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Hyundai i30 comes to America as the 2018 Elantra GT

At last year's Paris Auto Show, Hyundai revealed its clean and classy i30 hatchback, with the promise that it would arrive in the US as the Elantra GT. The company has fulfilled that promise and then some, bringing us the same attractive hatch, but with even more power. Visually and structurally, the car is pretty much identical. The lines aren't fussy, and the look is more upright than its predecessor. The interior is reasonably attractive, but we wish the infotainment display was better integrated with the dash like the Elantra sedan's dash. View 52 Photos The big differences are under the hood. The European i30 features an array of gas and diesel engines, and the most potent of which produced only about 140 horsepower. In the United States, the least powerful Elantra GT is the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-4 that makes 162 horsepower. And if that's not enough, a Sport version will be offered with Hyundai's 201-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter. The Elantra GT Sport, like its sedan counterpart, also picks up a few other improvements. It trades in the standard hatch's torsion bar rear suspension for a multi-link set-up. It also moves up to 18-inch alloy wheels, instead of the standard 17-inch alloys, and larger front and rear disc brakes. The interior gets some sportier accoutrements, too. View 6 Photos All Elantra GTs will be available with a number of premium options, including leather, dual-zone climate control, cruise control with start and stop functionality, automatic emergency braking, and lane keeping assist. You'll also be able to use Hyundai's Blue Link Alexa feature. Interested buyers will be able to check out an Elantra GT at dealer lots this summer, but Hyundai has not yet released pricing. Related Video: Related Gallery 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT | 2017 Chicago Auto Show View 9 Photos Image Credit: Hyundai Chicago Auto Show Hyundai Hatchback Economy Cars

Trump encouraged by talk of 'a level playing field' on trade with South Korea

South Korea is a longstanding American ally, but President Donald Trump has spoken harshly about U.S. trade imbalances and threatened to tear up the bilateral trade pact. "We will do more to remove barriers to reciprocal trade and market access," Trump said, adding that the two leaders had talked about the thorny trade areas of steel and autos. Trump said he was encouraged by South Korea's President Moon Jae-in's assurances that he would seek a level playing field for American workers and businesses, particularly automakers. A joint statement said the two sides had agreed to work together to reduce over supply of basic materials such as steel and non-tariff barriers. It also said Trump had accepted an invitation from Moon to visit South Korea this year. Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said it was unwise for Trump to air the trade issue so publicly. "Public complaints by Trump about unfair trade and inadequate defense spending provide opportunities for China and North Korea to drive a wedge between the allies," she said. The U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea has more than doubled since the U.S.-Korea free trade pact known as KORUS took effect in 2012. The agreement was forecast to boost U.S. exports by $10 billion a year, but in 2016 they were $3 billion lower than in 2011. At the start of Friday's talks, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the largest component of the deficit was automotive trade and many non-tariff barriers to U.S. auto exports to South Korea remained. "I think the way to address it is to deal product by product with what we can do to change the export side and what we can do to reduce the bad imports side," he said. Ross said later on Friday that some progress had been made in the talks. The current pact was agreed to despite protests by supporters of Moon, who was then in opposition. But analysts have suggested that given the need to preserve a unified front in the face of a hostile North Korea, there could be compromise on both sides to resolve issues. (By David Brunnstrom and Lisa Lambert. Additional reporting by Fatima Bhojani, Roberta Rampton, Tim Ahmann, David Chance, David Lawder and Eric Beech; Editing by Bill Trott and Andrew Hay) Related Video: Image Credit: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters Government/Legal Genesis Hyundai Kia trade

Hyundai Virtual Guide is an owner's manual for your phone

The owner's manual for the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is more than 700 pages. In fact, owner's manuals in general are so unwieldy – both by weight and actual use – that the problem you're having must be greater than the hassle of dealing with the instruction guide. Hyundai wants to make that easier with its Virtual Guide, an augmented reality app for smartphones and tablets that puts answer to the most common points of confusion at your fingertips. Once you open the app you start by choosing your exact vehicle trim. There are 16 different trim and package options for the Sonata, all of them have been scanned so that the app can show your specific car and features. After that there are several options that allow different means of getting the info you need. Point your phone's or tablet's camera at the engine bay, the app will overlay the locations of items like the air cooler, battery, and dispstick. Press any of the boxes in the display and the app will take you step-by-step through the process of attending to each system. There's another AR overlay for the interior. One neat feature that isn't AR is a picture of the gauge cluster and all of its Christmas tree lights. Press any one of them and the app will explain what the light means and what to do when it appears. Another portion of the app is pictures of every angle of the car with highlightable areas that provide more info on things like seat operation and what's in the trunk. Audi has an augemented reality app called eKurzinfo in the UK for three of its models, but it appears that Hyundai is the first mainstream maker in the US to provide such technology. Virtual Guide is available for the Sonata now at the Apple App Store and Google Play. Other models will join the Guide as Hyundai gets more of its models scanned. The videos and the press release below have more information. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. HYUNDAI VIRTUAL GUIDE INTRODUCES AUGMENTED REALITY TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL - First Mainstream Automaker to Launch 2D/3D Owner's Manual for Smartphones and Tablet Computers - Hyundai Virtual Guide Provides Convenient, Simple Ways to Become Familiar with Full Vehicle Capabilities LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2015 – Later this year, Hyundai will be the first mainstream automaker to launch an augmented reality owner's manual app.