y. Not only that, but automakers are developing platform strategies that heighten the sameness among vehicle architectures because the architecture is where the expenditure and the profit are greatest. Hyundai's the latest to outline its plans for investors. And part of Hyundai's plan could include adding a full-size electric pickup to the range. The mid- to long-term roadmap is called the Hyundai Motor Way, recently revised with higher targets thanks to the swift uptick in EV sales globally. Business Korea wrote Hyundai Motor Group (HMG includes Kia and Genesis) sold 510,000 battery-electric vehicles in 2022. The conglomerate says it now plans to sell two million EVs annually by 2030, up from a previous estimate of 1.87 million.      The platform that will help make this possible is called eM, an evolution of the current Electric Global Modular Platform (e-GMP) platform under HMG's current EVs. The eM architecture's been rumored to launch under a Kia sedan that might be a spiritual successor to the Stinger. So far, eM is planned for 13 models across the HMG portfolio, using the Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) that can plug-and-play with more than 80 common modules serving different vehicle segments and sizes. HMG president and CEO Jaehoon Chang said, "In the second-generation platform, the scope of vehicle development extends beyond the mid-sized SUVs covered by the current E-GMP system. It encompasses nearly all vehicle classes, ranging from small and large SUVs to pickup trucks, along with the flagship models of the Genesis brand." Sure, Chang could have been merely noting the eM's potential use cases when he mentioned "pickup trucks." That's not how observers are reading the line. At Kia's investor day last year, the brand said it planned two electric pickups. There have already been reports that Kia's working on a body-on-frame pickup for the Australian market, perhaps called Tasman, utilizing gas and electric powertrains.