2009 Hyundai Accent Gl Hatchback 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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2020 Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade will see price increases

New year, new MSRP. CarsDirect got hold of a "recent pricing guide" and discovered Hyundai and Kia chanted that mantra over the Palisade and the Telluride, respectively. The Palisade has been on sale since June of last year, and already received a $50 price increase before the turn of the year. As of this month, Hyundai has goosed the MSRP by another $225 to $31,775, and the destination charge by $25 to $1,120. The $250 bump takes the starting price for a front-wheel drive Palisade SE to $31,775. The premium is applied throughout the range, making the top-tier Limited AWD model $47,745. The Telluride was first priced at $32,735 after destination. It, too, received a visit from the surcharge fairy last year to the tune of $50, boosting the cost to $32,785. This month, Kia tweaked the MSRP by $250 to $31,890, and the destination charge by $25 to $1,170. That comes to a $275 increase, meaning a front-wheel drive Telluride LX is now starting at $33,060. Whereas the Telluride had been $140 more expensive than the Palisade, the three-row Kia now stands $165 beyond the three-row Hyundai.  None of this should affect sales, both models already having won numerous awards, the Palisade receiving a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Telluride capping its excellent reviews with victory in the North American 2020 Utility of the Year competition. Kia is moving more than 6,000 Tellurides per month in the U.S., and a carmaker rep said the vehicle "is still on deep backorder." The Palisade looks on track to join it, and both sell for more than MSRP in many parts of the country, according to TrueCar. Based on recent reports, things might get even more varied on the Kia side, in fact. One rumor said there could be flagship luxury and off-road trims on the way. This week, Motor1 heard from "an anonymous Kia employee" with details on a potential X-Line appearance package. The possible cosmetic suite would install a satin black grille, body-colored door handles, bright bumper and lower door garnish, front and rear skid plates, and a unique 20-inch wheel for $1,695. And it's said that Kia is investigating consumer interest in a long-wheelbase Telluride.

Hyundai brings US troops to the Super Bowl, virtually

Hyundai waited until after the game ended to show off its most impressive Super Bowl commercial. Through the magic of technology, Hyundai brought troops from a US Military Base in Zagan, Poland, right into Houston to watch the game, along with their families. Hyundai reportedly bought the first three 30-second commercial spots after the game ended – and in this case, considering that this was the first Super Bowl in history to go into overtime, the Korean automaker certainly got its money worth. In addition to Corporal Trista Strauch, Specialist Erik Guerrero and Sergeant Richard Morrill, and their families, the commercial featured ex-NFLers Joe Montana and Mike Singletary. We don't know exactly how Hyundai was able to pull it off in real time, but the end result was pretty impressive. To see how it all went down, check out the commercial above. Related Video:

Hyundai will launch pickup, more SUVs to reverse U.S. sales slide

By Paul Lienert and Hyunjoo Jin DETROIT/SEOUL — Hyundai plans to launch a pickup truck in the United States as part of a broader plan to catch up with a shift away from sedans in one of the Korean automaker's most important markets, a senior company executive said. Michael J. O'Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning at Hyundai's U.S. unit, told Reuters that Hyundai's top management has given the green light for development of a pickup truck similar to a show vehicle called the Santa Cruz that U.S. Hyundai executives unveiled in 2015. Hyundai currently does not offer a pickup truck in the United States. Hyundai also plans to launch a small SUV called the Kona in the United States later this year. People familiar with the automaker's plans said separately that Hyundai plans to launch three other new or refreshed SUVs by 2020. So-called crossovers — sport utilities built on chassis similar to sedans — now account for about 30 percent of total light vehicle sales in the United States. Consumers in China, the world's largest auto market, are also substituting car-based SUVs for sedans. People familiar with Hyundai's plans said the company plans to roll out a new version of its Santa Fe Sport midsize SUV next year, followed by an all-new seven-passenger crossover to replace a current three-row Santa Fe in early 2019 in the United Sates. A redesigned Tucson SUV is expected in 2020, people familiar with Hyundai's plans said. Hyundai's U.S. dealers have pushed the company to invest more aggressively in SUVs and trucks as demand for sedans such as the midsize Sonata and the smaller Elantra has waned, and as Hyundai has announced a shift to electric vehicles. "We are optimistic about the future," Scott Fink, chief executive of Hyundai of New Port Richey, Fla., which is Hyundai's biggest U.S. dealer, said. "But we are disappointed that we don't have the products today." Hyundai's U.S. sales are down nearly 11 percent this year through July 31, worse than the overall 2.9-percent decline in U.S. car and light truck sales. Sales of the Sonata, once a pillar of Hyundai's U.S. franchise, have fallen 30 percent through the first seven months of 2017. In contrast, sales of Hyundai's current SUV lineup are up 11 percent for the first seven months of this year. "Our glasses are fairly clean," O'Brien said.