Hyundai

It’s a rare day this author gets to combine his interests of the automotive industry and the YouTube channel for security expert LockPickingLawyer. A video uploaded earlier this week provides opportunity for such a crossover.

Hyundai is offering customers willing to buy an all-electric vehicle a Level 2 home charger for no extra cost. While the ChargePoint device is framed as being free, it does require the purchase of a new automobile through the automaker’s captive finance arm Hyundai Capital America.

That makes the $33,550 (before any federal tax credits or state incentives) Kona Electric the most affordable way to take advantage of the deal. But you’ll still have to find someone to install the unit into your home, to which the manufacturer has offered a $600 credit toward installation.

Hyundai’s EVs are some of the most strikingly styled vehicles around, but its N Vision 74 concept car previewed a future with even wilder designs. We’re now learning that the car may make it to production, as a recent patent application suggests the automaker might actually build and sell it.

On what was the 8th anniversary of Hyundai’s N efforts, the Korean brand hauled covers off its 2024 Elantra N sedan. Launched three years ago, the rip-roaring four-door has garnered plenty of attention (some of it from clueless cops) and for this model year earns some meaningful performance upgrades whilst adopting the regular Elantra’s improved styling.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona is launching now – dealers should be receiving units as you read this – and Hyundai has some challenges to overcome as it gets the new Kona to market.

In a rare double feature, Hyundai threw the covers off a pair of updates today instead of choosing to drag the news cycle out over a couple of weeks. Even more rare? The rigs in question are both sedans.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could become a fantastic alternative to pure battery electric vehicles, as they can be refueled in minutes and offer the same zero-emissions driving benefits that electric vehicles bring. At the same time, they’re exceedingly rare and can only be refueled in California in the U.S., making them unobtainable for most.

Yesterday we brought you the details on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe's new duds are quite blocky, just like those of the Land Rover Defender (Hyundai claims this is a coincidence. Other blocky SUVs on the market include the Ford Bronco. Other Land Rover/Range Rover models are squared off, too. Kia, which is a corporate sibling to Hyundai, has been selling the blocky Telluride for a while now.

The reveal of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe took us a bit by surprise a few weeks ago.

Apparently, details leaked onto the Internet so the company rushed up a press release that we dutifully covered.

Hyundai and Kia are among the most talked-about automakers on the planet. The duo’s new electric models are exciting and feature styling that makes them look ripped straight from a sci-fi film. Their growth has been impressive, but the news isn’t always positive. The automakers recently recalled more than 91,000 vehicles for an issue that could cause an oil pump fire.

Hyundai’s EVs are some of the most buzzed-about models on sale today, but it appears not everyone is happy with the ownership experience. The Drive recently reported that the automaker’s facing a class-action suit from owners who say their EVs’ charging ports can overheat and prevent the vehicle from getting a full charge.

The UK-based wheel specialist from Dymag and composites wizards from Korea's Hankuk Carbon have announced the development of a line of hybrid carbon-fiber wheels for Hyundai’s N cars. 

A prototype of the new N Performance carbon hybrid wheels were showcased at the Hyundai stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed alongside the spicy and all-electric Ioniq 5 N. Based on statements from Dymag, it may be the first model to receive them. 

A well-seasoned trope in automotive media is lamentation. The sorrow for those things that we once had but no longer do. We cry out for simple cars we can work on ourselves. We mourn the loss of cheap and cheerful pickup trucks. We weep for the days of low-interest rates and the ability to negotiate prices below the window sticker.

It's been a long time since your author has seen a redesign as radical as what Hyundai is promising with the new Santa Fe. Quite frankly, it's a bit refreshing to see an automaker make a change this major -- though there are exceptions, redesigns lately seem to be more often about evolution than revolution. I applaud the strategy regardless of what I think of the execution.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of the more compelling and attractive EVs on sale today, but the automaker isn’t resting on its early successes. After a few teases and months of speculation, Hyundai took the wraps off of the performance-oriented Ioniq 5 N at the Goodwood Festival of Speed today, showing a vehicle that should rival the impressive Kia EV6 GT’s performance.

Set to jump on board the bandwagon made popular by quasi-rugged trims at other brands like X-Line and TrailSport, Hyundai is adding an XRT trim to the Santa Cruz.

When the first Hyundai Excels appeared on American streets as 1986 models, bearing shockingly cheap price tags, did anyone imagine that someday there would be a big, ostentatious Hyundai luxury sedan with serious V8 power available here? It happened, and I found one of those machines in a car graveyard in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a few weeks back.

We’ve been hearing about the ease with which even the most amateur thief can steal older Hyundai and Kia models for a while now. Fixes for the lack of an electronic immobilizer are slow to come, but a group of owners took matters into their own hands with a class-action lawsuit. The issue was recently settled, netting a significant payment from the automakers.

The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq5 is difficult to categorize. Sure, it’s an EV, that much is obvious. But what segment does it play in? Is it a crossover or a hatchback or…

It doesn’t really matter. It’s just pretty dang good.

Hyundai Motor Group might quite literally end up paying for having failed to equip engine immobilizers to some of its older models. You’ll undoubtedly recall the TikTok Kia Boyz Challenge, where “at-risk youths” utilized USB connectors on torn open ignition slots to hotwire Hyundai and Kia models. Originating in the summer of 2021, the trend was in the mainstream media the following year and caused serious publicity issues for the manufacturer.

Numerous U.S. insurance agencies have reportedly joined forces to sue the automaker for damages they claim could reach up to $600 million.

We’ve been hearing about the TikTok-inspired thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles for a while, including that some insurers have declined to issue new policies on some models. Now, several states are calling on the feds to issue a recall for the cars and fix the problem.

If you liked those styling tweaks given to the upcoming Elantra (née Avante), you’ll surely enjoy Hyundai’s treatment of its upcoming N variant. Shown this week at the Shanghai Auto Show, the N sallies forth with styling improvements found on the standard car – turned up to 11, of course.

Hyundai took the covers off three variants of its new Kona today, unveiling the standard and N-Line trims plus a continuation of the all-electric model – the latter of which Hyundai will now offer with two battery sizes.

We’ve known it was coming for a while, and now Hyundai has started the teasers. Though its recent video starts with gas engine noises and footage of the i20 rally car, Hyundai’s new teaser film is meant to showcase a silent electric vehicle, the upcoming Ioniq 5 N. It looks like the standard EV, but the N will bring performance and styling upgrades, making it a completely different animal.

Beyond infecting the minds of young people and potentially opening dangerous back-door data access to Americans’ phones, TikTok has also gifted the world with the knowledge of how to steal older Hyundai and Kia models easily. The problem has gotten so bad that some insurers won’t cover the cars, and owners have been left scrambling for a fix. The Korean automakers have a few ideas, including issuing free steering wheel locks and upgrading the anti-theft software on millions of vehicles.

Ok, so the musically inclined will be quick to point out there isn’t really a key of H sharp, but who are we to stand in the way of a decent headline pun? Hyundai has hauled the covers off its latest Sonata, and the sedan is certainly a looker.

The design studios at Hyundai are firing on all cylinders these days, ironic since some of the eye-popping vehicles they’re churning out don’t have any cylinders at all. The upcoming IONIQ 6 is one of ‘em, set to be offered in a number of trims and powertrain options.

Hyundai is recalling 26,169 decade-old Velosters over parking sensors that could short circuit and pose a fire risk. Insufficient sealing of the printer circuit board for the Reverse Park Aid Sensor (RPAS) could allow water to infiltrate the unit, according to the relevant documentation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In certain instances, this could cause an electrical short that may throw off sparks.

There’s a growing divide in the automotive community over whether buttons or screens are the better approach to interior design. Automakers seem hellbent on replacing every physical control with a less tactile touch-sensitive button, but at least one has put a stake in the ground for buttons. Hyundai’s head of design recently told journalists that the automaker would continue to use physical buttons for some controls, noting that it’s essential that the driver be able to feel controls for safety and other vital vehicle settings.

The brand from Korea is no stranger to applying massive styling changes during next-gen redesigns and even some mid-cycle refreshes. This tradition continues with its latest Kona, an entrant in the B-segment crossover class which retains some of the old car’s overall shape but puts on an entirely new (and slightly alarming) front and rear fascias.

While the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has retained quite a bit from its conceptual precursor, some of the most interesting aspects of the Prophecy EV failed to carry over. The production Ioniq 6 looks less like the Phantom Corsair the concept had been channeling and more like a remastered Citroën DS – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Gone are the pixel tail lights, the flowing, seamless bodywork, and abundant minimalism that made the concept feel like a modern interpretation of the futuristic notions swirling prior to World War II. Also absent are the twin joysticks Hyundai envisioned the model using as its primary controls. However, the manufacturer may not be through with those just yet, since there’s apparently a U.S. patent filing for them.

