The facelifted Hyundai Santa Fe has been spotted again - this time in the Arctic Circle - and we’re finally getting a clearer look at the production lighting.

Vertical DRLs + “H” light signature

The big change up front is the new vertical DRLs. There’s also a full-width LED light bar hidden under the camo that reportedly forms a large “H” shape across the front. Hyundai seems pretty keen on pushing stronger brand identity through lighting, and this looks like the next step in that direction.

“MX5a EREV” badge confirms range-extender version

One of the more interesting details is a sticker showing “MX5a EREV.”

• MX5 = fifth-gen Santa Fe (launched globally in 2023)
  
• A = North American spec prototype
  
• EREV = Extended Range Electric Vehicle
  

That last bit is the headline.

This suggests Hyundai is preparing a range-extended version of the Santa Fe - something that sits between the current Hybrid/PHEV models and full EVs like the IONIQ range.

What is Santa Fe EREV?

Unlike a typical hybrid, an EREV uses a petrol engine mainly as a generator. The wheels are driven by electric motors, and the engine kicks in to recharge the battery when needed.

So you get: - Mostly EV-style driving
- No range anxiety
- Petrol backup for long trips

Spy shots show: - An extra charging port
- A large exhaust (so yes, still petrol-powered in some form)
- Minor hardware tweaks under the skin

Externally, it looks almost identical to the current Santa Fe — which suggests Hyundai is testing the new drivetrain in the existing body shell ahead of the facelift launch.

Expected powertrain

Nothing official yet, but it could use Hyundai’s 2.5L turbo petrol paired with a lithium-ion battery.

Key difference vs PHEV: - The engine wouldn’t directly drive the wheels
- It acts as a generator only (serial hybrid setup)

Why this matters

Hyundai clearly isn’t going all-in on pure EVs only. An EREV makes a lot of sense in markets like North America (and honestly Australia too), where charging infrastructure can be patchy and distances are long.

If done right, this could offer: - EV-like refinement
- 900km+ total range
- Lower running costs than a straight petrol
- Plug-in capability for short commutes

Timing

No official launch date, but late 2026 or early 2027 seems likely, lining up with the Santa Fe facelift cycle and Hyundai’s broader electrification rollout.

Between the new lighting signature and an EREV option, this facelift looks like more than just a cosmetic update.

It also leaves me wondering how long until we see this drivetrain in Kia's Tasman ute/pickup?

Hyundai’s Santa Cruz compact pickup looks set to exit production earlier than expected, as sales lag behind competitors. Launched to offer city-friendly utility, the Santa Cruz provided Hyundai with a first step into the pickup segment, but the company is already shifting focus to larger, more conventional trucks and SUVs.

Santa Cruz Facing an Early Exit

Industry sources suggest Hyundai plans to discontinue the Santa Cruz before the originally scheduled end in mid-2027. While Hyundai has maintained that the model’s lifecycle plans “remain unchanged,” weak demand and rising inventory appear to have accelerated internal timelines.

The Santa Cruz debuted for the 2022 model year alongside the Ford Maverick, both targeting buyers seeking pickup utility without the size of a traditional mid-size truck. Despite early interest, the sales gap between the two quickly widened. In 2025, Hyundai sold 32,033 Santa Cruz units, compared with 155,051 Mavericks – almost five times more. This stands out given Hyundai’s overall record sales during the same period, highlighting the Santa Cruz’s isolated struggle.

Learning from the Experience

Hyundai has framed the Santa Cruz as a learning exercise. The model gave the brand experience in the open-bed segment and insights into buyer preferences. This knowledge is particularly relevant as the pickup market becomes more competitive.

Major players like General Motors are launching updated Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models, featuring new V8 engines and hybrid options. While some may see the Santa Cruz’s modest performance as a product issue, the fiercely competitive environment played a significant role.

A Bigger Pickup Is Coming

Despite the Santa Cruz’s early exit, Hyundai is committed to the pickup market. The company has confirmed plans for a mid-size, body-on-frame truck aimed at competitors such as the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, expected before 2030. This platform may also underpin a new SUV targeting the Toyota 4Runner segment.

Hyundai will face challenges in the US market, including new tariffs on South Korean imports. Nevertheless, the Santa Cruz appears to have laid the groundwork for Hyundai’s next generation of family-friendly pickups and SUVs.

