2012 Genesis on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2017 Hyundai Ioniq triplets electrify New York

If you're an American and want an affordably priced hybrid, plug-in, or full EV from a mainstream brand, get ready to meet the Hyundai Ioniq. The long-awaited rival to the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota Prius family heads to the 2016 New York Auto Show. We already know quite a lot about all three flavors of the Ioniq from its international debut in Geneva. You can check out that report here. But there are some changes for the US market car, and the biggest is the US Ioniq's electric range. Our original report indicated that the Ioniq Electric would cover 155 miles per charge, although we weren't sure which range rating standard that was based on. According to Hyundai, the US model won't be quite so impressive, scoring an estimated range of 110 miles. That fits the prediction of Autoblog boss Mike Austin, who suggested the Ioniq Electric would roughly match the 107-mile maximum of the Leaf. The other change focuses on the range of the Ioniq Plug-in. That figure has fallen from 31 miles of all-electric range to 25. Both of these revised ratings aren't necessarily down to changes in the cars themselves – the Electric still uses a 28-kilowatt-hour battery and the Plug-in has an 8.9-kWh unit, just like their European counterparts – but are simply differences in how range is measured. Check back soon for live images of Hyundai's new ultra-efficient triplets. Related Video: 2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ MODEL LINEUP MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW World's first dedicated vehicle platform with three electrified low-and zero-emission powertrain choices Ioniq offers latest connectivity and active safety features for a comprehensive eco-lifestyle transportation solution NEW YORK, Mar. 23, 2016 – Hyundai Motor America today unveiled the Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and Electric models for the U.S. market at the New York International Auto Show. The Ioniq eco-focused vehicle is the first in the world to offer three distinct electrified powertrains on a single, dedicated vehicle platform. Hyundai's approach for the Ioniq line delivers an uncompromising design and driving experience coupled with the latest in safety and convenience technologies, making it an appealing choice for a wide range of buyers. The Hyundai Ioniq is an important milestone in Hyundai's global sustainability strategy. "Ioniq will attract an entirely new group of eco- and efficiency-oriented buyers in the U.S.

2016: The year of the autonomous-car promise

About half of the news we covered this year related in some way to The Great Autonomous Future, or at least it seemed that way. If you listen to automakers, by 2020 everyone will be driving (riding?) around in self-driving cars. But what will they look like, how will we make the transition from driven to driverless, and how will laws and infrastructure adapt? We got very few answers to those questions, and instead were handed big promises, vague timelines, and a dose of misdirection by automakers. There has been a lot of talk, but we still don't know that much about these proposed vehicles, which are at least three years off. That's half a development cycle in this industry. We generally only start to get an idea of what a company will build about two years before it goes on sale. So instead of concrete information about autonomous cars, 2016 has brought us a lot of promises, many in the form of concept cars. They have popped up from just about every automaker accompanied by the CEO's pledge to deliver a Level 4 autonomous, all-electric model (usually a crossover) in a few years. It's very easy to say that a static design study sitting on a stage will be able to drive itself while projecting a movie on the windshield, but it's another thing entirely to make good on that promise. With a few exceptions, 2016 has been stuck in the promising stage. It's a strange thing, really; automakers are famous for responding with "we don't discuss future product" whenever we ask about models or variants known to be in the pipeline, yet when it comes to self-driving electric wondermobiles, companies have been falling all over themselves to let us know that theirs is coming soon, it'll be oh so great, and, hey, that makes them a mobility company now, not just an automaker. A lot of this is posturing and marketing, showing the public, shareholders, and the rest of the industry that "we're making one, too, we swear!" It has set off a domino effect – once a few companies make the guarantee, the rest feel forced to throw out a grandiose yet vague plan for an unknown future. And indeed there are usually scant details to go along with such announcements – an imprecise mileage estimate here, or a far-off, percentage-based goal there. Instead of useful discussion of future product, we get demonstrations of test mules, announcements of big R&D budgets and new test centers they'll fund, those futuristic concept cars, and, yeah, more promises.

Next-gen Hyundai Equus spotted horsing around in desert

The last time we showed you the next-generation Hyundai Equus, the northern hemisphere was in the depths of winter and the big luxury sedan was testing above the Arctic Circle. Now, as we're approaching the end of summer, the South Korean company is rather fittingly conducting hot weather testing in the American southwest. As with our last look at the Equus, today's images show a heavily camouflaged car. Said camo, which includes both coverings and more form-fitting stickers, can't hide the overall size of this vehicle. It's a big'un, especially behind the B-pillar. From what we can see through the front camouflage, the Equus should draw some inspiration from the Vision G concept. In short, expect a sportier, more assertive look than what's currently offered on Hyundai's flagship. This particular car is allegedly fitted with a version of the company's Tau 5.0-liter V8, which serves in both the current Equus and the smaller Genesis sedan. It's paired with a ten-speed automatic – yes, ten forward gears... on a car – while our spies reiterated previous reports that a new turbocharged V6 would also be on offer. Importantly, this latest gallery of spy photos gives us our first look at the new Equus' cabin. Again, there's heavy camouflage here, but we can get a look at the handsome leatherwork on the two-tone steering wheel and the stylish silver hue of the HVAC buttons. It also looks like Hyundai will retain a knob-and-button-style controller for the infotainment system, which will be housed in an expansive display at the tip top of the dash. Look for the next-generation Equus to make its debut some time in 2016 as a 2017 model. Related Video: