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Less stressful than a taxi: We ride in Hyundai's Autonomous Ioniq Electric

The day after California told Uber to halt the testing of its driverless cars, Hyundai gave us a brief ride in an autonomous Ioniq Electric. The trip was mostly uneventful — our driver/engineer didn't hit anyone, and, unlike Uber's, Hyundai's car didn't run any red lights. You may think that's faint praise, but at the speed of advancement we take nothing for granted. More than once during our ride around a pre-mapped, all-right-turn route in Las Vegas, the Ioniq had to sort things out for itself, and the longer you ride the more you realize the scope of data we humans process without noticing. This Ioniq was identified only by its Korea-spec origins — dual charging ports for fast and regular recharge and no side marker lights — and Nevada's autonomous vehicle license plate. Tourists were completely unaware that it was driving itself. The autonomous Ioniq uses one 140-degree and two 110-degree Ibeo LiDAR units in the front fascia, plus a camera array inside the cabin at the top of the windshield. A single camera is used for traffic-light detection, with stereo units for the driving assistants. According to Hyundai, the autonomous gear detects objects knee-high but also will not drive into a low-hanging tree branch. We're also told the system works in rain and snow, citing the all-conditions approval certificate from Nevada, though that center front sensor looks prime for snow packing in heavy stuff. Essentially, one processor collects all the input data and combines it to a singular view, and a second processor tells the car what to do about it. Hyundai notes that minimal system power consumption was a primary target. The cabin sports the prototype-standard large red kill switch, an extra display atop the center of the dash, and two real-time monitors hanging behind the rear seats. The dash display is there so human drivers know the car is aware of its surroundings — it shows traffic lights as red or green (yellow is not detected but it will not panic stop if it loses a green light), speed limit, vehicle speed, route, a steering wheel to denote autonomous operation, and pedestrians detected. One rear monitor shows what the traffic-light camera sees, the other what the LiDAR units are picking up, from road curbs to people, vehicles and buildings. The ride experience is drama-free if a bit on the cautious side. Braking is often moderate to heavy, more on/off than the modulation range of many human drivers, but we felt no panic braking or ABS intervention.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe previewed in official renderings

As we near its official reveal in Geneva, Hyundai is trickling out more teasers of the 2019 Santa Fe crossover SUV. This time, instead of a dark photo, the company released a pair of renderings of the new family car. From what we can tell, it's like a huge, subtle Kona. At the front, we can see the SUV version of Hyundai's corporate "Cascade" grille complete with mesh insert instead of the slats found on Hyundai cars. The most obvious connection between this and the Kona are the headlights. It appears illumination may be split between slim, angry lamps high up, and a set of extra lamps lower in the fascia. The front fascia also looks more upright and tough than that of the current model. From what we've seen in spy photos, the front fascia seen in the rendering will translate very closely to real life. The illustrations also suggest the new Santa Fe will have much more sculpted, detailed flanks, too. Bolder plastic cladding shows up on the rocker panels, complete with contrasting aluminum brightwork. Another nod to the Kona shows up in the wheel arches. The creases rise up at the back, similar to the Kona's plastic flares. The rendering also shows a crease just below the windows running along the length of the Santa Fe. Looking at the last teaser image of the actual crossover, this crease is quite prominent. At the rear, the plastic cladding continues along the bottom. The hatch also looks more sculpted than the plain slab of the current model. It also appears to be raked forward more. But the forward rake is countered by the window line on the sides that rises upward. As mentioned with the front fascia, comparing these renderings to spy shots and the previous teaser, it looks like the production Santa Fe will look very much like it does here. Only the exaggerated things like the ultra-slim windows and massive wheels with rubber-band tires will be altered by the hands of rational, practical engineers. As such, the Santa Fe should be a pretty handsome family hauler, and a slightly bigger one than its predecessor, when it makes its debut at the Geneva show in March. Related Video:

Hyundai, Kia recalling 1.2 million vehicles for seized engines

The Basics: Hyundai and Kia are recalling a total of 1,190,160 vehicles because the engine may seize, resulting in a crash. The vehicles affected are the 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport and the 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage. The Problem: Errors during the machining process can cause a bearing in the engine to prematurely wear. This could cause the part to fail and the engine to seize. This in turn may cause a vehicle to crash. The issue was found due to the high number of warranty repairs for a recurring issue. Injuries/Deaths: There was no information on the websites for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Hyundai, or Kia. We've reached out to the automakers for comment. The Fix: For Hyundai, the automaker will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine, replacing the engine short block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 19, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 162. The same goes for Kia, though the recall is expected to begin May 25, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147. If You Own One: Wait for the notification letters from Hyundai and Kia. When possible, take your vehicle to your local dealer. If you want more details, contact either automaker at the number above. Related Video: Recalls Hyundai Kia kia sorento kia sportage hyundai santa fe sport