Car FYI

Photo Credit: Genesis Motor North America untitled Launched in late 2015 as a luxury branch connected to South Korea’s Hyundai Motor, the Genesis brand has made impressive inroads to the premium vehicle marketplace in a short time. Today, Genesis constructs a brand lineup tailored under the design philosophy of ‘Athletic Elegance’ promoting well-appointed sedans and sport utility crossover vehicles. While finding the ability to compete against the longer-established luxury automobile marques such as Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Lexus, the not-even six-year-old marque is also in an enviable position of being able to quickly define their image of premium motoring as electrification grows. Genesis’ first fully-electric vehicle, the GV60, lends itself to adapting modern and even-more modern luxury touches. The Genesis GV60 is based on the Hyundai’s E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform) that is also being used with the IONIQ 5 set for a 2022 ...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada Theme of the Show: Discover Connect Experience The 2011 Canadian International AutoShow left me with the thought of how much could change between a 12-month span (perhaps that is more apparent in 2021). After a somewhat subdued 2010 car show in Toronto, the last year brought a deep sense of excitement in many forms. Design, performance and innovation were all part of an auto show that started with an aerobatic display part of Ford’s media presentation unveiling the C-Max and the Focus Electric.  Along with the welcoming presence of new vehicles from major automakers, the 2011 Canadian International AutoShow was the first to feature a dedicated display of some of the most opulent vehicles to be found in the country.  Notable Vehicles: Ford Focus Electric Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada The auto company that played a huge role in directing the automobile to gasoline propulsion, Ford Motor Company sought a manner to begin the ...

Photo Credit : Hyundai Motor America The first vehicle in Hyundai’s high-performance line sold in Canada and North America as a whole, the Veloster N combines the unique 2+1 door hatchback body style and a fully race-inspired equipment package that include a 275-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Debuting in 2019, the Hyundai Veloster N sports car enters its third year of production with a new high-tech, smart-shifting transmission option. Unveiled in April as an in-house design by Hyundai, the all-new eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission will be offered as a choice for the Veloster N sold in North America for the 2021 model year.  Also known as the N DCT, Hyundai’s dual-clutch transmission is developed a means to furnish exciting performance similar to the Veloster N’s existing six-speed manual gearbox with some useful perks that may be more appealing for daily driving. Capable of operating in manual or automatic modes, a dual-clutch transmission has already been availabl...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy An unofficial homecoming event for me each year, the Georgian College Auto Show has been a constant source of joy for me. An show put together by students of the automotive sales and marketing programs, the outdoor exhibition carries its own unique charm. Not as flashy as the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, the vivid collection of vehicles organized by students still represents the majority of auto manufacturers producing automobiles for the North American market in a positive light. Instead of the beaming of fluorescents and large turntables, the campus' field and the warmth of a natural, cooperative early June sunlight is all that is needed to bring out beauty on four wheels. An annual event since 1985, I've personally attended every Georgian College Auto Show since 1997. Ever since I've been going to the auto show (including years when I attended the college as a student), the campus has changed and the cars have evolved. The f...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy Hyundai appeals to the Canadian public to help find a special engineering exhibit that was stolen last week in Toronto. Part of the recently-concluded 2016 Canadian International AutoShow in the city, the Korean auto company's presentation consisted of an unfinished 2017 Elantra shown only in form of its SuperStructure. A display of the brand's commitment to more than doubling the amount of advanced high-strength steel (consuming up to 53 percent of its total composition) used in the new compact car's chassis, the SuperStructure of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra is said to perform with greater rigidity as well as provide a quieter, more comfortable ride quality. Captured on a surveillance camera, the theft of the Hyundai SuperStructure was carried out during the early morning hours at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre by three perpetrators. Fears are that the SuperStructure has been stolen by Hyundai competition in the goal to reverse engineer...

Photo Credit:Chris Nagy It was another wild weather outing for me trekking down to Toronto on Thursday for what is one of the most special annual traditions for me. On the plus side this year, the worst temperature I endured was only -17 degrees Celsius instead of -23 degrees Celsius. You may ask me what propels someone to undertake foot travel when the vile force we call winter is at all might. The 2016 Canadian International AutoShow is the answer I proudly give. Since 2009, my devotion to automotive journalism has been rewarded with an advance viewing of some of the greatest new cars and special displays. Always logging around a healthy weight in equipment for what works out to be roughly ten hours of attendance at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, I return tired but incredibly fulfilled with what has been presented to me. Some would think ten hours is more than enough time to absorb all the information at a display for automobiles. I must beg the pardon of those i...

