2014 Hyundai Veloster Turbo on 2040-cars

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2014 Hyundai Elantra revealed in Korean spec

As is usually the case with most Hyundai models, we're getting a sneak peek into the future by way of the company's Korean market lineup. Hyundai released images of the 2014 Avante on its home-market Facebook page, showing us what the updated 2014 Elantra will look like when it arrives this fall.
With the fifth-gen Elantra just three years old at this point, all of the changes will be relatively minor. Judging by the pictures of the Avante, updates to the exterior include new front and rear fascias, new headlights with LED running lights, LED taillights and new wheel options. The interior also gets some visual changes, mainly to the buttons and controls. Hyundai is also adding more comfort inside its compact sedan by adding a ventilated driver's seat, heated steering wheel and rear HVAC vents.

Hyundai N Performance division working on 'exotic' halo model like the RM16

This is the year of Hyundai N Performance. After three official launches, the division's leadership has made imprecise noises about a halo car since this summer. Brand boss Albert Biermann said, "Right now, we don't need a halo car in N. We have to get in a routine with N cars, and not just hit a peak." Around the same time, VP Thomas Schmera said, "Rest assured we are coming up with something," that something being a halo car. Reports expected either a two-seat coupe or a four-door sedan like the Kia Stinger. In a recent interview with AutoRAI, Schmera narrowed the focus, saying, "Think of the Hyundai RM16 and you have a bit of an idea of what is possible." The RM16 is the third iteration of the mid-engined Veloster RM first showed at the Busan Motor Show in 2014. In 2015 the RM15 debuted at the same motor show, followed in 2016 by the RM16. By then, the performance specs listed a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 296 horsepower, an electric compressor and electronic differential, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. The bodywork, draped on an aluminum spaceframe, channeled the spirits of other outrageous mid-engined hatchbacks like the Renault 5 Turbo, Renault Clio V6 Renault Sport, and Lancia Delta S4. Four months after showing the RM16, Hyundai took a running prototype to the Nurburgring (pictured). Earlier this year we heard tale of a new Theta III engine suited for front- and rear-wheel drive, and mid-engined applications. With the ability to be tuned to 350 hp, this led to suspicion that there could be a mid-engined Hyundai sports car on the way. The evidence is circumstantial, but now we have Schmera telling us to consider a long-lived mid-engined concept as the potential template for a future N Performance halo car. The idea of Hyundai rolling out a mid-engined coupe sounds crazy. It sounds doubly crazy when Biermann has said of the i30 N, "This is a halo car that can make [the company] money, so what better halo can we get?" Hyundai knows its math better than we do, but we don't see how the carmaker makes money in a segment ruled by the Porsche 718 twins under $100K, and by a number of storied brands above that figure.

2016 Hyundai Tucson shows off its European trim ahead of Geneva

Hyundai is unleashing the first details about its next-generation Tucson ahead of the crossover's official debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show on March 3. So far, the Korean automaker is only talking about European specifications for the latest model that goes on sale in the second half of 2015 there. Still, this glimpse should give a good idea of what to expect from the future version inevitably coming to the US. The new Tucson largely blends the look of the current Santa Fe and last year's Intrado concept into a more angular, rugged CUV than the current model. As in the earlier teaser video, Hyundai's designers gave the latest generation horizontal, chrome-accented slats in the hexagonal grille to match the look of the other recent members in the lineup. The hood also takes on the somewhat flatter design from the Santa Fe, but the lower air dam wears an eye-catching mix of intakes, foglights and LEDs. In profile, there's a distinctive crease down the side, and the wheel wells subtly reinterpret the squared-off look from the Intrado. Inside, Hyundai claims that it focuses on improving material quality, and it's offering an attractive new Wine Red leather interior with black contrast to European buyers. There are also available heated and ventilated seats, and a faster infotainment system. The company is upping the safety assists too with features like Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Detection and more. These European models are made in the Czech Republic and offer quite an array of powertrain options. The gasoline choices are either a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 133 horsepower or turbo 1.6-liter mill with 174 hp. Diesel selections include a 1.7-liter with 113 hp, 2.0-liter with 134 hp or another tune with 182 hp. Transmission possibilities are either a six-speed manual or automatic, but the 1.6-liter turbo is available with a seven-speed dual clutch. North America will likely get its own drivetrain mix, though. Hyundai didn't release too many shots of the new Tucson. But we'll have live images from the Swiss show floor in a few weeks time.