2014 Hyundai Elantra Se on 2040-cars

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New Hyundai Veloster N sports a big wing under its camouflage

Hyundai is deep into development of the second-gen Veloster, the follow-up to the odd asymmetric hot hatch. The first car was good, but it wasn't quite great, missing the mark on a number of details. In the intervening years, Hyundai products have improved across the board and no longer require any hedging or justification as a value proposition. Hopefully the same is true with the new car. The spy photos we have hear appear to show the Veloster N, the high performance version of the hatch. N is Hyundai's new in-house tuner. The group is working on a more powerful version of the i30, known in the US as the Elantra GT. Despite the camouflage, we can see that the Veloster in these photos has a number of upgrades that give away the N tuning. This includes large wheels, big brakes with red calipers, big exhaust outlets, and what appears to be a large Civic Type R-style wing. There are few other details we can make out, but the most obvious and notable is the asymmetric door setup. The car will have two doors on the passenger side and just one on the driver's side, just like the first model. We don't know how much power the car will make, but expect somewhere close to 250 horsepower from a turbocharged four-cylinder. Look for a full reveal sometime in the next year. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hyundai Veloster N spy shots View 16 Photos Spy Photos Hyundai Hatchback Performance hyundai veloster n

Peter Schreyer designs the future of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis

Peter Schreyer now leads the design teams at Hyundai, Kia, and the new Genesis brand. He has the difficult task of differentiating the three brands aesthetically, even if they share mechanical components. A new profile about the designer by Bloomberg shows just how much he means to the Korean brands, and it's well worth a read. According to Bloomberg, Schreyer has distinctive ideas for the Korean brands' design. A Kia should look sporty and appeal to young buyers. In contrast, a Hyundai would be for someone who prefers a minimalist design. So far, Genesis is blending those traits for its Athletic Elegance design language. Schreyer went to Kia from Volkswagen Group in 2006, and his mission was to revolutionize the Korean's brand's boring look. He succeeded with sharper, more modern designs for vehicles like the Optima and Sorento that arrived after he took over. He did such a good job there that Hyundai-Kia Motor Group appointed him as its first non-Korean president at the end of 2012. He also now oversees former Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke at the Genesis luxury brand. Bloomberg speaks with industry analysts and other designers to get a better idea of Schreyer's meaning to the company. The piece presents him as an easygoing person who knows exactly how each vehicle should look. If you want to get a better Schreyer and his work at Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, the story is worth checking out. Related Video:

Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money Awards picks winners by looking at the average transaction price, five-year total cost of ownership, the regard a car has from the automotive press, reliability figures from J.D. Power and Associates and safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The result, according to the magazine, is "the best combination of critical acclaim and long-term value."
Ford nabbed six of the 21 categories that received awards this year, the Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Taurus, Escape and Edge getting trophies. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion sub-brands took another five, the Tacoma and Tundra owning the two categories given to pickup trucks. The other ten awards were split between Honda with three, Buick with two, and one each for Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mazda.
Follow the link to see all the winners and read about why they were chosen.