Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Hyundai Fun Day 2014



In the same way that shoppers visit Hyundai dealers to try out the Korean automaker’s latest product offerings, Canadian automotive media frequently test-drive the brand’s latest models to review and highlight their character, their strengths and their weaknesses to help Canadians make more informed decisions when it’s time for a new ride.

In addition to media road tests, Hyundai has been carrying out what’s known as Hyundai Fun Day for the past few years -- bringing their new products together at a central location to showcase the latest technologies and engineering advances with a number of activities, while highlighting the latest and most popular Hyundai models.

This year’s program took place at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP), a facility surrounded by beautiful country roads and equipped with numerous racetracks, an auto-cross course, and an off-road course. This year, Hyundai demonstrated numerous car and crossover models, including the Santa Fe, all-new Genesis and all-new Sonata on the road, on the track, and in a challenging off-road setting that likely exceeds the severity in which an owner would choose to operate their machine.

A test drive of the all-new Sonata Sport 2.0T started the day. Notable was the powertrain; a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that’s down some 29 horsepower compared to last year’s model while still offering pleasing performance rich with low-end torque and responsiveness, and complete with a pleasing growl from the engine bay when called upon. This sporty Sonata variant is set off with quad-pipe exhausts, some unique paint colour choices reflected in the interior’s accent piping and stitching, and a great new cabin atmosphere that’s more dynamic, fresh and techy-looking than the outgoing model.

As it is with the all-new Genesis, the new Sonata is keen to show off the capabilities of Hyundai’s design team, and displays more uniqueness and character than the previous car. Further, thanks to an extremely rigid frame structure built of a whopping 51% high-strength steel made by Hyundai’s in-house steel manufacturing facility, the ride feels solid, dense and robust -- with comfort and noise levels on par with a premium vehicle.

The all-new Genesis pulls off a similar experience. Using the same high-strength steel to the tune of 53% in its construction, engineers were able to create a body structure with more torsional rigidity than a BMW 5-Series. This rigidity benefits noise levels, handling, ride quality and more. The result is a ride that’s truly world-class, with a carefully honed and creamy-smooth feel on most surfaces. The latest hazard-detection and driver support technologies are all on board, and the new cabin that showcases a more daring and upscale look than the former car should stand shoulder to shoulder with luxury cars that command far higher price tags.

High-strength steel also helps the Hyundai crossover model range deliver durability and capability in an off-road setting. In a Santa Fe XL, I positioned the vehicle to tackle a carefully designed set of moguls that would see only three wheels touching the ground at any given time. Even in this extreme maneuver, which heavily twists the vehicle’s frame, there was no audible creaking from the body structure, and more impressively, no creaking from the giant panoramic sunroof overhead, which amounts to a large structural opening. The Santa Fe is one of the only vehicles in its segment built on an exclusive crossover platform, rather than one adapted from a car platform, and it shows. The model also boasts the latest hill descent control and other traction management systems, helping further a confident and relaxing drive over even extremely rough surfaces and heavy grades.

The 2015 Genesis Coupe, available this year solely with V6 power, puts a high-stiffness frame to use in yet another way: for precise handling. Driving one of the new R-Spec V6 models around CTMP’s Driver Development Track, Canada’s most powerful sub-$30,000 car demonstrated precise and predictable reactions to steering inputs and weight transfer, thanks in no small part to the extremely rigid sub-structures to which the specially calibrated R-Spec suspension system is bolted. This, as well as Brembo brakes, a limited slip differential, and a delightfully snort-y V6 engine with 348 horsepower help support budget-minded track-day enthusiasts of all skill levels.

There’s an underlying theme, here: Hyundai says their current line-wide goal is to advance new products on the driving dynamics front, in no small part with the help of extreme-strength steel frames like those beneath the skin of the Genesis and Sonata. The frame is one of the least-glamorous parts of a new car, as it can’t be seen, though shoppers can expect to feel the benefits of Hyundai’s latest frame structure design when they stop in for a test-drive of a current model -- or the slew of yet-to-be-announced new and updated models that’ll be rolling out in the coming 1 to 2 years.

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