2014 Hyundai Elantra on 2040-cars

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GM out, Hyundai in as NFL audibles auto sponsorship

Hyundai has officially replaced General Motors as the primary automotive sponsor of the National Football League, a position the American giant has occupied since 2001. Although the financial details of the deal weren't published, Automotive News reports that GM spent at least $25 million per year as part of its sponsorship deal, although after all was said and done, it worked out to more than $150 million per year. The move is a coup for Hyundai, which now gains the rights to NFL trademarks for use in its advertising. As part of the four-year agreement, the company also has advertising access to big off-season events, like the NFL draft and scouting combine, and will provide support vehicles during events like the Super Bowl. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's president and CEO, said in the attached statement. "We can't wait to show the NFL's 188 million fans the great design, advanced technologies, dynamic performance and numerous safety features within the Hyundai lineup." "We are pleased to welcome Hyundai to our family of sponsors," Renie Anderson, the NFL's senior VP of sponsorship, said. "We appreciate Hyundai's enthusiasm as we work together to reach our fans with innovative programs during our season and with our major calendar events throughout the year." Scroll down for the official press release from Hyundai and the NFL, and keep an eye open for the automaker during the NFL Kickoff festivities this September. Related Video: HYUNDAI GOING PRO: ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP Four-Year Deal Allows Hyundai to Tap into the Passionate Fan Base of the Most Popular Sport in the U.S. FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., and NEW YORK, June 29, 2015 – Hyundai Motor loves sports and has a long history of celebrating fan passion across the globe. In its latest sports marketing venture, Hyundai is now an official automotive sponsor of the National Football League. The NFL has the largest and most avid fan base among U.S. sports, and Hyundai will soon connect this passion with the enthusiasm Hyundai owners have for their vehicles. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration and tell the Hyundai brand story," said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Hyundai testing in-car payment system with Xevo

Hyundai is working on a proof-of-concept in-car payment system with automotive software supplier Xevo. With four initial commercial partners in Chevron, Texaco, Applebee's and ParkWhiz, a future owner could use the Hyundai Digital Wallet to buy gas or food-to-go, or reserve and pay for a parking spot without leaving the vehicle. Perhaps even more important than those three, Hyundai has trialed payments with coffee chains, too. The service would be tied to the carmaker's Blue Link app suite and would store an owner's payment details to enable transactions. The carmaker still has big questions to answer about the service, such as whether the digital wallet will be contained within the mobile Blue Link app, or be integrated into the vehicle's infotainment software. An impending pilot program will determine the best deployment, but that means implementation in consumer vehicles remains awhile away. Hyundai's announcement moves it into a space slowly gaining more entrants. Ford's FordPay, launched two years ago, contains a digital wallet used for paying for service and parking, and even for keeping up with the car note. Last year, Jaguar partnered with Shell to provide in-car payments in three Jaguar vehicles. This year, Chevrolet did the same as part of the GM Marketplace, also with Shell. Hyundai's digital wallet comes not long after the South Korean carmaker announced another infotainment-based software partner. In April, Hyundai hooked up with Verisk, a company that manages a data exchange providing driving data to insurance companies. The partnership enables a Hyundai driver to share his driving habits and be assessed a Verisk Driving Score. The score would be taken into account for usage-based insurance programs offered by companies like Allstate and Progressive. Related Video:

Why BMWs are cheaper than Hyundais in Korea

Bloomberg reports shifting tariff regulations have upended the traditional automotive pecking order in Korea. Thanks to cheaper import taxes, foreign brands have seen market share jump from 28 percent to 41 percent over the last two years. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have all capitalized on the shift, with domestics like Hyundai and Kia suffering at the hands of their German rivals.
Taxes on European imports have fallen from 8 percent in 2011 to just 3.2 percent today. Over the next few years, tariffs will all but be eliminated for most imports, and taxes on US-made vehicles are expected to fall to just 4 percent in 2014. By 2016, that number will be zero. Needless to say, Hyundai and Kia are concerned about the shift.
Hyundai has seen profit fall by 15 percent last quarter, and the company says it is on pace to see the slowest sales growth since 2007. The company's shares have fallen by 12 percent. In order to stem the losses, Hyundai has discounted its midsize sedans and started working on diesel engine options.