Hyundai Flying Vehicle Company Opens Research Facility
A Hyundai flying car development company is opening a research and development facility in Fremont, California, to focus on developing battery technology for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles.
This is the third facility opened this year by Supernal, which is part of the Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Mobility Company, following the opening of an engineering headquarters in Irving, California, and a policy and commercial hub in Washington, D.C.
Supernal is taking an open ecosystem approach to developing lightweight, powerful batteries for electric aerial vehicles (EAV).
“Batteries are the linchpin of advanced air mobility and critical to powering the next generation of flight, which we see as everyday electric air travel,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “Fremont, with its vibrant tech ecosystem, offers a robust talent pool that will enable Supernal to continue advancing the power and energy capabilities of safe aviation-grade batteries.”
Supernal is working to create an advanced eVTOL vehicle aimed at working within transit systems. The EAV reportedly could take someone from Heathrow Airport to London in 14 minutes, compared to more than an hour by car.
Supernal is working with various partners, including Honeywell, Microsoft and BAE Systems on various elements of its electric aerial vehicles.
The new Supernal California facility is one of a number of eVTOL research and development complexes opening around the world.
Hyundai Files for 'N74' Trademark, Hinting at Possible Sports Car
Hyundai has filed a trademark for the "N74" nameplate within the European Union's intellectual property office.
The trademark is the best clue yet that Hyundai is serious about a production version of the N Vision 74 concept car from last year.
While the automaker itself still hasn't confirmed a production version, the prototype is a 670-hp rear-drive sports car powered by hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.
Sometimes dreams do come true and automakers choose to green light the fancy concept cars they show off. Last year, Hyundai's N Vision 74 made made quite the splash when the manufacturer debuted the car in South Korea. It wasn't long before many fans (Car and Driver staff included) were asking what it would take for Hyundai to produce it. While Hyundai still hasn't confirmed a production version of the car, the online forum 7th Mustang spotted that the automaker did file a trademark application for "Hyundai N74" with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The trademark request was filed on September 20, and the classification covers "automobiles, sports cars, vans, motor trucks, motor buses, and electric vehicles," meaning the filing is for more than just naming rights. According to the EUIPO, the application is still under examination.
We had the chance to drive the engineering prototype version last year, and it was enough of an experience to get us excited for a roadgoing version. That version was Hyundai's "rolling lab" test bed to allow the manufacturers N performance division to experiment with future powertrain development.
HYUNDAI
We spoke to Albert Biermann about it at the time, and the former Hyundai-Kia R&D boss turned executive technical advisor told Car and Driver, "It is hard for me to see us doing it; at this moment we don't need such a car." Fortunately Biermann isn't calling all the shots over at Hyundai-Kia, and Till Wartenberg—Hyundai's vice president of N brand management and motorsport has other ideas. In an interview earlier this year, Wartenberg told The Autopian that he wants to see the Vision 74 in production. "My personal wish is to produce this vehicle," Wartenberg said. "It’s at first probably an investment, but if we could see this vehicle really out there and people buying it, I would be very happy."
Does Hyundai filing this trademark mean that some version of the N Vision 74 will enter production? Not necessarily, but between Wartenberg's statements and the recent trademark application, things are looking up for fans who want to see some version of this car on the road.
Hyundai design boss: “let’s make boxy cool again”
“When it was time to redesign the Santa Fe we faced a big challenge,” says Hyundai’s exterior design manager Nicola Danza as he shows us round the rather striking new shape. “Because of course it’s a car that has to be sold in America, Europe and Hyundai’s domestic market. We realised that we needed something completely new. A complete revolution.”
They certainly managed that. The reveal of the Santa Fe in July caught us completely off guard, especially after the swoopy streamliner look of the Ioniq 6.
“In this segment we realised that all the cars tended to look the same,” says Danza. “They’re all slanted and trying somehow to be a sporty SUV that they’re not. They’re big, they’re huge. How many blisters can you put on the body side to pretend that you’re sporty?
“In this case we said let’s try to make an anti-design car. Strange words for a designer but at the same time it was about making it really pure. We wanted it to be more practical, and more practical means boxier, so let’s make boxy cool again.”
We’re on board with that. The more practical a seven-seat SUV can be the better, right?
“We forced the designers to really think whether they needed each line and each blister,” continues Danza. “It was kind of like a Giugiaro way of designing cars from the 1970s.
“As a provocation to our management, we showed them the first model of this car with square wheels. It’s a box, so let’s make everything boxy. Actually, it’s been one of the most fun projects I’ve worked on."
There’s been a lot of shouts to say that this new Santa Fe looks like a Discovery 4, but Danza actually reckons there’s another SUV icon that bears a greater resemblance.
“We took influences from product design, because product design tends to be very logical, very intelligent and very practical. There’s nothing that you don’t need.
“I heard many times people saying it looks like a Land Rover, but to me it reminds me more of the first Jeep Grand Wagoneer. That sort of raised station wagon.” Funny, Danza must have been reading TopGear.com recently as Jeep designer Daniele Calonaci told us about keeping its cars as boxy as possible.
“You can personalise it too,” continues Danza on the Santa Fe. “In Korea there will be a Calligraphy version which is lowered with big wheels, whereas in America I’m 99 per cent sure that they’re all going to lift them, put bigger wheels on and go off-road.”
There we go then, that’s how this new Santa Fe came to be. And this isn’t a concept car – it’ll actually make production looking exactly like this.
“As designers it’s a dream working at Hyundai at the moment,” says Danza. “You can experiment, you can try different things, you can challenge. You need to keep us motivated; we are creative people. If you don’t feed creativity it tends to die or make it more boring and normal.”
HYUNDAI’S FIRST-GENERATION KONA Electric was something of a darling. It was efficient, looked good, and made electric motoring a little more accessible for those without Tesla money to play with. Now 2023’s new Kona Electric (2024 for US punters) aims to keep the good times rolling with a new look, fresh tech, and more luxury than you’d expect from a B-segment crossover.
Since the first Kona Electric’s debut in 2018 (in Europe, 2019 in the US), Hyundai’s been working hard on its EV game. The launch of the Ioniq 5 and 6 have taught the company valuable lessons that, it says, informed the development of its latest electric baby. As a consequence, this promises to be a far more complete package than before, at a keen price point.
In the UK the range kicks off at £34,995, and under $35,000 in the US. That’ll get you a “standard” car packing a 48.4-kWh battery with a claimed 234-mile range, a 154-bhp motor capable of getting from 0 to 62 mph in 8.8 seconds, and up to 101 mph. A Long Range Kona Electric sits above it in the lineup, boasting a 65.4-kWh battery, claimed 319-mile range, a perkier 215-bhp motor that’ll crack 0-62 mph in a brisker 7.8 seconds, and then on to 107 mph. Both cars get the same 188 lb ft of torque.
Hyundai’s 400-volt architecture is sadly not the 800 volt you get in the Ioniq 5 or 6, but more than a little amusingly it's the same as that in the Rolls-Royce Spectre EV. It allows the Kona Electric to charge from 10 to 80 percent in a little over 40 minutes. No matter which battery you go for, you get handy vehicle-to-load tech to power anything you can plug into a household wall socket on the fly.
Hyundai’s design team has (once again) played a blinder with the car’s look. It cuts a fine figure and will no doubt be the darling of supermarket parking lots all over the world. The firm’s latest design language is delightfully futuristic (if a little First Order Stormtrooper chic), and it comes with tech to match. Its body-width light bar at the front draws the eye neatly, and the car’s assorted sensors are hidden unobtrusively in the front bumper.
Those sensors are host to a comprehensive suite of active safety technology to keep you on the straight and narrow. There’s lane-keep assists, highway driving assists, forward collision avoidance assists, a blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic assists, a 360-degree parking set up … and much more. The Kona also reads road signs to check the speed limit, watches you to make sure your eyes are on the road, monitors your driving to see if you’re drowsy, and checks to make sure both of your hands are on the wheel. You’d have to work mighty hard to crash.
Sensory Overload
The safety kit on board is comprehensive—it needs to be to adhere to various regulations—but it’s also incredibly irritating and in some cases flawed. Pull up to a junction and dare to look away from dead straight down the road for more than a few seconds—to, say, make sure you’re not about to drive into the path of a lorry—and you’re treated to an angry “bong” with a flashing light telling you that you’re not paying enough attention.
Rest your hands too lightly on the wheel and it thinks you’re going hands-free, so you get another bong. If it thinks you’re sleepy, it’ll bong at you and tell you to take a break. Indicate to change lane with a car nearby? That’s right, a big ol' bong, because it thinks you might hit something. Every time the speed limit changes, the car will bong, exceed the limit by a single mile per hour … bong.