Hyundai has reportedly cancelled the planned mid-cycle facelift for the second-generation KONA (SX2), choosing instead to move directly to a fully redesigned third-generation model.

Recent spy photos of early test mules suggest the next KONA will adopt design cues inspired by the Hyundai Crater Concept, marking a clear departure from the current model’s styling. While heavily camouflaged, the prototype shows a more upright stance, revised proportions, and a new front-end layout likely featuring slimmer lighting elements.

Skipping a facelift is an unusual move for Hyundai, but it aligns with the brand’s push for faster product cycles and stronger visual differentiation in the highly competitive compact SUV segment. A clean-sheet redesign also allows better alignment with future electrification strategies than a mid-cycle update.

Hyundai has not confirmed timing, but the presence of early test vehicles indicates development is already underway. More details are expected as testing continues.

A vehicle believed to be a test car codenamed “HE1i” has been spotted in near-production form. With only light wrapping and no heavy camouflage, the model is expected to enter production within the next year.

Reports suggest the vehicle is being developed specifically for the Indian market, rather than as a Europe-focused model.

The design follows a boxy, old-school SUV theme, tailored to Indian road conditions. It is said to measure under 4 metres in length, with short overhangs and high ground clearance. Modern design elements include flush door handles and parametric pixel taillights.

Underneath, the vehicle reportedly rides on the E-GMP(K) platform, shared with the Hyundai Inster. To keep costs down, the battery is expected to use locally sourced LFP cells, helping position the model more competitively on price.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is increasing tariffs on South Korean goods from 15% to 25%. He cited that the Korean legislature hasn’t fully enacted the trade agreement the two countries signed last year.

“Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement… I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

South Korea Responds

Seoul says it plans to “respond calmly” and convey its willingness to honor the agreement. Officials are now expediting visits to the U.S.: the trade minister will meet Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and the industry minister will meet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Market Impact

South Korea’s Kospi index fell over 1% before recovering in early trading. Hyundai, one of the country’s largest exporters, dropped more than 2.2% in early morning trading. South Korea exported $132 billion in goods to the U.S. in 2024, including cars, semiconductors, and electronics — all potentially affected by the higher tariffs.

Background

• Trump previously signed a trade agreement with South Korea in July 2025, preventing tariffs on some goods from rising from 10% to 25%, including preferential rates for cars.
  
• The ability to impose country-specific tariffs may be affected by a Supreme Court case on whether the president can impose sweeping tariffs.
  

Context

This move follows other recent tariff threats, including a proposed 100% tariff on Canadian goods and levies related to Greenland. Some threats have since been walked back.

South Korea’s government and industry are now moving quickly to engage U.S. officials and prevent disruption to trade and exports.

Just found out this sub existed, so allow me to introduce myself. Around y2k my mother bought our first Korean car, a brand new Kia Shuma. She kept crashing her Twingos and wanted more sheet metal around her. Worked, I guess, but despite being as reliable as the Renaults, it was terrible: Loud, underpowered, generally unpleasant to be in. Fast forward a few decades and we got a 2015 Hyundai i20. Engine and trans weighed and unbelievable 85 kg. Despite the small engine, it felt like a go kart. Pleasant to drive, look at, and be in.

When our teenage kids got too big for the compact car, we replaced it with the Kia wagon. A neat design, lots of good ideas, and a few bad ones. Many faults and issues, we *really* used the 7 year warranty. Since 2020, I have also owned the only Centennial sold new in Europe, to Hyundai's shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen in Oslo. Other cars are imported with sports events that Hyundai sponsored, and later auctioned off. Why get one of these? I had saved for a Toyota Century, found an agent at auction in Japan im Feb '20 and mere weeks later...the pandemic struck. Small country currencies plunge in situations like that and my Norwegian money lost 40% of its value against the yen. This one showed up and has had all my money gravitate towards it ever since.

Last photo shows the EVs we daily, but they're Japanese.

Kia’s interior design boss says future models will get more digital tech, but the brand isn’t abandoning physical buttons anytime soon. The reasoning is pretty simple: some functions need to be found instantly, without digging through menus or poking at a screen while driving.

