2007 Hyundai Tiburon Gt Limited Coupe 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Is it time for the car-based trucks to return?

Back in 1957 Ford began producing the Ranchero. In 1959 the El Camino made its debut. In time, other manufacturers would execute their own version of the "Car Truck" anomaly. Dodge, Subaru, and Volkswagen would all join in the category before eventually ceasing production for the United States. Although production ran longer overseas, including Australia, where the "utes" were very well received, in the United States the last ute offering, the Subaru Baja, would cease production in 2006. The manufacturer offerings were very diverse. Powerplants ranged from 4 to 8 cylinders. The number of driving wheels were also diverse. Some were 2 wheel drive, others 4 wheel drive. Even more differentiation could be found in how the manufacturers decided to pursue the utility portion of their vehicle by providing either a unibody architecture for improved mileage, or a solid chassis for extra load bearing capacity and better towing ratings. Here's a brief (not comprehensive) production history of ute history in the United States... Chevy El Camino/ GMC Caballero: 1959-1960 then 1964-987 Dodge Rampage/ Plymouth Scamp: 1982-1984 Ford Ranchero: 1957-1979 Subaru Brat: 1978-1987 Subaru Baja: 2003-2006 Volkswagen Rabbit Sportruck: 1978-1984 That brings us to 2017. Trucks are huge sellers for manufacturers. However, miles per gallon ratings are huge concerns for those same manufacturers. So, automakers are looking to increase the efficiencies of their products to make them more palatable to the increasingly green conscience buying public. Enter a ute revival. A reborn unibody ute would meet that need as it would have the mileage numbers more closely tied to a car than a truck. It seems that I'm not the only one thinking this way. Hyundai has identified the emptiness of this car truck niche, looked at its own portfolio, and recognized the lack of pickup trucks. Fixing that emptiness is one of their concerns. So, they have viewed the active traditional pickup market, while also watching the unibody Ridgeline sales over in the Honda camp and determined that the niche needs to be filled with their own twist. They are rumored to have green lighted the 2019 Hyundai Santa Cruz for sales beginning in 2018. Hyundai's twist however, is that their vehicle would be based on a crossover chassis, possibly the Tucson. Remember, this is a rumor. So, it could change to a red light from the manufacturer or just as easily change to a Genesis chassis overnight.

Kia recalls 507,000 vehicles in U.S. for airbag issues

WASHINGTON — Kia Motors Corp said on Friday it was recalling more than 507,000 vehicles in the United States because an electronic glitch may prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. The recall follows an announcement in March by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it was investigating why some airbags had failed to deploy in Kia vehicles and its affiliate Hyundai after crashes in which four people were killed and another six were injured. The two Korean automakers have now recalled nearly 1.1 million U.S. vehicles to address the issue. NHTSA said in March that it was aware of six serious crashes in which airbags failed to deploy in frontal crashes, including four in 2011 model Hyundai Sonatas and two in 2012 and 2013 Kia Forte vehicles. The crash of the 2013 Forte occurred in Canada. Kia's recall issued on Friday covers 2010-2013 Kia Fortes, 2011-2013 Kia Optimas and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. The company said the airbag control unit may short circuit because they may be susceptible to electrical overstress, preventing the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which pull the driver and front seat passenger firmly back into their seats, from deploying. The company said it does not yet have a fix, but is working with its supplier on the issue. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company "is attempting to have a remedy by the scheduled owner notification date of July 27. If Kia does not have a remedy by that date or if any customer feels unsafe in his/her vehicle, we will provide a rental car until the repair has been completed." Hyundai in February issued a recall for 154,000 U.S. Sonatas after non-deployment reports were linked to electrical overstress in the air bag control unit. In April, Hyundai recalled an additional 425,000 U.S. vehicles to address the same issue. Hyundai said in March that it was aware of reports of two deaths in its vehicles, which occurred in head-on collisions at extremely high rates of speed. NHTSA said the airbag control module under investigation was built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German auto supplier. ZF said on Friday that it has worked with Kia and "continues to cooperate and support NHTSA and its customers in the investigation." The safety agency also said that electrical overstress appeared to be the root cause in a 2016 recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of 1.4 million U.S. vehicles for airbag non-deployments in significant frontal crashes.

Hyundai's Super Bowl ads score on Ad Meter

Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch have often dominated USA Today's influential Super Bowl Ad Meter, but this year Hyundai broke through as the first car company to capture the top spot. Hyundai's First Date spot shown during the first quarter earned a 6.90 rating to edge out Heinz's Weiner Stampede (6.63) and two Doritos' commercials, Utrasound (6.60) and Doritos Dogs (6.48). Two more Hyundai spots, Ryanville (6.27) and The Chase (6.19) gave the automaker three of the top six commercials during the Super Bowl. USA Today's Ad Meter has been a barometer that measures the success of ads during the Big Game since 1989. More than 19,000 panelists participated this year. They ranked each ad on a scale from zero to 10. Anheuser-Busch ads won the last three years. First Date stars comedian Kevin Hart as an overprotective dad in who uses Hyundai's Blue Link car finder feature in the Genesis to spy on his daughter during a first date. Ryanville showcases Ryan Reynolds to illustrate how the Elantra can help with the perils of distracted driving. The Chase also stars the Elantra and its Blue Link voice-activated auto start system, which are successfully used to evade bears. Related Video: Hyundai Dominates with Three of the Top Six Ads First Automaker to Take the USA TODAY Ad Meter Crown FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 8, 2016 – Hyundai became the first automotive company to win USA TODAY's coveted Ad Meter when its spot "First Date" beat out 63 other Super Bowl 50 commercials. Hyundai's impressive performance also included a fifth and sixth place finish for "Ryanville" and "The Chase" respectively, meaning Hyundai finished with three of the top six highest rated ads. Creative was developed by Hyundai's agency of record, INNOCEAN Worldwide. "On the biggest advertising day of the year, we wanted to entertain Super Bowl fans with creative storytelling and relevant, popular celebrities, while showcasing the innovative technology features of our vehicles. Our formula clearly resonated with the thousands of Ad Meter voters," said Dean Evans, chief marketing officer, Hyundai Motor America. "Kevin Hart's comedic chops coupled with a human truth people could connect with was a standout combination that put us over the top. It's an incredible conclusion to our first year as an official NFL sponsor that we won the Ad Meter for Super Bowl 50." "First Date," a 60-second spot featuring Kevin Hart, highlights one of the incredible technology features of Hyundai's premium Genesis sedan.