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2018 Hyundai Sonata First Drive | An infield home run

Baseball's boring. At least that's what anyone thinks who doesn't understand that it's an exciting game of inches. To wit, the same can be said for the crowded midsize family sedan segment. Unlike the all-new Toyota Camry and the upcoming 10th-generation Honda Accord, the Sonata is a refresh of the existing model. Hyundai is still in it, but can it improve sales in a segment being eaten alive by crossovers? At first glance, the most significant change to the new-look Sonata is the front end with a new cascading grille, which is longer and more contoured. This grille will make its way across all models as a major part of Hyundai's new corporate design language. Hyundai claims to be the only car company that manufactures its own steel, and this cascading design is inspired by the flow of molten steel as it's poured. With an elongated front end, new character lines on the hood and front bumper, and slimmer LED headlights, revisions give the entire car a more aggressive appearance and sportier stance. At the rear, moving the license plate from the trunk to the bumper was a good choice. It simplifies the back end, better showcasing the sheetmetal and allowing the trunk lid and redesigned taillights to take center stage. Turbo models will get a twin exhaust, increasing the sporty feel even more. Inside the Sonata, the facelifted center stack features a seven-inch touchscreen monitor (eight-inch on the Limited edition. The audio controls are more streamlined to give the entire unit a less bulky appearance, and a sporty, leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel complements other goodies such as leather seats. The biggest change in trim levels comes with the addition of the SEL model, just above the SE and Eco models, which includes even more features for about $1,600. Gone for 2018 is the six-speed transmission from the turbocharged 2.0-liter models, replaced by the all-new eight-speed that adds ratio range at both top and bottom. The power is unchanged at 245 horsepower, but remember that the BMW 330i's 2.0-liter turbo makes 248 hp, so Hyundai's engine is in the ballpark with those from established luxury brands. Even with that power, don't count on racy launches, as there's plenty of lag. Once the turbo is spooled up, the engine has moxie. We drove two trim levels, the Sport and the Limited 2.0T. The ride is plenty comfortable on the refined chassis and updated rear suspension, which includes an increase in trailing-arm thickness to stiffen the suspension.

Hyundai and Rhys Millen reunite, will return to Pikes Peak with new RWD racer, Genesis Coupe

Last September, Hyundai confirmed that it was exiting all of its motorsports programs in North America. That left Rhys Millen Racing without a title sponsor for its Formula Drift and Global RallyCross Championship series challengers. It also looked to have meant the end of a partnership that last year resulted in a record-setting run at Pikes Peak when Rhys Millen established the new benchmark for a run up the Colorado mountain in a production-based race car.
Hyundai clarified that September report by saying it was "reconsidering our continued involvement in Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, having achieved the world record in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe this year." The return is official, with Hyundai saying it is going back to the peak with Millen and two cars, one of them a "purpose-built unlimited class rear-drive," the other being the Hyundai Genesis Coupe-based racer that set last year's record in the time attack two-wheel-drive class.
Hyundai wants to show off the strength of its engineering, so the unlimited car will have something like 900 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque while using the production block, cylinder heads, bearings and accessories of its Lambda V6 engine. You can read more about the effort in the press release below, and click the image above for an enlarged view of what's coming.

Autoblog Minute: Krafcik CEO of Google autonomous vehicle division

We look at how Google's hiring of automotive executing John Krafcik could affect the future of autonomous vehicles. Autoblog's Mylencia Gillenwaters reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] We look at how Google's hiring of automotive executing John Krafcik could affect the future of autonomous vehicles. I'm Mylencia Gillenwaters and this is your Autoblog Minute. Krafcik, a veteran of the auto industry, arrives at Google after serving as CEO of Hyundai and TrueCar. For more on what the Krafcik hire could mean to the industry, we go to Autoblog's Pete Bigelow: [00:00:30] [Pete Bigelow Interview] Google has [00:01:00] an outspoken champion for autonomous driving, in Krafcik who isn't shy about taking to social media to share his thoughts. Krafcik and Google seem poised to move self-driving cars into the next phase of development and it will be interesting to follow along as the tech giant [00:01:30] attempts to change the way we get around. For Autoblog, I'm Mylencia Gillenwaters. 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. Ford Hyundai Autonomous Vehicles Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video john krafcik google autonomous vehicles