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Hyundai's Genesis G90 stretches out back home in Korea

Hyundai is getting serious about competing in the luxury market with the launch of its expanded Genesis line. And in the Far East it calls home, that means stretched limousines. Enter the new EQ900L. The Korean automaker's new luxury flagship stretches the wheelbase of the vehicle we now know as the Genesis G90 – or as the Equus in its previous iteration – by an extra 11.4 inches to give the top executives at Samsung and LG extra room to stretch out while in transit from the office to the Psy concert. The elongated cabin space also allows for first-class reclining rear seats, adjustable in 18 directions and upholstered in semi-aniline leather. A long center console runs the entire length of the cabin loaded with everything from ambient lighting to a Lexicon sound system. The same 5.0-liter Tau V8 still provides motivation, channeling 425 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four of the 19-inch wheels. That may not be enough to keep pace with the V12-powered Mercedes-Maybach S600 we get here, but it comes close to the S500 version sold overseas. Unfortunately for those of us living outside of Korea, the EQ900L is only being offered in its domestic market for the time being, where titans of industry can pick one up for 100 million won – equivalent to $84,000 at current exchange rates. Related Video:

Hyundai will invest $35 billion in autonomy and emerging technologies

SEOUL — Hyundai Motor Group said it plans to invest $35 billion (41 trillion won) in mobility and other auto technologies by 2025, part of which will be directed to an ambitious effort to become more competitive in self-driving cars that has also received government backing. The plan, which Hyundai said encompasses autonomous, connected and electric cars as well as technology for ride-sharing, comes after the automaker and two of its affiliates announced an investment of $1.6 billion in a venture with U.S. self-driving tech firm Aptiv. South Korea's government is also onboard, unveiling more funding for autonomous vehicle technology with President Moon Jae-in declaring on Tuesday that he expected self-driving cars to account for half of new cars on the country's roads by 2030. "The self-driving market is a golden market to revitalize the economy and create new jobs," Moon said in a speech at Hyundai Motor's research center near Seoul. The government intends to spend 1.7 trillion won between 2021 and 2027 on self-driving technology. It expects Hyundai to launch level 4, or fully autonomous, cars for fleet customers in 2024 and for the general public by 2027, an industry ministry official told Reuters. But some experts question whether targets set by the government and the automotive group, which also includes Kia Motors, are realistic given the technological and cost challenges and the lack of home-grown technology. In a 45-page report on future automotive technology, the government acknowledged South Korea lags in some key areas necessary for self-driving cars such as artificial intelligence, sensors and logic chips. "Hyundai has to buy technology from someone else because it lacks software technology. Even though it has a lot of cash, this could become a financial burden if its earnings deteriorate," Esther Yim, an analyst at Samsung Securities, said. Other analysts noted that the prospects for self-driving cars are quite murky. General Motors' self-driving unit, Cruise, said in July it was delaying the commercial deployment of cars past its target of 2019 as tech firms and automakers acknowledge it will take more time and money than they had expected to make autonomous vehicles safe for unrestricted use on public roads. South Korea's government said it would prepare a regulatory and legal framework for autonomous cars and the safety questions they pose by 2024.

Ranger in the USA, Alfa in Italy, and Volvo goes RWD | Autoblog Podcast # 780

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They start off with this week's big news, including the official unveiling of the U.S.-market Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor, some new RWD options from Volvo, and the potential production status of the Hyundai N Vision 74 concept. They also cover the discontinuation of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the introduction of the latest RS model in Porsche's lineup, based on the 718 Spyder. From there, Byron talks about driving the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, and Greg digs into the new Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance. After that, Byron talks about his Wankel-based discovery during his tour of Alfa Romeo's factory museum outside Milan.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast # 780 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 News 2024 Ford Ranger and 405-horsepower Ranger Raptor revealed 2024 Volvo C40 and XC40 Recharge First Drive Review: Back to the RWD future Pony up, Hyundai. Build the N Vision 74 concept Porsche unveils 2024 718 Spyder RS — outrun the sun What we're driving2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance 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: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Ford Hyundai Lexus Porsche Volvo Convertible Crossover Electric Sedan