2013 Hyundai Veloster Base Hatchback 3-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Hyundai’s N division will tune electrics, steer clear of Genesis

At Hyundai's Namyang proving ground in a small garage emblazoned with a giant "N," Albert Biermann, the ex-BMW engineer who now heads up vehicle development for the Korean brand, recently provided a few hints about what to expect from Hyundai's nascent performance sub-brand — and that includes EVs. "We are looking for the right ideas of how to transfer the craziness of N into electrification," he said. That could be "a full EV [and] also could be a hybrid." To date, we've seen the Veloster N introduced last fall in the United States, followed by the recently announced Elantra GT N Line. Europe has the i30 N in hatchback and fastback body styles. Biermann says, "We will expand also into segments we are not in now," including "something a little bit smaller," as well as into "a different type of vehicle." Biermann also said we can expect a more powerful version of the new 2020 Hyundai Sonata — which we've just reviewed, and which will launch in the United States with a 180-hp 1.6-liter turbo and a 191-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four. But he stopped short of saying whether it would be an N or an N Line model. And it appears that the N expansion will not extend to Genesis. "There are no plans yet to make a sub-label for Genesis like we did with N for Hyundai," Biermann said. This despite the fact that nearly all of its rivals have branched out in that direction. For now, it seems, the G70 Sport is as sporty as it will get over at Genesis.

2016: The year of the autonomous-car promise

About half of the news we covered this year related in some way to The Great Autonomous Future, or at least it seemed that way. If you listen to automakers, by 2020 everyone will be driving (riding?) around in self-driving cars. But what will they look like, how will we make the transition from driven to driverless, and how will laws and infrastructure adapt? We got very few answers to those questions, and instead were handed big promises, vague timelines, and a dose of misdirection by automakers. There has been a lot of talk, but we still don't know that much about these proposed vehicles, which are at least three years off. That's half a development cycle in this industry. We generally only start to get an idea of what a company will build about two years before it goes on sale. So instead of concrete information about autonomous cars, 2016 has brought us a lot of promises, many in the form of concept cars. They have popped up from just about every automaker accompanied by the CEO's pledge to deliver a Level 4 autonomous, all-electric model (usually a crossover) in a few years. It's very easy to say that a static design study sitting on a stage will be able to drive itself while projecting a movie on the windshield, but it's another thing entirely to make good on that promise. With a few exceptions, 2016 has been stuck in the promising stage. It's a strange thing, really; automakers are famous for responding with "we don't discuss future product" whenever we ask about models or variants known to be in the pipeline, yet when it comes to self-driving electric wondermobiles, companies have been falling all over themselves to let us know that theirs is coming soon, it'll be oh so great, and, hey, that makes them a mobility company now, not just an automaker. A lot of this is posturing and marketing, showing the public, shareholders, and the rest of the industry that "we're making one, too, we swear!" It has set off a domino effect – once a few companies make the guarantee, the rest feel forced to throw out a grandiose yet vague plan for an unknown future. And indeed there are usually scant details to go along with such announcements – an imprecise mileage estimate here, or a far-off, percentage-based goal there. Instead of useful discussion of future product, we get demonstrations of test mules, announcements of big R&D budgets and new test centers they'll fund, those futuristic concept cars, and, yeah, more promises.

2015 Hyundai Genesis recalled to replace tires

The Basics: Hyundai is recalling 11,142 examples of the 2015 Genesis sedan with production dates between March 3, 2014, and February 9, 2015. The Problem: The models have Hankook Ventus S1 noble2 tires that can develop cracks in the sidewalls, which could cause them to rupture or leak air. Injuries/Deaths: None reported, Hyundai spokesperson Jim Trainor told Autoblog. The Fix: Dealers will replace the tires. If You Own One: Hyundai expects to begin the recall on February 19. RECALL Subject : Tires May Develop Cracks in Sidewall Report Receipt Date: DEC 22, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V864000 Component(s): TIRES Potential Number of Units Affected: 11,142 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HYUNDAI GENESIS 2015 Details Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America SUMMARY: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Genesis vehicles manufactured March 3, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and equipped with Hankook Ventus S1 noble2 tires installed as original equipment. The affected tires may develop cracks in the tire sidewall, resulting in a loss of air. CONSEQUENCE: Tire sidewall cracks could cause a rupture during use, resulting in a rapid air loss and loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the factory tires with tires of another brand, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 138. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Related Video: