hyundai

Nissan's next Versa looks Hyundai-ish

As the international auto show season begins, Nissan has gone sketch happy, teasing us with drawings of cars that might be unveiled. A few weeks ago we had the Infiniti electric vehicle, and today we get the next generation of the Nissan Versa.

Nissan's least expensive vehicle, the current Versa has a frumpy design; it's a high cab built for practicality and comfort.

The sketch shows a car with contour lines down the sides and a gracefully sloping roof reminiscent of Hyundai's new Sonata. The grille shows a tighter trapezoidal shape than on the current Versa or … Read more

2011 Subaru Forester to offer HD Digital Radio

Subaru will treat owners of the 2011 Forester with a better-sounding radio through HD Digital Radio.

The service will be included with the "premium radio" package option on the Forester. HD Digital Radio offers more than 2,000 crystal-clear AM and FM stations without a subscription fee.

Other automakers that offer HD Digital Radio receivers include Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Land Rover, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz. This option is a first for Subaru models.

The service will also offer iTunes Tagging. iTunes Tagging lets you capture information about a song on the radio and store it on your iPod … Read more

Whistle while you walk

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded: Google Voice and Maps for Android T-Mobile G2 ready for pre-order Hyundai announces its first Electronic Vehicle VLC app one step away from the iPad Panasonic VIERA Cast will stream Netflix

Car Tech Live 185: OnStar opens up Facebook (podcast)

OnStar adding Facebook, other apps; new flagship GPS models from Garmin and TomTom; and the King's Mercedes goes up for auction.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 185 SHOW NOTES

• OnStar to offer Facebook, voice-to-text?

• Hyundai unveils its first EV

• 2011 Bentley Continental GT widens stance, updates tech

• TomTom and Garmin announce flagship GPS models, app stores

• 2003-2006 Honda Accord iPod Installation Tutorial

Hyundai unveils its first EV

At a ceremony on Thursday, Korean automaker Hyundai Motors unveiled the BlueOn, its first highway-legal all-electric vehicle.

The car is an electric version of the Hyundai i10 hatchback which was showcased as an electric concept car at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The BlueOn is so named because it's a version of Hyundai's Blue Drive eco-friendly lineup that you can "switch on," according to Hyundai.

The BlueOn can be driven up to 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) on a single charge, and has a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour (80 mph).

The car will … Read more

2011 Hyundai Equus: Playing in the big leagues

The executive sedan ranks are populated by the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-class, Audi A8, and the Lexus LS 460. Amongst these nameplates you would not expect to find Hyundai, but the Korean automaker has assumed the role of upstart crow, doing a lot of things that, given its brand history in the U.S., it should not be capable of doing.

Its latest foray into upsetting the status quo comes in the form of the 2011 Equus, a luxury sedan designed for the moneyed classes. But in typical Hyundai style, it will probably undercut its competition in price, without sacrificing features. Hyundai let us spend a day driving the Equus before it goes on sale in early November. Pricing had not been announced at the time of our drive.

Chauffeur not included

The Equus looks imposing, a big, meaty sedan where a chauffeur would not be out of place. Its grille and front end share design with the Hyundai Genesis sedan, Hyundai's next largest car. Hyundai's design language, Fluidic Sculpture, seen prominently on the new Sonata, also makes itself known on the exterior of the Equus, albeit in a subtle manner. Witness the slight arches over the rear wheels that disappear in the rear doors, or the contours on either side of the hood that drift down towards the bumper. … Read more

Hyundai Sonata garners first-ever AutoPacific President's Award

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata today was awarded the the first-ever President's Award from automotive consulting firm AutoPacific.

AutoPacific surveyed 975 drivers of the all-new 2011 Sonata and had them rate their cars in 48 separate categories ranging from the basics of comfort and convenience, to performance and environmental friendliness. The Sonata's top score surpasses anything AutoPacific has ever recorded in any product category, the firm said in a news release.

"Quite frankly, we were blown away by the results," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "The sheer magnitude of the 2011 Sonata's score made … Read more

2011 Kia Sorento EX: The Santa Fe's sexier sister

Looking only at the spec sheets, it's easy to dismiss the 2011 Kia Sorento EX as a simple reskin of the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS that we tested not too long ago, and you wouldn't be too far from the truth. Both vehicles feature the same 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine outputting the same 175 horsepower; and both feature Kia/Hyundai's latest cabin tech package based around an 8GB solid-state navigation system.

However, in practice the vehicles are quite different. They're both big girls, but the angular Sorento is something of a sexier, younger sister … Read more

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe: low excitement, high value

Compared with the aggressive looks of the Hyundai Sonata and Tucson, the Santa Fe appears a bit dull and anonymous. It's not an unattractive vehicle by any means, but it also doesn't challenge our sensibilities or push the design envelope. In a parking lot full of Volkswagen Touaregs and Toyota Highlanders, it's content to merely blend in.

On the inside, the Santa Fe's interior appears equally dull at first, but thanks to a good assortment of standard cabin technologies behind its blue, backlit, monochrome displays and a pretty good level of fit and finish, we can'… Read more

BorgWarner technology boosts new Hyundai-Kia engines

BorgWarner today announced it will supply its fourth-generation variable-turbine geometry (VTG) turbochargers for the newly developed 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine featured in the Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage.

According to a press release, BorgWarner's engineers replaced straight turbine vanes with a patented S-shaped vane design to improve thermodynamics, response and control. The new turbocharger also increases efficiency at low engine speeds.

The new technology will give a boost to the Hyundai ix35, which began production in Korea in late 2009, and the fuel-efficient diesel engine that is available in Europe this spring. The technology will also boost the … Read more