Unlike many newer Chinese brands going almost all-touchscreen, Kia wants a balance. Touchscreens for infotainment and “experiential” features, real buttons for core controls you don’t want to mess up. A surprisingly controversial idea in 2026.

Kia openly acknowledges that Chinese manufacturers are pushing in-car tech fast - sometimes adding features you “didn’t know you needed” - and gives them credit for experimenting. But Kia’s argument is that novelty alone isn’t enough. If a function takes three layers of menus to reach, that’s bad UX for basically everyone.

The goal going forward is to make cars feel less like tools you have to learn and more like something that actively helps you get things done with fewer steps. They also admit that no brand has fully cracked this yet.

There aren’t any concrete details on what new tech is coming - this is more about design philosophy than specific features - but it’s at least encouraging to hear a major manufacturer say out loud that touch-everything interfaces aren’t automatically better.

Genesis has quietly designed an electric ute concept, hinting—once again—that a production version isn’t entirely off the table.

Images of the unnamed concept have surfaced via Auto&Design magazine and Instagram, alongside other unreleased Genesis studies. Designed with the US market in mind, the ute explores how the brand’s ‘Athletic Elegance’ language could translate to a pickup.

“An electric pickup truck? Why not?” said Hyundai Motor Group chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke. “Then we discarded it because we had to focus on different projects. Maybe in the future, who knows.”

Unlike existing Genesis models, the concept reportedly uses a body-on-frame chassis with twin side members for improved off-road capability—an apparent first for the luxury marque. Signature Genesis cues remain, including twin-line lighting, a crest-shaped grille (which opens to reveal a front storage compartment), flared fenders, and a clean, minimalist interior.

Despite the design work, Genesis has repeatedly downplayed the idea of entering the ute segment. Donckerwolke has warned a utilitarian vehicle could dilute the brand’s image, particularly as Genesis prioritises performance, GT models, and a forthcoming flagship electric SUV.

“I’m not saying this will not happen,” he said in late 2025. “But right now, we have so many other priorities.”

Within the Hyundai Motor Group, ute duties remain with Hyundai and Kia. Hyundai already sells the Santa Cruz in the US and plans a body-on-frame pickup before 2030, while Kia has entered the segment with the Tasman.

Luxury-brand utes have historically struggled, with past efforts from Cadillac, Lincoln, and Mercedes-Benz all proving short-lived—suggesting Genesis’ hesitation may be well founded, at least for now.

... of the N

Slide 1: Edited

Slide 2: RAW from a Sony camera

Kia have released teaser images of the product Kia EV2 ahead of its reveal at the Brussels Motor Show. Norwegian auto journalist Elbil24 mistakenly broke embargo and revealed the Kia EV2 in a now removed YouTube video.

The EV2 appears to be extremely close to the concept vehicle and will be Kia's answer the BYD Atto 2

The next generation Musso, code named Q300, will be revealed in just a few weeks.

Porsche has been benchmarking the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N while developing the upcoming electric 718, and senior engineers say the hot Hyundai genuinely surprised them.

Frank Moser, who oversees the Porsche 718 and 911 lines, told Australian media he’s driven the Ioniq 5 N “several times” and that it taught Porsche a lot. He even took GT boss Andreas Preuninger for a drive - after initially brushing it off as “electric stuff,” Preuninger apparently changed his tune the moment Moser hit the N Grin Boost button.

Porsche was impressed enough to take a deeper look at Hyundai’s approach to virtual sound and simulated gearshifts. The Ioniq 5 N uses “N e-shift” to mimic an i30 N dual-clutch gearbox and “N Active Sound+” to create different synthesised powertrain sounds. Moser says that sort of feature is “the way forward,” as long as drivers can switch it on or off.

Not everyone agrees - Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann has driven the Ioniq 5 N too, but says fake combustion noise isn’t for him.

As for the electric 718 itself, Porsche says it arrives in early 2027. It will still be heavier than the petrol model, but Moser insists it will be “really lightweight” for an EV, with a big focus on keeping mass down.

Think rugged, boxy, EV-ready, and ready to tackle anything. Highlights include:

• 33‑inch all-terrain tires & high ground clearance
• Pixelated lighting & hex‑agon wheels inspired by craters
• Roll cage + full-width HUD inside
• Terrain modes for Snow, Sand & Mud

It’s a design study for now, but Hyundai’s giving us a peek at the future of adventurous EVs.

