EV(LUTION) A MAGNET FOR FOSSIL-FED HYUNDAI KONA

In a display, which can only be described as a case of automotive smoke and mirrors, the new Hyundai Kona is designed to look like an electric vehicle – no radiator grille – whether an EV, hybrid or petrol powered. The maker Hyundai says this is to make the whole range of the small SUV, including petrol variants – EV and hybrids are due here by year’s end – blend in with traffic better in the future. The ‘petrols’ on offer at present are a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with a CVT… Read more

SPECIAL PRE-SALE DEAL ON NEW IONIQ 5 N

Hyundai Australia has set the scene for the upcoming release of its first-ever high- performance electric vehicle, the IONIQ 5 N with a number of pre-sale enticements. The online pre-sale on the Hyundai Australia website (hyundai.com.au) will open on September 15 for 12 hours, starting at midday and running through until midnight AEST. IONIQ 5 N will only be available to pre-order on this date, which coincides with N Birthday – the day the N brand was unveiled for the first time, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Customers will… Read more

GENESIS GV80 30D AWD

Launched here in 2020, GV80 is Genesis’ first and largest SUV in a lineup that now boasts three of them. At just under five metres in length and with a kerb weight of about 2300kg, it’s a large, impressive-looking vehicle. The styling is tasteful, chiselled and eye-catching, highlighted by an imposing, almost heraldic, crest-shaped grille that is flanked by quad, twin-bar LED headlights — motifs that are repeated at the rear of the car. Competitors include Lexus, Volvo and of course the German contingent. STYLING In the context of recent… Read more

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL HYUNDAI VENUE

Today we’re looking at the cheapest of the cheap, the bottom feeders of the Australian new car market. They’re cars offered at a rock bottom price, targeted at those who can’t afford anything else, but are still prepared to dig deep to get something new rather than second hand. Wearing the crown as the cheapest new car currently available is the Kia Picanto hatch, priced from $16,290 plus on-roads. Cheapest SUV is the Suzuki Ignis at $19,490. With no equivalent to match Picanto, Hyundai’s cheapest offering these days is the… Read more

FIRST LOOK AT BOLD NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE

Although it’s still a few weeks away from its global launch, and at least six months away from arriving here, Hyundai Australia has released details and images of its latest (fifth generation) Santa Fe family SUV. Styling is radically different to any previous Santa Fe model with a squared-off, chiselled look replacing the smoother curves of the current model suggesting more serious off-road credentials than before although not to the extent as the similarly-shaped Land Rover Defender. The most striking feature is at the front where the latest Hyundai ‘family’… Read more

NEW HYUNDAI KONA IS BIGGER, BOLDER AND BETTER

The highly-anticipated second-generation version of the Hyundai Kona has now arrived in Australia with a larger and chunkier body adding extra cabin space, together with upgraded safety, security and convenience features. The addition of a hybrid variant gives MY2024 Kona the widest range of powertrains in its small SUV segment: 2.0-litre naturally naturally-aspirated or 1.6-litre turbo petrol engines, 1.6-litre petrol/ electric hybrid (HEV) and fully electric (EV) with standard or extended range. The petrol variants are available now with the hybrid and EVs to arrive later in the year. All… Read more

IONIQ 5 N IN FINAL TESTING

Hyundai’s upstart N sport division has taken the fight to the very door of established car makers. And, it’s about to take that fight to the next level, with the release of its first electrified high- performance model – the Ioniq 5 N which is undergoing final testing at the famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany in preparation for its debut next month. The Ioniq 5 N is the Hyundai counterpart of the Kia EV6 GT and while it shares the same hardware, it has been tweaked for the track with… Read more

ELECTRIC IONIQ 6 BUILDS UP A HEAD OF STEAM

At a mere year or so old, the Ioniq 6 electric vehicle is already among hallowed company. Back in the 1930s, steam locomotives were battling for bragging rights all over British railway routes. The height of the Art Deco period saw the birth of the A4 Class streamliner (‘streak’ to the young trainspotters of the day), designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, with its sleek profile, spats and aerodynamic surfaces based on the Bugatti racing cars of the day. Indeed, Sir Nigel, a friend of Ettori Bugatti, spent time in France… Read more

POLISHED PERFORMANCE BY HYBRID HEAVYWEIGHT

With electric vehicles lighting up the sports utility vehicle market, the Santa Fe has muscled in on the heavyweight SUV segment with the seven-seat premium Elite and flagship Highlander taking on hybridised rivals such as the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento hybrid and Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid. The Santa Fe petrol-electric hybrid has the brains to charge its lithium-ion battery through conversion of kinetic energy while working in conjunction with the internal combustion engine and regenerative brakes while on the move. Hyundai hybrid is kitted out essentially like its petrol- and… Read more

HYUNDAI VELOSTER 2012 – 2020

Hyundai Veloster is something right out of the ordinary: a coupe on the driver’s side and a hatchback on the other side. A problem with two-door coupes is getting passengers in and out of the rear seats. Veloster overcomes this by having a small back door on the left side. It’s forward hinged and makes access to the back reasonably easy. Test the rear door as part of your pre-purchase process if someone with limited mobility if they’re likely to be travelling back there. Cleverly, the extra door is offered… Read more