2014 Hyundai Accent Se on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai announces N performance sub-brand at WRC launch

It's been well over a year since Hyundai revealed its initial prototype for the i20 WRC at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Now it's revealed the final version (pictured above, complete with Shell Helix livery) and it's also announced the full team that will field it next year in the World Rally Championship, including Thierry Neuville and additional drivers Juho Hänninen, Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson. That's plenty exciting for rally fans, but the news that caught our attention was buried deeper in the press release.
That is the announcement of Hyundai's new N performance sub-brand. Named after the company's R&D facility in Namyang, South Korean, the N brand "will be used to symbolize Hyundai's high performance technology," not just on the rally car but also "future mass-produced high performance cars" for the road. The WRC car wears the logo that we'd expect to represent that new cadre of performance Hyundais.
Having hinted at the emergence of a European performance sub-brand a couple of months ago, the Korean automaker hasn't revealed any further details on which those road cars might be, but promises to transfer lessons it learns from the rally stage to the marketplace. We're looking forward to finding out more, but a roadgoing i20 hot hatch would be a good first bet. Here's hoping the North American product lineup won't be left out.

2018 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition is way more subtle than the Ant-Man Veloster

Update: A representative from Hyundai has told us that the Iron Man Edition Kona will only be offered with the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, but can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. The text has been updated to reflect this. Following Hyundai's collaboration on developing a frankly garish Veloster for Ant-Man and The Wasp, the company is teaming up with Marvel once again to launch a special edition of the 2018 Hyundai Kona compact crossover SUV. This one is themed after superhero Iron Man, and unlike the Veloster, this car is actually available to purchase. It's a little odd to see a car that's not an Audi used to go with Iron Man, but Hyundai has done a lot to get the Kona Iron Man-ready. The upper daytime running lights have been adjusted in design and color to more closely match the glowing eyes of Iron Man's mask. The hood has also been redesigned with an insert that looks like a heat extractor vent, but is just a red plastic piece. The whole car is painted matte black with a metallic red roof and matching accents all over the exterior. The roof gets a giant Iron Man mask decal, too. On the sides there are badges of his mask on the fenders and on the wheel center caps. The rear doors get Stark Industries logo decals. The inside hasn't been left out either. It appears to be the interior found on the lime green Limited and above trim levels, but instead of lime accents, there are even more red ones. Tony Stark's (Iron Man's not-so-secret identity) signature is found on the dashboard. The gauges have custom graphics themed around Iron Man, including a custom design for the heads-up display. On a side note, the Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition is not the first superhero-themed car available to the public, nor is it the first Iron Man car. Jeep previously had a special edition Renegade for the Batman vs. Superman movie. And while it wasn't the Iron Man superhero, Isuzu had a special edition Vehicross for the Iron Man Triathlon event. The Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition goes on sale in the first quarter of 2019, and it will be a limited-production vehicle. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but a Hyundai representative told us what will power it. It won't get the the entry-level Kona's a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 147 horsepower, but rather the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 175 horsepower. It will also be available in either front- or all-wheel-drive versions.

Driving the 2024 Lexus GX and Land Rover Defender 130 | Autoblog Podcast #818

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick. We kick off the week by reviewing cars we've been driving, including the new Lexus GX, Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound, Jaguar F-Pace, Hyundai Kona and our long-term Subaru WRX. Next, we break down the best wagons of the 21st century, before discussing the Audi Sport RS6 GT. Finally, we discuss a bit of the 2024 Chicago Auto Show. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #818 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2024 Lexus GX 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 2024 Jaguar F-Pace 2024 Hyundai Kona Long-term 2023 Subaru WRX Audi reveals the ultra-limited 2025 RS 6 GT 2024 Chicago Auto Show Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail is a more capable off-roader and looks the part