I know there's IndyCar racing today, and I think some XFL games, and college hoops, and NASCAR...but if you need a break, take a trip back in time with us.

The 2024 Hyundai Avante has debuted for the Korean market, likely foreshadowing updates for its North American counterpart – the Elantra.

Most of our readers will recall learning about the specter of people discovering – then explaining in detail – just how easy it is to steal some Hyundai and Kia products. Now, workers from the mothership have apparently come up with a solution, one which involves a simple software upgrade.

Hyundai will begin offering monthly subscriptions to its electric vehicles via the new Evolve+ program. Automakers have dabbled with subscription schemes fairly often over the last few years and we’ve usually come out complaining about how they’re a poor value, often representing the most expensive way to get into an automobile. However, there’s always a chance something like this could fit into your lifestyle, so let’s see what Hyundai is offering.

You’ve probably heard about the TikTok-inspired uptick in Hyundai and Kia thefts, where the lack of an immobilizer has given thieves an open invitation. Beyond the stress that your car could be stolen at any time, insurance companies now appear to be less willing to cover the vehicles. 

Owners of older Hyundai and Kia models have had a rough go over the last few months. A TikTok video made them the targets of thefts and break-ins after it was discovered that the vehicles didn’t have electronic immobilizers. Some have sued, some are resorting to old-school measures like “The Club,” and others are looking to dealers for help. A dealer service director in St. Louis came up with an answer.

Just when you thought it was impossible for Hyundai illumination to get any thinner, along comes the new Kona. Unveiled today in Korea, this subcompact crossover will seek to build upon the successes of its predecessor – a model which sold over 90,000 units in America even during the topsy-turvy 2021 calendar year. 

Hyundai and Kia are quickly becoming two of the world’s most prominent automakers, but the Korean giants have struggled to get a handle on reports of child labor in their suppliers’ factories. Reporting surfaced earlier this year, and today, Reuters released its findings that child labor has been found in as many as 10 Alabama facilities belonging to the automakers’ suppliers.

Hyundai is the latest major automaker to announce a major electric vehicle battery production facility in the United States. Ford, General Motors, and others have already broken ground on new facilities, and Hyundai is joining them with an up to $5 billion investment in Bartow County, Georgia.

Hyundai has had a busy week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The automaker unveiled the N Vision 74 Concept that it previously teased, and it pulled back the curtain on the new Ioniq 6, a sleek electric sedan with a stunning interior.

Columbus, Ohio City Attorney Zach Klein said earlier this week that he intends to file a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia.

Autoblog's spy photogs have been busy. We just brought you the Porsche 718 Boxster EV shots, and now we also have some Hyundai Ioniq 5 N spy shots thanks to our friends/competitors.

Given the recent legal struggles that Hyundai and Kia have been facing, I started wondering if the two brands had shed their past reputation for reliability -- or lack thereof.

Hyundai Motor Group's Theta II GDI engines are costing the company a fortune, with the company recently acknowledging the troubled powertrain will leave the manufacturer $2 billion leaner for the third quarter of 2022 alone. While that hit will be split between Hyundai and Kia brands, it still represents a healthy slice of their quarterly revenue.

Hello again! Today's TTAC Rewind takes us back only a few years.

Hyundai Motor Group – which includes Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis – has announced a comprehensive plan for its products from 2025 onward with the key components being perpetual connectivity, subscriptions, and software-defined automobiles. It sounds benign but actually represents a major shift in the way the company operates by calling for widespread platform standardization and leaning into novel revenue streams reliant on vehicles existing on its corporate network.

In what’s only the latest in a long history of engine-related legal battles in the form of recalls, individual owner lawsuits, and class action suits, Hyundai and Kia find themselves entangled in the latter once more. This time, the list of the affected vehicles is much larger than in previous instances. It seems the calendar has now crossed the decade mark with regard to major engine issues in Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Oh, and they’re also super easy to steal, too. 

Slap a loud exhaust and bootleg mods on your car, and your chances of having a lousy day increase exponentially. You’re far more likely to experience a breakdown, and that’s before the attention you’ll get from law enforcement. One owner of a Hyundai Elantra N in California recently had a terrible day, but not for the reasons you might think. 

Dieselgate slashed a gaping hole in the assumption that automakers were genuinely invested in building more efficient cars, but it’s hardly the only flimflammery going on behind the scenes. A recent report from Transport and Environment, a European NGO pushing for cleaner transport, found that many automakers are underreporting global emissions by as much as 115 percent. 

