For the second time in the past four years, Hyundai has claimed one of the world’s most prestigious automotive honors, with the automaker’s all-new Hyundai Elantra recently earning the title of 2012 North American Car of the Year. The award is given each year prior to the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and was won in 2009 by the Hyundai Genesis. [click to continue…]
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To address potential concerns from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as provide added security to owners, Chevrolet recently announced a number of structural enhancements to the Chevy Volt, all geared toward reducing the possibility of vehicle fires occurring in the days or weeks following a severe crash. [click to continue…]
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Capping off a strong final quarter that saw three consecutive monthly sales records, the Nissan brand sold 944,073 vehicles in 2011—an increase of 17.3 percent over 2010—and set a new full-year sales benchmark in the process. [click to continue…]
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The all-new Chevrolet Sonic—the only subcompact built in the United States—has earned another important distinction: Both the sedan and five-door hatch body styles have earned 5-star overall vehicle safety scores in the New Car Assessment Program, overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Sonic now becomes the 10th GM vehicle to achieve a 5-star rating from NHTSA for the 2012 model year. [click to continue…]
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Using GM’s innovative OnStar system to recover a stolen car is a fairly common occurrence, as OnStar advisors provide this kind of assistance some 500 times a month. But it’s only been GM customers who have been benefiting from the award-winning service—until now. Thanks to the OnStar FMV aftermarket system, Jean Franklin—who drives a Chrysler 300—recently became the first driver of a non-GM product to recover a stolen vehicle with the system. And it took just 64 minutes. [click to continue…]
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To help bolster its growing reputation as a design leader in the automotive industry, Hyundai recently hired Christopher Chapman to lead the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, Calif.; the studio is part of the Hyundai Motor America Technical Center Inc. (HATCI). Chapman joins the company with more than two decades of experience, including, most recently, nine years as director of Automotive Design at BMW.
There, Chapman guided the development of products like the BMW X5 and X3 “sport activity vehicles,” the Z4 sports coupe, and the BMW 1 Series. Prior to joining the Bavarians, he also spent time at Isuzu’s Technical Center of America, where he designed the exterior of the Isuzu XU-1 show car—named Best Concept at the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show.
“With over 22 years of experience in the industry working on esteemed automotive brands, Chris provides a level of talent that will help further our design portfolio,” said SukGeun Oh, head of Design, Senior Executive Vice President Hyundai Design Center. “We are thrilled to have Christopher Chapman as chief designer for Hyundai and look forward to continuing the strong momentum of our vehicle designs.”
In fact, many observers point to Hyundai’s “fluidic sculpture” design language as a key driver of the automaker’s surging sales. First introduced on the Hyundai Tucson, then advanced on the Hyundai Sonata, the fresh approach to design is now evident throughout the company’s lineup, as well as in its sales figures: Hyundai had topped its 2010 sales total by the end of October, and has broken records in 10 of 11 months so far this year.
Building on that success will be a challenge, but John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai America, is confident Chapman will be up to the task.
“Christopher Chapman is an outstanding addition to the design team at HATCI,” Krafcik said. “We are proud to add such a talented individual to lead the team of dedicated designers at HATCI that will continue to develop innovative vehicles for both the United States and global auto markets.”
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Once again showcasing its role as a leader in automotive safety, the Toyota Motor Corporation—including its Lexus and Scion brands—recently earned 15 Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). That means Toyota now has more 2012 IIHS honorees than any other automaker in the country, all of which met IIHS guidelines requiring electronic stability control and the highest possible ratings in the Institute’s front, rear, side and rollover crash testing. [click to continue…]
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With the completely redesigned CR-V setting the pace, seven more Honda vehicles were recently named Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS); including two models that earned Top Safety Pick status earlier this year, Honda now boasts nine different vehicles that meet the IIHS criteria of having electronic stability control and receiving the best possible grades in the Institute’s front, rear, side and rollover impact testing. [click to continue…]
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The safety watchdogs at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently announced their Top Safety Picks for the 2012 model year and awarded six different Hyundai models with the notable honor. Top Safety Pick status only goes to vehicles with electronic stability control that also achieve the highest ratings in the IIHS’ front, side, rear and rollover crash-test evaluations. [click to continue…]
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To help owners get maximum enjoyment from the premium Bose sound system available on the 2012 Buick Verano, the brand went right to the source: A team of Bose engineers designed the seven-channel, nine-speaker audio setup specifically for the Verano—but only after they first meticulously analyzed the car’s cabin to ensure optimum sound performance. [click to continue…]
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