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The Ceiling Is the Roof: Hyundai Santa Fe Cabriolet opens a sky of possibilities

The Nissan CrossCabriolet might be a relic of the past, but its spirit continues to live on each and every time another manufacture builds a convertible SUV. It's a memory that just won't go away, no matter how much everybody tries. This time, it's Hyundai Australia that sent an out-of-the-blue reminder, showing off a chopped version of its new Santa Fe three-row utility vehicle. The totally revamped Santa Fe debuted earlier this year and is starting to hit public roads with a much more aggressive and stylized exterior. One feature not on the order sheets, however, is a convertible top. That's because this is a one-off project car that is not legal to drive on normal streets. This specific Santa Fe started its life as a pre-production ride used only for promotional purposes. The roof was removed for better access to take top-down photos of the interior, and this particular Santa Fe was set to be crushed at a later time. However, auto publication CarAdvice found out about the peculiarity and finessed Hyundai into offering a test drive on a private closed circuit. Any impressions are for naught, however, considering the vehicle is not headed for production, and this Santa Fe was not set up to be driven. That means the Land Rover Evoque remains the only drop-top high-top vehicle that is currently available for purchase. As a manufacturer that strictly makes utility vehicles, Land Rover is okay with creating SUVs with less practicality, like the convertible Evoque and the coupe-like Velar, to offer some variety. Or, for those feeling frisky, CrossCabriolets can easily be found for less than $20,000. The choice is yours. Related Video:

Hyundai planning 250-mile electric vehicle by 2020

Until plug-in vehicle buyers stop caring about all-electric range - and who knows when that might happen - the distance an EV can travel on a full charge will remain an important selling point. Most US drivers go less than 40 miles a day, but that's not stopping at least two high-profile automakers from building a 200-mile EV. Both the Chevy Bolt EV and the Tesla Model 3 are shooting for this target. They won't rest on their laurels. Hyundai is prepping a 250-mile electric vehicle for 2020. Byung Ki Ahn, Hyundai's director, eco-vehicle performance development group, revealed the plans to Autoblog today after also confirming a 200-mile EV for 2018. This is above and beyond the Ioniq EV that will launch in the US later this year with 110 miles of range. Hyundai already had revealed its plan to offer 26 new green models by 2020, including plug-ins, hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but there were no specific details about the EVs mentioned there. The EV world will be quite different in four years, but Hyundai thinks it has a strategy to get its customers prepared for the launch of the three Ioniq models, which include a plug-in hybrid and a standard hybrid, and future EVs. Until now, the company believes, according to Chris Hosford, Hyundai's corporate communications executive director, the automotive industry has not yet adequately communicated the advantages and differences of plug-in vehicles to customers. As Hyundai prepares to flood the market with green models in the next few years, expect lots of educational materials to come from Hyundai dealerships, as well as commercials. "We know there is a lot of education necessary," Hosford said. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Hyundai Ioniq: New York 2016 View 11 Photos Green Marketing/Advertising Hyundai AutoblogGreen Exclusive Electric exclusive range anxiety ev range hyundai ev

Hyundai plant one of 100 factories shutting down in wake of Beijing pollution scare

Many factories and chemical plants have suspended production in Beijing in an attempt to curb dangerous pollution, according to the South China Morning Post. The air pollution is some of the worst the city has seen in years, with harmful PM2.5 particle rates hovering between 200 and 400 micrograms per cubic meter. That number is down from as high as 886 on Sunday. For contrast, the US Environmental Protection Agency regulations say PM2.5 concentration at any location be no higher than 65 micrograms per cubic meter, with average maximums not to exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter.
China blames the pollution on vehicle emissions, industrial production and an increase in domestic coal use to heat homes during cold weather. A total of 48 work sites, including construction zones, metal refineries and chemical plants have suspended production, and 41 factories have cut back production as well. That includes Hyundai Motor Beijing, which suspended production on Sunday.
Even so, the area's children's hospitals are receiving up to 10,000 patients per day with respiratory ailments. The city's government says it is in the midst of an eight-year plan to curb pollution and that levels have dropped between 30 and 70 percent over the past 14 years thanks to its actions.