Hyundai

2021 Hyundai Venue seeks home in crowded SUV family

Now in its second model year, the Hyundai Venue is the smallest sport utility vehicle and seventh sport or adventure offering in the company’s stable. It fills a niche the South Korean manufacturer has deemed important. But it’s hard to fathom. Since the carmaker already offers the Ioniq, Kona, Palisade, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Tucson, does it need the Venue? It’s marketed as a mini or sub-compact, entry-level SUV with a healthy chunk of features and superior gas mileage for its segment. It’s matched against more than dozen competitors, notably the Kia Soul, Mazda CX-30, MINI Cooper Countryman, Nissan Kick, Subaru Crosstrek and its Kona sibling. Hyundai‘s pedigree is constantly improving, but competition between two family members? Is it

Read more

#179, California hydrogen highway growing, still unheralded

Three mainstream automobile manufacturers, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, sell and lease hydrogen vehicles. The Clarity (Honda) and Mirai (Toyota) are sedans; the Nexo (Hyundai) is a sport utility vehicle. Combined, the three vehicles compromise a small fraction of the automotive industry and are overwhelmingly in California. Ben Xiong, the Communications Specialist at California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) in West Sacramento, California, discusses the hydrogen vehicle industry on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia report on the progress of the hydrogen car and truck industry, the public’s perception of hydrogen fuel and the availability of hydrogen refueling stations. “My main passion, really, is reacting with people via public website and social media about

Read more

PREVIEW: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Don’t call it a truck

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is getting a lot of attention as the South Korean manufacturer’s first pickup truck. But it already doesn’t want to be stereotyped. Hyundai has identified its new crossover vehicle as an SAV. It’s not a sport utility vehicle or a pickup truck. It’s a sport adventure vehicle. The manufacturer is marketing the new vehicle as combining an SUV engineered like a car with pickup truck characteristics. The Santa Cruz will have a small, open cargo bed and also seating for five occupants. Hyundai Santa Cruz: US made Despite is South Korean headquarters, the Santa Cruz will be built in the carmaker’s factory in Montgomery, Alabama. According to one reviewer, “Comparing Ford F-150s, Rams and Silverados to

Read more

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offers versatility, good value

Like all of its siblings, the Hyundai Santa Fe does a lot right. Competitors have more upscale interior appearances and the sport utility vehicle isn’t geared for rugged adventures. The Santa Fe also doesn’t have the best performance in a super-competitive segment. What it does offer is versatility. It has impressive gas mileage, a healthy supply of safety features, the industry’s best warranty and attractive pricing. Which is why the 2020 edition, with a few tweaks from the 2019 offering, is a top choice in the mid-size market. Gone is the Ultimate trim, leaving the base SE, SEL and Limited. As the new top-level offering, the reviewed Limited trim was equipped with the discontinued Ultimate trim’s equipment, including blind-view monitoring,

Read more
,

2021 Hyundai Sonata: epic return of a sports sedan

Pity the poor sedan. Once the go-to vehicle style for well-built, dependable and comfortable transportation, sales of the former family favorite have been decimated by sales SUVs and pickup trucks. The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line presents a strong case for reconsidering a sedan. Key Takeaways N Line rescues the sedan from SUV dominance: With 290 hp and a 5.4-second 0-60 time, the Sonata N Line makes a compelling case for reconsidering sedans in an SUV-obsessed market. Dual-clutch eight-speed sharpens the driving experience: The 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder paired with a DCT delivers the sporty response that the N Line badge promises. Impressive value from $25,299: Even the base SE with 191 hp includes LED headlights, 16-inch alloys, 8-inch touchscreen, Apple

Read more

2021 Honda Odyssey makes minivans proud

The Honda Odyssey, the former standout and industry wonder, is now 27 years and stagnant. But it’s not the minivan’s fault. Sales of sport utility vehicles, crossovers and pickup trucks continue to increase, dominating the industry. Minivans’ success, like the fate of sedans, have floundered. In 1996, a year after it debuted in the United States, the Odyssey had its best sales year, just shy of 178,000. In 2109, the versatile family hauler, which has the same top reputation as the rest of the Honda lineup, fell to 99,000. It was the minivan’s first sales year under the six-figure plateau. Last year, in the business malaise of the coronavirus, Odyssey sales fell another 16 percent to 83,000, about 47 percent

Read more
,

NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2022 Genesis GV70

The 2022 Genesis GV70 represents an athletic, versatile option in Genesis’ emerging lineup of sport utility vehicles. It’s the fifth vehicle in the Genesis lineup, joining the G70, G80, and G90 sedans and recently announced GV80 flagship SUV. Like all other Genesis models, the GV70 will be based on a rear-wheel-drive platform. “Genesis continues to build on our solid foundation with the addition of new and exciting products to our lineup,” said Mark Del Rosso, President and Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Motor North America. “We recently launched our first-ever SUV, the flagship GV80, with U.S. deliveries beginning in the next thirty days. Genesis GV70: SUV Versatility “Now, with the upcoming release of the dynamic GV70 and a further diversified

Read more

Santa Cruz set as 1st Hyundai pickup truck

Hyundai’s new pickup truck will have a unibody construction. Starting prices have not been announced but predicated at $25,000. Hyundai hopes the Santa Cruz will improve the carmaker’s lagging sales.    Following the industry trend, although several years behind, Hyundai will soon debut its first pickup truck, the 2022 Santa Cruz. First teased as a concept in 2015, the South Korean manufacturer will begin selling the Santa Cruz as a complement to its expanding non-sedan lineup in late 2021.  Hyundai recently added the Kona, Palisade and Venue crossovers to its lineup. Hyundai sold a manufacturer’s record of 768,057 vehicles in 2016. The tally fell to 688,771 last year. Few details of the new truck have been released, but it’s expected to