When it comes to speed limit changes, it relies on being able to see road signs, but it doesn’t necessarily pick up on the right ones—and, of course, if there’s no sign at all it can’t adjust. This led to the system at one point being convinced that the speed limit on a motorway was 70 kph, some way short of the 130 kph other traffic was traveling at. That’s possibly more an infrastructure issue than a Kona issue, but irksome all the same.
Yes, you can turn all that stuff off (go to the car’s infotainment home screen, head to Settings > Vehicle > Driver Assistance), but it’ll only stay off for as long as you’re driving the car. When your journey is done and you turn the car off, these setting will magically reset for your next journey.
Now, in truth this is not entirely Hyundai's fault; all car companies must employ similar measures now to comply with EU regulations. But the company's implementation of the system here is more than a little irritating.
Buttons Are Back
Its “Panoramic Display Area” (what the rest of us will call the instrument cluster and infotainment panels) is made up of two 12.3-inch screens. The driver is treated to a crystal clear, simple display showing speed, range, state of charge, journey information, and other key stats. The infotainment side of things is a slick touchscreen with a quick UI, easy-to-understand interface, and pleasing graphics. A 12-inch head-up display sits in the driver’s eyeline to give key information like speed, speed limit, and nav directions too. Be aware that if you’re wearing polarized sunglasses it can be tricky to see from some angles.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard (wired still, not wireless—come on, Hyundai Motor Group, sort it out), and they work as you’d expect, but they do come with a catch. Connecting your phone to the car via USB-C, you’d expect it to fire up CarPlay/Android Auto immediately. It doesn’t.
There are two sockets up front, one for charge only, and one for charge and data transfer. The latter, on the drivers’ side, won’t send data to the car unless you press the graphic next to it—a button that blends in seamlessly with the trim. It’s not a world-ending issue, but unless dealers explain this to customers on handover, you can bet there’ll be a flurry of miffed Kona drivers on the phone wondering why they can’t use Waze.
While some things are controlled via the touchscreen, Hyundai has not fallen in with the “touchscreen everything” crowd. Things like air-conditioning, seat heating and cooling, and hot keys to jump to various media functions are all proper buttons.
Sprightly Performance
Soundtrack of bongs aside, when you’re on the move the Kona Electric is a delightfully calm place to be. It’s quiet, with minimal intrusion from the outside world. The seats are supportive and comfortable and are a pleasing shape. Its dashboard hasn’t been visited by the cheap-plastic fairy, either. Luxury—well, affordable luxury—is the name of the game here, and with that comes space. Its front seats are 85-millimeters (3.3 inches) thick, giving rear seat passengers more legroom, while the 466-liter trunk comes with a flat-load floor for ease of use.
To drive, the Kona Electric is a good time. There are four drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow. Eco does its best to up efficiency; Normal is set up to give sprightly performance without draining the battery; Sport gives sharper performance and turns the instruments red; and Snow is designed to keep the car in check when the white stuff falls.
It steers sweetly too, though feedback is a little on the light side, and over all but the roughest roads it rides smoothly. How it’ll cope with rutted British B roads remains to be seen, as when the going gets lumpy it can feel firm.
Performance from the Long Range car that WIRED tested was good in all modes—215 bhp in a 1,795-kg (3,957-lb) car isn’t going to melt your face, but it’s plenty for a brisk overtake. Sport mode provides decent entertainment, and meant the car dealt with twisty country lanes trouble-free. Once you’ve had your fun, you’re best sticking the car in Eco mode and forgetting about the Normal setting. The difference between the two isn’t huge, and the former promises improved efficiency.
Regen and Range
There are steering-wheel-mounted paddles that control the ferocity of the Kona Electric’s energy recuperation. You can set it to none, up three levels, or to “i-Pedal,” which allows for one-pedal driving and adjusts energy regeneration based on your driving and the traffic ahead. The i-Pedal option works well, and it makes the job of grabbing electricity back from your drive easy, though it does take some time to get used to.
On that front, Hyundai’s promised 319-mile range from the Long Range car’s 65.4-kWh battery suggests it’ll manage 4.8 miles per kWh—a strong number. After varied driving on mixed roads, we saw closer to 4.1. It's not a huge gap, but it suggests a range closer to 270 miles than 319. How this compares to regular driving in normal conditions remains to be seen.
The new Kona Electric feels like a grown-up car, a step above a simple small SUV. It drives well, comes with smart tech (you can even unlock it with your phone or smartwatch if you fancy), and the makeover is a certain success. Its enthusiastic bonging will annoy some, but it can be useful if you are weapons-grade dozy. Though, if you want to get on with just driving the damn thing, you may end up screaming at it. A loud fly in an otherwise rather fine ointment.
Volkswagen ID GTI EV Concept First Look: The Electric Golf GTI of Future Past
It's been almost exactly 48 years since the first Volkswagen Golf GTI model debuted in Germany, and now five decades later we're getting the first revolutionary all-electric performance hatchback from the German brand. The new VW ID GTI concept car is a bigger interpretation of many of the details found on the previous and popular ID2all all-electric concept compact hatchback, which seemed clear to have no destiny in the U.S. We'll have to wait and see if VW's plans for this new GTI include us across the pond, but here's everything we know about the new EV hot hatch so far.
Currently, for the U.S., VW has the ID4 EV SUV, the ID Buzz EV van, and the ID7 EV sedan confirmed for the market. Those are all based on the MEB platform, and the ID2all was also based on a shortened version of the same. VW has already confirmed the new ID GTI Concept is based on the same platform with front-wheel drive and will get a production version eventually, though it hasn't confirmed when or where.
The "I" in "GTI" no longer stands for "injection" but instead now "intelligence," in reference to the onboard Vehicle Dynamics Manager computer; the ID GTI will also get an electronically controlled front-axle differential lock copped from the current-generation Golf. The VDM apparently allows for various different driving impressions based on Golf and GTI models of the past; a quote from the release: "For the first time, it is possible to adjust the drive system, running gear, steering, sound, and even the simulated shift points in the style of one of the historic GTI models—such as the original 1976 Golf GTI, the first 16-valve Golf GTI Mark 2 from 1986 or the 2001 Golf GTI Mark 4 '25 years of GTI'." The release calls the concept car an effective "time machine," which admittedly sounds pretty cool, if somewhat artificial.
The ID GTI Concept is only slightly larger than the ID2all it's based on; it's 161.6 inches long with a 102.4 inch wheelbase, 59 inches tall, and 72.4 inches wide. It rides on 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels wearing 245/35 performance rubber. Previously, VW advertised the ID2all as having all of the interior space of a Golf in a smaller overall package, thanks to the packaging efficiency of an all-electric platform.
The ID GTI Concept gets the signature red nose line and badging of the GTI brand, as well as a front light bar that illuminates behind a lit-up VW badge. Up front, there are also red tow points, a honeycomb style intake similar to the fifth-gen GTI, and a black front splitter. The eight double-spoke polished black wheel design is meant to evoke "the Pirelli rim from the Mark 1 Golf GTI and the Denver rim from the Golf GTI Mark 5," framed by matte black wheel arches.
At the rear is a black roof spoiler, with black "air guides" at the sides of the rear window, with a super wide LED third brake light across the top. There's also some eye-trickery with the blackened elements of the rear to remind you of the original GTI's black window surround and bumper.
There are familiar elements to the interior of the ID GTI Concept as well. Since it now gets a column shifter, the golfball effect has been applied to the the multifunction GTI Experience Control in the center console, which manages driving profiles. The digital cockpit and dashboard are highly configurable, including a "Vintage" mode that replicated the instrumentation of a Mark 2 Golf GT.
There's a new augmented reality head-up display that can project info for both the passenger and driver, which can also display the driving track you're currently on, like the German Nürburgring, and even display you live position in a race (presuming all other vehicles are connected in some way; it's not clear how this works yet). Thankfully, VW does mention the new 12.9-inch infotainment screen will get physical, illuminated controls for air conditioning and volume, which should be an improvement over current ID models.
Of course, the interior adopts a reinterpreted GTI plaid pattern called "Jack-e," after the "Jacky" nomenclature used for the fabric in the Mark 6 Golf GTI, covering new sport seats in the ID GTI Concept. The packaging opportunities carry over from the ID2all concept as well, including an additional stowage box under the luggage compartment, which is already 17.3 cubic feet of space, as well as more stowage with charging functionality under the rear bench seat, perfect for hiding a charging laptop in a parked vehicle, for example. With the three-across rear seats folded down, open cargo space expands to 40.7 cubic feet.
VW made no mention of range or exact power, but the ID2all promised 280 miles of range and 233 horsepower from a single front-mounted e-motor. Again, there's no word on if this ever comes to the U.S. and it may not be incredibly likely, considering it's very unlikely the ID2all was planned for our market and this is based on that. But hey, we'd welcome a performance-minded electric hatchback...
