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Next Hyundai Genesis to get HTRAC all-wheel drive

Hyundai's Genesis sedan has been quite the sales success since it first launched in 2008 as a 2009 model, but its rear-wheel drive nature has limited its sales appeal in cold-weather states versus competitors like Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz, all of whom have offered all-wheel drive in their lineups for years now. We've been hearing that Hyundai has had plans to remedy this shortfall for some years now, and we finally have official confirmation that four-corners-driven traction is coming for the second-generation Genesis.
Dubbed "HTRAC," Hyundai isn't saying much about the new system, other than noting it will offer "select driving modes for a sophisticated and tailored driving experience" and that it will also electronically control the torque split between the car's front and rear axles. HTRAC was developed all over the world, including on the Nürburgring and on Korea's Yeongam Formula One circuit, as well as winter testing in Europe. Oh, and in case you didn't already figure it out for yourself, the "H" in the name stands for "Hyundai" and "TRAC" is short for "Traction."
No word yet on when the system will become available, but Hyundai promises that the second-generation Genesis will make its world debut in its home market later this year. Although no official images or further details have been revealed yet, an undisguised look at the 2015 sedan came to light yesterday, suggesting a reveal is imminent.

Hyundai, Los Angeles Times and Consumer Reports in fuel economy skirmish?

On Wednesday, Consumer Reports issued a story taking umbrage with the auto industry's move toward smaller, turbocharged engines, noting its own testing revealed that many such powerplants fail to deliver their promised fuel economy numbers. The story covered a variety of domestic and foreign automakers, with Ford and Chevrolet featuring prominently in the discussion. Hyundai was also mentioned for its Sonata Turbo, but the Korean automaker's family sedan came within one observed mile per gallon of its EPA ratings in CR's test, and its normally aspirated 2.4-liter counterpart actually beat its combined EPA ratings, 27 mpg to 26.
Good news for Hyundai, right? The automaker was so pleased with its report card that it sent out a small statement to a handful of news outlets including Autoblog, reading in part:
"We at Hyundai believe that Consumer Reports real-world average fuel economy testing results and EPA combined fuel economy results should correlate, and in fact do correlate nicely for some brands. Among all brands, Hyundai does particularly well in this correlation, with no high-volume brand having a better correlation between EPA combined and Consumer Reports real-world fuel economy."

WRC driver fills radiator with beer from sponsor Corona

Rallying requires lightning quick reflexes and the ability to turn off one's sense of self-preservation. This much is not in doubt. Anyone that's ever seen a rally car hurtle along a tree-lined spit of dirt road at high speeds could tell you that. What many people don't know is that it also requires a strong mechanical sense. Knowing how to repair one's car when far from the service garages is a must. A strong sense of ingenuity is pretty handy, as well.
It was that sense of ingenuity that came to the aid of Thierry Neuville (shown above during last weekend's Rally Mexico), a WRC driver for the Hyundai Motorsport team, after his i20 suffered a radiator leak during the drive back to service. Neuville and his co-driver, Nicolas Gilsoul, hopped out of the car, assessed the issue and realized they needed to patch the radiator leak and refill the coolant, which they were fresh out of. So, instead, they used beer.
The pair had been awarded a magnum-sized bottle of Corona from the Rally Mexico's corporate sponsor after the final power stage. As Neuville doesn't drink, they tossed the beer in the back of the i20 and set off for the garages. It was a good thing they did, as adding the Mexican lager to the car's system allowed them to limp back to service.