Those who have known me for a while - or have been reading the words I’ve been spewing on this and other sites - know that I’m a minivangelist. I’ve owned several (I’ve lost count) of these unrestrained vehicular symbols of virility and/or fertility, and have appreciated their presence in my driveway every time I had to bring home a dishwasher from the big-box store, or shuttle a few stray children about town. There is no vehicle type better suited for suburban families than a minivan.

But nobody wants ‘em.

Following an internet trend that proliferated on TikTok over the summer, there’s been an alleged surge of vehicle thefts targeting Kia and Hyundai products. The issue reportedly began with a video tutorial recorded in Milwaukee showing how to steal the cars by shoving a connected USB cable into a cracked-open ignition. But the resulting problem has spread to major cities across the country, often with rowdy teens – known as “ Kia Boyz” – taking random cars for little more than joy rides.

Hyundai has recalled almost 123,000 Palisade crossover SUVs due to a windshield-wiper motor issue.

It’s time once again for more Kia large sedan goodness. Like last time, we pick up in the early 2010s. Kia’s second full-size sedan developed under Hyundai’s controllership was the K7, or Cadenza in all markets outside South Korea. Pitched as a value-priced premium front-drive car, it competed against the likes of the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima, but lacked any defined comfort or sporty characteristics. Cadenza also had a bland corporate design courtesy of the company’s new Euro-like styling mission, and former VW designer Peter Schreyer.

Shortly after the Cadenza went on sale, Kia turned its sights toward an even larger sedan: A new rear-drive one to occupy the luxury space, a class above the Cadenza. It was the largest car Kia offered in nearly two decades, the first rear-drive Kia since the (Mazda Sentia) Kia Enterprise of 2002, and the first rear-drive sedan Kia ever sold in the North American market. It’s time for K9.

The 21st century has been particularly kind to the Hyundai Motor Company, though this was hardly a matter of chance. Originally known in the West for providing bargain automobiles that were surprisingly competent, it wasn’t long before the South Korean brand was giving Japanese mainstays stiff competition. By the early 2000s, Hyundai was working hard to differentiate itself from the recently acquired Kia and opted to make its products more luxurious and saw massive gains in the U.S. market that have more-or-less continued until today.

Hyundai’s next EV is here, and the press release is persistent in its pushing of personalization.

Questionable alliteration aside, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 really does intrigue, at least on paper, and not just because of a bunch of buzzy marketing BS about how owners can use the car in ways that best fit their unique personalities.

We return to Kia’s large sedan history today, at a point shortly after the launch of the K7. Kia’s full-size front-drive for the 2010s, the K7 was called Cadenza in all export markets, and was a successor to the unfortunately styled Opirus (Amanti in North America). Kia hired Peter Schreyer from his longtime employment at Volkswagen Group in order to usher in a new stylistic era at Kia.

Though it went on sale for the 2010 model year, Kia wasn’t quite ready to send the Cadenza to the North American market. With the market’s general rejection of the Amanti in mind, Kia called on Schreyer to refresh the Cadenza and lux it up before its North American launch.

I’ve seen the new Kia Sportage in person. I’ve also seen the new Hyundai Tucson up close. Both show the companies’ latest take in a series of outrageous designs that are meant to win over consumers.

In 2020, Hyundai Motor Group unveiled the Prophecy concept EV which everyone immediately noticed had embraced an alternative, almost opposite, design language from the angular 45 concept. The latter model went on to serve as the blueprint for the Ioniq 5, whereas the Prophecy has morphed into the Ioniq 6 you see before you.

We return to Kia’s midsize-or-larger sedan history today in the latter portion of the 2000s. In our last entry, we learned about the Optima, which arrived as Kia’s first midsize developed under Hyundai’s majority ownership. Sensibly the Optima was a light rework of Hyundai’s Sonata, and the two shared almost everything (including very poor crash safety ratings).

On the more executive full-size side of the lineup, Kia’s Opirus was the first large car developed under Hyundai ownership. It shared a platform with the Grandeur (XG350 to you). While the Opirus saw okay sales in most markets, it failed in North America where it was sold as the Amanti. Very few North Americans wanted a $39,600 (adjusted) Kia, no matter how many luxury styling touches it borrowed from other brands. And so the Amanti was canceled after 2009 locally (2012 elsewhere). By that time its replacement was already on sale. Meet K7.