2008 Hyundai Sonata Limited Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai previews the subcompact Kona crossover's funky fresh face

It seems as though the already crowded subcompact crossover segment will welcome yet another competitor. Hyundai says it will launch its new Kona this summer, and it just released a teaser showing its front fascia. We'd previously seen spy photos of the car, but this is our clearest look at the nose yet. From the looks of it, it will be going down the funky styling route of the Toyota C-HR and Nissan Juke. The first styling cue you'll notice is the split headlight arrangement that we've seen before on the Jeep Cherokee and Nissan Juke. The top lamps are just LED running lights, and the lower units, also LED on the Kona, provide the actual forward illumination at night. Together, they create a scowling aggressive look. Between the lower lamps is a low and wide version of Hyundai's corporate "cascading" grille. It does have a unique twist, though, in the upper slot that looks rather like a scoop. It also helps create a dual-plane look to the front of the vehicle. Hyundai hasn't released many details about the Kona aside from a release date and a size. It actually hasn't even announced the markets in which the Kona will be available. However, it's likely it will come to the US, since the subcompact crossover arena has been booming here. The only other information Hyundai has revealed about the Kona is that it will have good visibility and "agile driving dynamics." That sounds good to us, but we can't verify either until we get our hands on one. At least it won't be a long wait. Related Video:

Hyundai considering pickup after good reaction to Santa Cruz

The Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz pickup concept was one of the stars of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show and even earned fifth place on Autoblog's Editors' Choice list of favorite debuts. The strong response might have been enough to get it made. Hyundai research and development director Park Byung-cheol said that the company was considering building the truck, according to Reuters. He warned, though, that there were still some obstacles in the way of the pickup arriving to showrooms without saying what those were. Rumors about Hyundai considering a pickup in the US go back several years but were fruitless. The Santa Cruz's unveiling really reignited things, though. The North American arm of the Korean brand reportedly chose Detroit for the debut so that foreign executives could see the media reaction to the concept. That gamble might have paid off. Hyundai's pickup at dealers might not look like the Santa Cruz concept, though. The company said the version in Detroit had nothing production-ready about it and even lacked an interior. At the time, a platform still hadn't been decided on, and the brand had several internal design studies underway. Related Video:

Editors’ Picks July 2022 | Volvo XC60, 911 GT3 and a hot Hyundai

This latest rendition of Editors’ Picks sees us recognize some enthusiast-focused vehicles on both sides of the price spectrum and a luxury SUV. The 911 GT3 was an easy shoo-in, but the Hyundai Elantra N is what surprised us the most. WeÂ’re sad to see the Veloster N bow out after this year, but at least the N model in its place is a worthy one. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, hereÂ’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in July that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2022 Volvo XC60 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge View 36 Photos Quick take: The Volvo XC60 is one of our favorite luxury crossovers, and the PHEV option is a killer setup. We dig the interior design, and the exterior is attractively Swedish, too. Score: 7.5 What it competes with: Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Genesis GV70, Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Audi Q5, Lexus NX, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Lincoln Corsair, Infiniti QX50, Porsche Macan Pros: Great design, epic PHEV option, intriguing interior design options Cons: Tech can be cumbersome, big wheels lead to a stiff ride From the editors: Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "When it comes to plug-in hybrids, there's no better compact crossover option than the XC60 Recharge. I really dig the extra-powerful electric motor and larger battery Volvo added this year. The interior wool option is my pick of the bunch, but I am a little disappointed that there aren't as many physical buttons throughout the interior as there were before." News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "Although it's got some age, the Volvo XC60 is still an excellent premium SUV. It's as handsome as ever with its clean, modern design inside and out, and feels genuinely luxurious. But what really sets the XC60 apart is its available plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's smooth and refined, and best of all, it's still great in electric mode.