Read more

NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson, the continuation of the South-Korean manufacturer’s top-selling vehicle globally, has been announced. It will feature new exterior stylings, more passenger and cargo room and upgraded features throughout the sport utility vehicle. Available in dealerships in the spring and summer of 2021 (depending upon model) the Hyundai Tucson will be offered in an array of powertrain variants, including new hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The new 2022 Hyundai Tucson internal combustion models will be produced at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Ulsan, Korea. Three new technology features highlight interior changes: *10.25-inch full-touch screen exempt of hard buttons: * Hoodless digital gauge cluster; * Multi-air ventilation and a temperature-adjusting system providing diffused airflow on the front passengers. 2022

Read more
,

The Weekly Driver letters: Used trucks, Lexus, Sonata PHEV

The Weekly Driver is a companion website to the weekly Autopia column I contribute to the San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times. Some of my automotive content also appears on RVtravel.com and in Gulfshore Business in Florida. It’s also distributed by Motor Matters, a syndicate in Delaware. With that variety of outlets, sometimes I receive letters from readers. It’s great. With permission from the letter writers, I’m posting a recent batch of comments. Some editing for style, clarity and brevity has occurred. Thank you for reading my content and for taking the time to email. Stay in touch. Cheers, James Raia (The Weekly Driver.) LEXUS SUV FAN WITH REASON Stephen Comstock, Eau Claire, Michigan, writes: I have just read

Read more

2020 Hyundai Sonata: new look, best sedan value

With the dominating presence of trucks and recreational vehicles, a pleasant, efficient drive in a fair-priced sedan is still appealing. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata comes to mind. Chasing the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima, the segment sales leaders for years, the Sonata begins its eighth generation. It’s a much-changed midsize sedan inside and outside. The South Korean manufacturer’s marketing slogan for the new vehicle is “Sensuous Sportiness.” Sportiness works; sensuous is a stretch. Key Takeaways Eighth-generation Sonata drops the conservative look: The fastback roofline, driving lights extending into the hood, and wide C-shaped taillights replace the staid midsize-sedan styling of prior generations. Prices run $23,400 to $33,300 across four trims: The top Limited checks in at $34,365 with

Read more
,

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe tech review and kudos

New technology websites abound. Mark Pallone and Valerie Antkowiak have found a niche within a niche, the website AppMyHome.com. The husband/wife publishers recently produced a YouTube video of the smart tech in their new 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. With Valerie as the moderator, the nearly 10-minute video details all of the technology the SUV has to offer. Here’s how the couple’s website is described: “Exploring technology and products available for the Smart Home, the Kitchen and Travel. We test and review products in our own home or occasionally, at our friends’ and relatives’ homes, and share our experience with stories and videos.” The tech review of the new Hyundai is intriguing. The Santa Fe has been a favorite of The Weekly

Read more
,

2020 Hyundai Ioniq: Underdog defines value, economy

The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq, the fourth year of the South Korean liftback hybrid and all-electric, maintains the brand’s status as the country’s most fuel-efficient vehicle. Its top-line trim costs several thousand dollars less than the average price of a new vehicle in the United States. The combination of price and economy warrants consideration. What can a new car buyer expect from a vehicle that costs $32,000 and gets at least an estimated 55 miles per gallon? Key Takeaways 55 to 58 mpg combined makes the Ioniq America’s most fuel-efficient non-EV: The Blue trim hits 58 mpg combined; other hybrid trims deliver 55 mpg combined from a 1.6-liter gas engine paired with a 32-kW electric motor. Top-line Limited is priced around

Read more

2020 Hyundai Palisade: worthy newbie SUV despite odd name

With the debut of the Nexo as a 2019 model and the Palisade as a 2020 offering, Hyundai now sells five sport utility vehicles. The South Korean manufacturer doesn’t do much wrong. But making more SUVs isn’t much different than making more traffic. There’s nothing good about more driving congestion. And how is it possible to find some area of the SUV segment that hasn’t been addressed? Hyundai‘s answer? The Palisade is the biggest vehicle it’s made. The carmaker’s flagship SUV, the mid-sized Palisade features a 3.8-liter V6 engine with 291 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Gas mileage averages are 19 miles per gallon in city driving, 26 miles per gallon on the freeway. Available with all-wheel drive and

Read more

2019 Hyundai Ioniq: odd name, worthy EV wheels

The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq, the third model year of the South Korean liftback, is unique in the ever-evolving, alternative fuel segment. It’s the least expensive mainstream electric vehicle available in the United States, and it has the best fuel economy. Cheap and economic don’t always equate to quality. But the five-door Ioniq provides another example of why skeptics of Hyundai and its close relative Kia should be forever enlightened. The manufacturers’ lineups have vastly improved in recent years. Key Takeaways Only alternative-fuel vehicle offered as hybrid, plug-in hybrid, AND all-electric: The Ioniq was the first car to offer all three powertrains in one model, letting buyers match the variant to commute profile without switching nameplates. 57 mpg city, 59 mpg

Read more

2019 Hyundai Veloster: odd compact hatchback gets it right

The 2019 Hyundai Veloster marks the sports-oriented compact’s second-generation debut, and it remains a one-of-a-kind hatchback. A sharper-edged new exterior design is immediately appealing. But the symmetrical configuration is still a signature feature, with one longer driver’s side door and two shorter front and rear passenger doors. The three-door scheme is not available on any other vehicle. Key Takeaways Still the only three-door hatchback on the market: One long driver’s door, two shorter passenger doors, and a hatch remain the Veloster’s signature configuration. No other vehicle copies the asymmetric layout. 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo in the Turbo Ultimate: Paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and paddle shifters, the top trim carries Normal, Sport, and Smart drive modes with real differences in

Read more
Previous Next