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Hyundai, union reach tentative labor deal

According to Reuters, South Korea's labor unions may have reached a tentative deal with Hyundai following a compromise between the two sides on wages. Workers have staged a number of stoppages since August 20, which have cost the South Korean giant 1.02 trillion won - around $1.1B US. It also represents just over 50,000 units of production. That vehicle total sounds like a lot, but it's a small enough figure that Hyundai can apparently catch up with weekend and overtime shifts. We'd wager that this is why US inventories haven't been hit quite so hard aside from the battering already taking place. The proposal will now go before the union's rank and file.
If ratified, the new agreement will see workers getting a 5.14-percent raise in base salaries, along with 8.5-million-won (roughly $7,800) bonuses. Those concessions are a far cry compared to what the union was initially demanding, though. Early proposals included a 56.25-gram gold medal for each employee (worth about $2,400) and a 10-million won bonus (about $9,100) for employees whose children chose not to attend college. The union also sought a bonus worth two months' salary for workers that have been with the company for over 40 years, but this was negotiated down to a flat rate of six-million won ($5,464).
Based on Reuters' report, the work stoppages must have taken a real toll on Hyundai - its domestic sales dropped 20 percent last month, while exports were down nine percent. Those startling figures must have put some fire under the Hyundai bargaining team.

Hyundai brings in John Pangilinan for SEMA-bound Genesis Coupe

There's little question that Hyundai has emerged as a tuner's favorite, and few have pushed the limits quite like John Pangilinan. The SEMA stalwart is known for turning out candy-colored Korean tuning jobs, and has now teamed up with Hyundai for this bright blue Genesis coupe.
Set to debut next month in Vegas, the JP Edition Genesis Coupe features flared fenders designed by Jon Sibal, a carbon aero kit and custom headlights, topped off by by an Atlantic Blue metallic paint job with custom graphics. But that's just what you can see. Under the hood, the JP Genesis packs an AEM cold air intake, ARK Performance exhaust, turbo downpipe, KW coilover suspension, Whiteline sway bars, ARK strut, 19-inch forged alloys, Toyo rubber and Brembo brakes.
Inside it's got Recaro buckets, a racing harnesses, GoPro camera, Alpine sound system and Katzkin suede and leather upholstery. The finished package will be on display at SEMA, but in the meantime you can scope out the full details in the press release below.

Hyundai Santa Fe crossover teased as sporty with new safety features

Hyundai has released a teaser image of its upcoming fourth-generation 2019 Santa Fe crossover ahead of its world premiere next month and its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The crossover is due for a series of what Hyundai says is industry-first active safety features. The photo suggests the CUV has undergone a considerable redesign, with a longer, swept-back roofline and elongated body, plus a lower stance, giving it a more sporty look. The headlamps appear to be slightly narrower and less angular. It'll get safety features under Hyundai's Smart Sense system like Rear Occupant Alert, which monitors the rear seats to detect passengers and can let the driver know when they are leaving the car, and its Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning is improved with an added automatic braking function to help drivers when backing out of narrow areas with limited visibility, such as an alley. Hyundai sold 133,171 Santa Fe crossovers, including the Sport, in 2017, an increase of about 1.5 percent over 2016, to make it the brand's second top-selling vehicle after the Elantra. The model was last updated with an exterior facelift and new technology including a standard backup camera and new safety features for the 2017 model year. Image Credit: Hyundai Geneva Motor Show Hyundai Crossover 2018 Geneva Motor Show