Leapmotor Unveils C10 and Global Strategy
On September 4, Leapmotor marked its presence at the IAA MOBILITY 2023, commonly known as the Munich Motor Show, with a global press conference themed “LEAP TOGETHER: Shaping a Shared Technological Future.” The conference highlighted the company’s all-inclusive, in-house development framework, known as LEAP 3.0 architecture, and introduced its new global vehicle model, the C10.
Why It Matters
Leapmotor’s CEO, Zhu Jiangming, emphasized that the company’s global strategy will involve a commitment to international standards for both products and technology. Leapmotor’s globalization aims to extend intelligent mobility experiences to automotive consumers worldwide. This is especially significant as the electric vehicle market continues to gain momentum on a global scale.
Key Points
LEAP 3.0 Architecture: Incorporates cutting-edge technologies like CTC 2.0 (Cell-to-Chasis), oil-cooling electric drives, and an intelligent cockpit powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip.
Global Product C10: This vehicle serves as Leapmotor’s first global product based on LEAP 3.0 and will be followed by five more globally oriented products within the next two years.
Technological Partnerships: Leapmotor collaborates with leading names in the mobility ecosystem, including NVIDIA, ZF, Qualcomm, Bosch, and NXP, to provide an integrated smart mobility experience.
Openness and Collaboration: Leapmotor’s strategy involves open collaboration and co-creation to accelerate the proliferation of intelligent electric vehicles worldwide.
Bottom Line
Leapmotor’s participation in the Munich Motor Show serves as the official launchpad for its global strategy, backed by eight years of comprehensive in-house development. The debut of the C10 vehicle and the LEAP 3.0 architecture indicates Leapmotor’s commitment to setting global standards in intelligent electric vehicle technology. By forging strategic partnerships and focusing on continual innovation, Leapmotor aims to be an automaker and a comprehensive provider of intelligent electric vehicle solutions.
The Best SUVs for the Money All Come From 1 Surprising Brand
Finding a reliable car or SUV is one of the most essential factors shoppers consider. While some brands charge extra for every little feature or upgrade, Hyundai does things differently. Four of the best SUVs for the money in 2023 come from Hyundai across many segments. One of the reasons Hyundai’s SUVs provide great value is the brand’s commitment to incorporating advanced safety technologies, comfortable interiors, and reliable performance, all at a competitive price point.
What is the best midsize SUV for the money?
A 2023 Hyundai Palisade | Hyundai
The 2023 Hyundai Palisade is one of the best SUVs for the money for a few reasons. When U.S. News selected the Palisade as the best option in the midsize segment, this SUV delivered in almost every area. Hyundai’s Palisade is spacious in all three rows and uses high-quality materials throughout the cabin.
All trim levels of the 2023 Palisade receive the same V6 engine with 291 horsepower. This is enough to power the midsize SUV around town and returns 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive. Hyundai offers all-wheel drive as an option, which brings the fuel economy down to 19 mpg city and 25 highway.
Safety is another important factor in finding the best SUVs for the money. The standard driver-assistance features on the 2023 Palisade include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian-, cyclist- and junction-turning detection. Stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring are also on the list, along with many others.
The Santa Fe is one of the best SUVs for the money
For a two-row option, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe was another one of the best SUVs for the money. It is still considered midsize but only has two rows of seating. All five seats are spacious and comfortable due to the lack of a third row. The Sante Fe starts at only $28,450 for the base model, which still comes pretty well-equipped.
The base engine is a four-cylinder with 191 horsepower. It gets 25 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway when paired with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive brings that down to 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. An optional turbo four-cylinder engine gets 281 horsepower, but it isn’t necessary for those on a tight budget.
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe has many standard driver assistance features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and LED headlights with automatic high beams. Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control are also standard.
Hyundai has many of the best SUVs of 2023
For the best subcompact SUV for the money, the 2023 Hyundai Kona comes with plenty of features on all trim levels. Starting at only $21,990, the Kona is a practical and affordable choice. Hyundai offers a variety of engine choices with the Kona, but the base option is a 147 horsepower option that gets 30 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. There is also a turbo engine with 195 hp or a performance version, the 276 horsepower Kona N.
The Kona is pretty small, making it less expensive and easy to drive. Hyundai allows a few ways to customize the Kona from the factory, which makes it a versatile option. Some of the standard driver-assistance features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Those looking for the best SUVs for the money in 2023 should be able to find something suitable from Hyundai. With many standard features and ways to customize SUVs from the factory, the brand has options in every segment. Hyundai’s commitment to reliability and fuel efficiency ensures that the SUVs provide excellent value for the money.
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