Photo Credit: Hyundai Motor America It's only a human condition to judge ourselves in the company we keep. It is also natural for even comfortable individuals to seek a higher status. For automakers, having a foothold in the general automobile market is often not enough. After-all, why would Cadillac and Lincoln exist when a Chevrolet or Ford is well-suited to most drivers? Entering the luxury car market provides the chance to explore heightened vehicle refinement, greater technology and generally a higher profit margin per vehicle sold. In the late 1980s, Japanese auto companies that made gains as a producer of vehicles demanded by the general driving public entered the premium product genre. Honda created Acura, Nissan created Infiniti and Toyota founded the Lexus brand. Starting in December, Hyundai will become the latest entrant into the premium automobile industry. Hyundai will elevate the name of their Genesis rear-wheel drive sedan to the forefront described as a ...

It has been no secret in Canada that we have long been cheated out of the opportunity to watch the highly-produced, ultra-expensive Super Bowl commercials found on the United States stations. Prior to videos being streamed on the Internet, Canadians were provided with few opportunities in ever seeing the original advertisements shown during the world-famous football championship game. This year, some advertisers in this country may have begun to realize the chance they have to make a marketing splash made possible by simultaneous substitution. For 2015, a record Canadian viewership  for the "The Big Game" were treated the television premiere of one intense ad campaign from Hyundai. A 60-second spot starting with the text "Wake up to a New Hyundai", the car commercial introduces what Hyundai calls "The H-Factor" that will drive their vision heading into this year. Presenting visuals of their latest cars such as the Genesis sedan and...

Late last year, Hyundai pledged to become the first auto manufacturer to offer a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in Canada . An electrified powertrain vehicle already available in the United States in parts of California, the Tucson FCEV is based on Hyundai's conventional gasoline-powered crossover. Capable of driving up to 426 kilometers on a tank of hydrogen fuel, the Hyundai Tucson FCEV is propelled by 134 horsepower driven to the front wheels. This week, the first Canadian-destined models of the Hyundai Tucson FCEV arrived from South Korea on the at a Vancouver port. Sent onboard the "Kaijin" cargo ship, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles available Canada are apparently being greeted by an anxious group in British Columbia. Explaining that applications have exceeded the expectations of Hyundai Auto Canada Corporation, President and CEO Don Romano said, "We've seen a tremendous response to our call for applications. Canadians all over the c...

Photo Credit: CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp Canadian motorists have been provided with some relief in the past few weeks as the correction of oil prices is bringing the prices at gas stations to a more tolerable level. While the immediate concerns for energy are being pacified by this drop, our future thoughts envision a world beyond the finite quantity of accessible oil. Hydrogen is seen as the most ambitious energy source. While dispelling safety and efficiency concerns with the plentiful gas, automakers are slowly spoon-feeding the driving public to hydrogen cars. Some vehicles burn hydrogen fuel in an internal combustion engine but a more active vision sees the gas sent through fuel cells creating electrical power. A handful of test vehicles over the past decade have been a prelude what is a limited production run. The hydrogen fuel cell powered Honda FCX Clarity was first sold in 2008 and Toyota is set to produce the Mi...

This is a time of the year we commonly associated as the period where the auto industry looks forward. Even though the calendar says we have two months remaining in 2014, 2015 is now the mindset of Canadian new car sales lots. Some models released earlier this year have already been set in the upcoming year while others are now becoming the candy for buyer car consumers. New designs, technologies and sometimes a chance to see something entirely new from a favoured brand. If you are one of those people, 2015 model year promise to be a tantalizing time to be wooed. More than ever, motorists realize potential problems with vehicles are addressed with recall notices. For what is the second-most expensive purchase many of us make, automobiles is perhaps the most complicated products available. In the case of cars, trucks and crossovers that are all-new or significantly retooled for 2015, introduction marks a vulnerable moment for all the testing auto manufactur...