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Hyundai considering upscale Genesis-based crossover

Hyundai already offers upscale entries in its lineup such as the Equus and Genesis (pictured above), but unlike many brands in North America, the company lacks a luxury crossover to further compliment the sedans. The latest signs suggest that hole in the lineup might be filled in the near future, though. According to four, unnamed company insiders speaking to Reuters, the Korean automaker might build a posh CUV on the Genesis' platform. "We are considering developing premium, large SUVs based on customers' needs. We plan to respond to the fast-changing market centered around SUVs by beefing up our SUV line-up," said a statement from Hyundai to Reuters. The idea stems from a proposal last year to pounce on the booming luxury CUV market. However, this strategy doesn't have a green light yet, and it could be years before the crossover sees showrooms. Potentially holding things back is the brand's concern about its power in the luxury market. "We are timid when it comes to bigger SUVs," a source said to Reuters. Hyundai also remembers the struggles of the Veracruz in North America, and the vehicle was eventually replaced by the three-row Santa Fe. Finally, there's a worry that higher gas prices around the time of the proposed debut could be a problem, too. Even if the plans for the luxury model don't pan out, this is hardly the end of Hyundai's upcoming crossover plans. A compact CUV is reportedly under consideration for North America, and there's the much-rumored Santa Cruz unibody pickup potentially on the way, too.

Hyundai needs to make the Ioniq Scooter

In the mad rush that is an auto show press conference, sometimes the coolest stuff is sometimes barely mentioned, and often overshadowed, by the bigger news. Hyundai's awesome Ioniq Scooter concept is a perfect example of this. Revealed at this year's CES, it was given just 45 seconds of talk time in a 45 minute conference. The scooter's sleek design and clever charging spot struck me as the one of the most practical and fleshed out mobility solutions on display at the show. Now I'm on a one-man mission to convince Hyundai to build it. The Ioniq Scooter is a compact, collapsible, and lightweight electric scooter that (and this is my favorite part) stows and charges in the door pocket of the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq. You can park your car, pop out the scooter and ride what's referred to in the mobility industry as the "last mile." Driving is usually the easiest part of any journey. Roads are all connected and relatively easy to navigate. Everything after that - parking, walking, etc. - often takes just as much time and effort as driving. The scooter helps solve this problem. View 6 Photos For me, the little electric scooter was the best thing in Hyundai's sci-fi filled booth. The automaker brought out two working robot exoskeletons and a car concept that is literally meant to be built into your home. There was an autonomous Ioniq giving test rides down the Las Vegas strip. Despite all of that, all I wanted to do was break the glass case holding the scooter silently ride away. In person, the Ioniq scooter appears relatively lightweight and extremely compact. It's partially constructed from carbon fiber and has a small display that shows battery life, speed, and range. You use a small knob on the handle bar to accelerate and brake. Alternatively, you can slow down by pushing a pad over the rear wheel, just like on a kick scooter. Top speed is 12 mph and the total range is about 12 miles. It's unclear if the battery can be swapped out to extend the distance before recharging. The Ioniq scoter is just a prototype, so we have no idea how much it would cost to put it into production or if Hyundai has any plans to even do so. What we do know is that a working prototype exists and that we would love to get a chance to ride it. Like our endeavor to drive a Citroen C4 Cactus, I'm on a mission to ride the Ioniq scooter. In my eyes, this scooter is the modern equivalent to a Honda Motocompo, but more practical.

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Subaru clean up in IIHS 2018 safety ratings

Hyundai, its partner Kia and its Genesis division are the big winners in the latest vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, accounting for six of the 15 models that earned the Top Safety Pick+ awards for 2018. Subaru was right behind with four, Mercedes-Benz had two, and Toyota, BMW and Ford each had one. Another 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick designation, where Toyota had 10 vehicle models, with Hyundai recognized for nine models. All but one of the seven vehicles in Subaru's lineup, the BRZ, qualified for one of the awards. IIHS strengthened the criteria for the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2018 to require headlights to earn a "good" rating — an "acceptable" rating was previously enough to notch the "plus" award — and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in the small overlap front crash, which replicates a crash involving just the front corner of a vehicle. It also required vehicles to have acceptable or good headlights for the first time to earn a Top Safety Pick award. Most of winners for both awards qualified on the basis of optional upgrades. IIHS in October began evaluating the passenger side of vehicles in its small overlap front crash test after it said it became clear that automakers were neglecting that side of the vehicle as they focused on improving driver-side protections. IIHS first began conducting driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. It began measuring both how well low and high beams illuminated the road and the amount of glare they produce for oncoming vehicles as part of its ratings in 2016. The Top Safety Pick+ winners are listed below. The list doesn't include any minivans, pickups or minicars, which don't appear on either list of awardees. Small cars Kia Forte Kia Soul Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon) Subaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Toyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 series Genesis G80 Genesis G90 Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize luxury SUV Mercedes-Benz GLC The full list of Top Safety Pick winners is available here.Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS BMW Genesis Hyundai Kia Lincoln Subaru Toyota Safety Crossover SUV Wagon Sedan crash test