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Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).
Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.
Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.

Hyundai and Rockstar team up to build Moab-inspired Santa Fe for SEMA

We're in the run-up to SEMA 2017, and the early looks at the show cars are rolling in. Hyundai is letting this render out early. It's called the Rockstar Energy Moab Extreme Off-roader Santa Fe Sport Concept, and that mouthful shouts everything Hyundai wants this thing to communicate from the top of its lungs. Most of those words, however, aren't likely on the minds of shoppers looking at this three-row crossover, but logic and SEMA do not always find each other. Before we get into details of this build, we reached out to Hyundai and a representative clarified a few things. This Santa Fe hasn't been out bouncing off rocks at Moab — yet. We were told it "will be HEAVILY tested at Moab and a special video prepared for SEMA." We can't wait. While Hyundai says this is an all-new vehicle, it treads much of the same ground as last year's nitrous-huffing Rockstar concept Santa Fe. The King coilovers, R1 brakes, AEM intake and Mishimoto plumbing are all present and accounted for. And yes, there's another Nitrous Express system installed. New wheels and tires are present, as is a new wrap and more LED lights up front. (Can there ever be enough lights on a show truck?) It doesn't look like a winch is fitted, but there's a rooftop tent. SEMA is coming up at the end of the month, so we expect more details on this and other concepts soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rockstar Moab Extreme Off-Roader Sante Fe Sport Concept: SEMA 2017 Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com SEMA Show Hyundai Crossover SUV hyundai santa fe

Hyundai and Kia settle lawsuit over hybrid technology

Hyundai and Kia will end Paice's patent infringement lawsuit by signing a licensing agreement to use the firm's hybrid technology for their vehicles, according to Bloomberg. A statement by Paice says that this new contract ends any legal disputes between the companies, but doesn't disclose the cost of the settlement. A Hyundai spokesperson declined to comment about the case's resolution to Autoblog. Paice and the Abell Foundation, an investor, brought the case against Hyundai and Kia in 2012 over the tech in the Sonata and Optima Hybrids, and the court sided in the patent holder's favor in October 2015. The jury ordered the automakers to pay at least $28.9 million, but the judge could have tripled that amount because the infringement was allegedly intentional. Hyundai pledged to appeal the ruling. Paice's patents come from the work of Alex Severinsky and cover ways to make engines and electric motors work together. The company has a history of defending its tech, including settlements with Toyota and Ford. It also filed another case against the Blue Oval in 2014 over the hybrid or plug-in systems in the C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Hyundai and Kia sign licensing agreement with Paice Paice, a pioneer in hybrid electric vehicle technology, has reached an agreement to license all of its hybrid vehicle technology to Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. Paice has now licensed all or part of its hybrid vehicle technology portfolio to Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, and Ford – three of the world's six largest automakers. These three companies currently account for 90% of all hybrid vehicle sales in the United States. "We are gratified to reach a licensing agreement with Hyundai and Kia, who are among the undisputed leaders in the hybrid industry. This agreement further validates the importance of our technology, and we hope to reach additional agreements with other major automakers," said Frances Keenan, chairman of the Paice Board of Directors. The confidential licensing agreement with Hyundai and Kia brings an end to all litigation between the companies. Paice and the Abell Foundation, a Baltimore-based non-profit organization that invested in Paice, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia in U.S. District Court in 2012. After an eight-day jury trial earlier this year, the jury sided with Paice and Abell, awarding $28,915,600. Hyundai and Kia currently rank third in U.S. hybrid car sales.