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Car buyers are paying big money for technology they don't use

J.D. Power released the results of its Tech Experience Index study that measures "how much owners like [in-car] technologies and how many problems they experience with them." Among the study's findings, automakers are loading vehicles with more software and digital experiences that owners claim they never learn how to use or decide they don't need. For example, owners report to J.D. Power that gesture controls, like those used by BMW (spinning a finger, for instance, can raise or lower the audio volume), don't improve the overall ownership experience. In fact, gesture controls received the lowest overall satisfaction score in the study for a second consecutive year. In another example, the study found that 61% of owners claim never having used "in-vehicle digital market technology," while 51% of respondents said they didn't need it. Driver/passenger communication technology was another sore point with users, with 52% saying they have never used the technology, and 40% of those saying they have no need for it. (10 Features owners say they want, and 7 they really don't). Conversely, some technologies are well received by owners. For American owners, rear-view cameras and so-called "ground view" cameras were among the top three desired technologies. We assume that "ground view" is a surround-view or 360-degree camera system. The one-pedal driving possible in a number of EV's with adjustable regen braking also scored very high marks and few claimed issues.  While it could be argued that owners who don't want to use a specific piece of technology should just avoid using it, the reality is that all of these unused features add cost to the final price of any vehicle. Considering that the average transaction price of a new vehicle hit a record $45,031 in September of 2021, controlling spiraling costs is a big deal. J.D. Power's survey results found that dealerships can play a big role in explaining new technology to buyers. Scores for some technologies like trailer assistance received higher scores from owners who received training from their dealers. Unfortunately, 71% of owners say they were taught how to use tech from outside sources whereas only 30% learned from a dealer. The results of this study are the product of responses from 110,827 owners of current model-year vehicles that J.D. Power surveyed after 90 days of ownership from February through July 2021.

Hyundai and Rhys Millen reunite, will return to Pikes Peak with new RWD racer, Genesis Coupe

Last September, Hyundai confirmed that it was exiting all of its motorsports programs in North America. That left Rhys Millen Racing without a title sponsor for its Formula Drift and Global RallyCross Championship series challengers. It also looked to have meant the end of a partnership that last year resulted in a record-setting run at Pikes Peak when Rhys Millen established the new benchmark for a run up the Colorado mountain in a production-based race car.
Hyundai clarified that September report by saying it was "reconsidering our continued involvement in Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, having achieved the world record in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe this year." The return is official, with Hyundai saying it is going back to the peak with Millen and two cars, one of them a "purpose-built unlimited class rear-drive," the other being the Hyundai Genesis Coupe-based racer that set last year's record in the time attack two-wheel-drive class.
Hyundai wants to show off the strength of its engineering, so the unlimited car will have something like 900 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque while using the production block, cylinder heads, bearings and accessories of its Lambda V6 engine. You can read more about the effort in the press release below, and click the image above for an enlarged view of what's coming.

2019 Hyundai Elantra gets angular new styling, safety options

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra compact sedan has received a pretty radical refresh for a relatively conservative car. The rounded front fascia of the current model has given way to a face full of sharp corners. The headlights and fog lights are now triangles, and the grille is sharper. The headlights intersect the grille, too. There are some nice details in this new design. The base of the headlights match up with the top-most slat in the grille, and the lights intersect the grille at some of the grille's top corners. Two new creases on the hood also line up with vertical slats in the grille. The rear of the car is updated, too, if not as radically. The taillights get sharpened corners, as well as downward extensions on the outside edges. The illuminated parts are crisp zigzagging lines that match the nose. The license plate housing has been moved from the trunk lid to the bumper, and large Elantra lettering stretches across the lid. This mirrors the design of the current Sonata midsize sedan. Overall, the design changes are reasonably attractive, though they don't seem to fit especially well with the flanks of the car, which retain the softer, more organic lines of the current car. There are a number of other small updates as far as features are concerned with the Elantra. Hyundai now includes camera-based forward collision prevention, lane-keeping assist, and driver attention alert as standard equipment on the second-lowest SEL trim and above. All trim levels also get a 5-inch touchscreen as standard along with a rear-view camera and dynamic guidelines on the screen. The base SE model with a manual transmission finally gets Bluetooth and steering wheel controls, too. The top-end Limited gets an 8-speaker sound system with subwoofer, Qi wireless phone charging and Safe Exit Assist, which warns drivers of approaching cars when the door is open. What doesn't change is under the skin. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes the same 147 horsepower as last year, and the turbocharged 1.4-liter engine still produces 128 horsepower. The 201-horsepower Elantra Sport is completely unchanged in regards to powertrain and exterior. Hyundai says that a restyled version will appear later this year. Pricing for the refreshed Hyundai Elantra has not yet been announced. It goes on sale this fall, and pricing should come just before it hits dealers. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Hyundai Elantra View 36 Photos News Source: Hyundai Hyundai Economy Cars Sedan