2004 Hyundai Santa Fe on 2040-cars

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Hyundai, Porsche top J.D. Power APEAL study

Just as they did in the Initial Quality Study, Porsche and Hyundai have taken the premium and non-premium crown, respectively, for the 2014 J.D. Power APEAL study. This is the tenth consecutive year for that Porsche has been rated the best premium make in the APEAL study, which attempts to figure out how pleased owners are with their purchases. For 2014, it asked 86,000 owners of MY2014 cars to rate their vehicles in 77 different categories 90 days after their initial purchase. The resulting figures were plugged in deliver the APEAL score, which is rated on a 1,000-point scale.
The industry average sits at 794 points for 2014, although that's a one-percent decline over last year's rating. In this year's study, premium brands averaged 840 out of 1,000, while non-premium makes average 785. For their part, Porsche netted an impressive 882 points, while Hyundai earned an 804. Interestingly, only four non-premium brands (Hyundai, Ram, Volkswagen and Mini) finished above the industry average for 2014.
It's also interesting to see the clear delineation between premium and non-premium brands, with an eight-point gap between the non-premium champ, Hyundai, and the lowest-rated premium brand, Volvo.

Recharge Wrap-up: Rimac Concept One vs. Bugatti Veyron, Tesla Autpoilot in the snow

Watch the Rimac Concept_One and the Bugatti Veyron drive head-to-head along the Croatian coast. Rimac Automobili founder Mate Rimac invited the Earl of Pembroke to drive his 1,088-horsepower EV, while he'd drive Lord Pembroke's Bugatti for comparison. Besides the scenic coastal roads shown in this first film, the pair also drove on a racetrack and an airfield. More episodes – and a drag race – are to come. Watch the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Watch how Tesla Autosteer operates in the snow at night, with no lane markings and no lead vehicle. While Tesla doesn't recommend using Autopilot in these conditions, it seems to manage rather well. Even thought the system shows that it doesn't always recognize the curb, the car doesn't instruct the driver to take control. It's possible that data plays a key role when there aren't other guiding factors on the road, and Tesla's high resolution mapping and the car's GPS could help navigate when there is little sensor input. See the video and read more at Electrek. Andromeda Power shows how a Nissan Leaf rescue car can charge a Tesla Model S. Andromeda Power uses its V2V Orca Inceptive onboard charger, which is meant for CHAdeMO to CHAdeMO charging. It requires a lot of equipment, including a CHAdeMO Tesla adapter, but it's definitely one way to feed a Tesla enough juice to get to the nearest charging station. Read more at Inside EVs. Hyundai increase the range of its Tucson Fuel Cell by 30 percent. The next generation of the hydrogen powered Hyundai is expected in early 2018, and range will jump from 265 miles on a full tank to 348 miles. That surpasses the Toyota Mirai's 312-mile range, but not the 366 miles of the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Read more at Green Car Reports, or from the Nikkei Asian Review. Related Gallery Rimac Automobili Concept_One View 35 Photos News Source: Electrek, YouTube: KmanAuto, Teslarati, YouTube: Wilton Classic & Supercar, Inside EVs, Green Car Reports, Nikkei Asian Review Green Bugatti Hyundai Automakers Nissan Tesla Green Automakers Autonomous Vehicles Electric Supercars Videos recharge wrapup

Hyundai dealerships getting global makeover

In the near future, almost no matter where you're at in the world - whether in Mexico or France - you may not be able to tell an immediate difference between Hyundai dealers. The Korean brand plans to remove some of the diversity from its showrooms in favor of a unified design everywhere outside of the US by about 2020.
The plan is called the Global Dealership Space Identity, and the end result features a modern, open showroom with floor-to-ceiling glass to look in and a bronze-colored roof section (pictured above). The goal of the unified design "is to strengthen our Modern Premium brand consistency across all dealerships, proving premium emotional experiences related to our brand and increase interaction with customers," said Hyundai spokesperson Sookjin Hwang to Autoblog via email.
The ball is already rolling on the plan with the cues being implemented at new dealers in Mexico and about 42 other showrooms worldwide. In the future even Canada may use it, according to Automotive News. "Hyundai Motor plans to fully implement the new identity worldwide within five years (2014~2018). The exact timing for each country will be different."