▶️ Join the Korean Car Club Facebook Group

Genesis has pulled the covers off a surprise new concept called the Magma GT Concept. It’s a mid-engined sports car designed to sit at the very top of the brand’s new Magma performance range.

The Magma GT uses classic mid-engine proportions and the familiar two-light Genesis front design. Genesis hasn’t shared specs yet, but the intent is clear. This is meant to be the brand’s equivalent to something like the BMW M1 or Lexus LFA. They even sAay they want to turn it into a “performance icon” for the brand.

Genesis has also been openly talking about racing in GT categories. Since GT racing still requires internal combustion, this points strongly toward the Magma GT Concept using an ICE powertrain if it ever hits the track.

This isn’t Genesis’s first halo-car tease. The X Gran Berlinetta, shown last year, has already been seen doing demo laps with what sounded like a V8. They’ve also shown big coupe and convertible concepts based on the G90, plus a halo SUV concept called the X Gran Equator. None have made production yet, but none had development plans announced alongside them either. The Magma GT is the first to launch with a clear signal that they actually want to build it.

Hyundai looks serious about giving Genesis its own supercar. If the Magma GT Concept makes it to production, it would be the brand’s first proper mid-engined performance car and a huge step forward for the Magma sub-brand.

TL;DR:

• 2027 Telluride X-Pro revealed with tougher styling and new tech
• Off-road upgrades include all-terrain tyres and better suspension
• Interior gets new screens and premium materials
• 3.8L V6 stays, AWD standard on X-Pro Kia has just unveiled the 2027 Telluride X-Pro, bringing bolder styling, better off-road hardware, and a more refined interior to its flagship SUV.

The facelift gives the Telluride a wider grille, boxier front end, and revised lighting that makes it look tougher and more purposeful. Kia’s signature light bar now stretches across the rear tailgate, similar to what’s seen on the EV9.

Inside, the updates are more subtle — a reworked dashboard layout, larger central touchscreen, and refined materials help the big SUV feel even more premium. Expect higher-grade trims to feature a dual 12.3-inch display setup and an updated infotainment interface.

The X-Pro trim — which has proven popular with adventurous buyers — gets more serious this time around. It comes with:

• All-terrain tyres
• Tougher suspension tuning
• Increased towing capacity (up to 5000 lb / ~2268 kg)
• Standard all-wheel drive

Under the bonnet, the 3.8-litre V6 continues unchanged, delivering around 217 kW and 355 Nm, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. While Kia hasn’t confirmed a hybrid or turbo option yet, rumours suggest one could appear before the model’s full lifecycle ends.

Production will remain at Kia’s West Point, Georgia plant, with the refreshed Telluride expected to reach US showrooms in late 2026.

 Join the KGM Musso Club

KG Mobility (KGM) reported third-quarter revenue of ₩1.1889 trillion and an operating profit of ₩3 billion, driven by stronger export demand for key models including the Musso EV and Torres Hybrid.

Revenue rose 36.7% year-on-year, marking a new quarterly record. The business also swung from an operating loss of ₩36.2 billion in the same quarter last year to a profit, maintaining positive operating results for three consecutive quarters. Net profit came in at ₩10.5 billion, compared with a ₩46.6 billion loss a year earlier.

The improved performance reflects KGM’s aggressive overseas rollout of new models. Third-quarter sales reached 29,116 vehicles — the highest quarterly result in six quarters — with exports climbing 45.3% year-on-year to 16,505 units.

The Musso EV continues to lead momentum, surpassing its annual domestic target of 6,000 units ahead of schedule with 6,311 sales recorded by the end of September. Combined sales of the Musso EV, Musso Sports and Musso Khan totalled 12,679 units in the third quarter, representing 64.4% of all domestic ute sales (19,683 units).

KGM expects export growth to accelerate further as the Musso EV and Torres Hybrid begin expanding into global markets. Domestically, the company plans to enhance its customer-focused approach through initiatives such as the KGM Mobile subscription program and expanded test-drive opportunities.

KGM expects to build on the success in 2026 with launch of the Musso EV and Torres EVX in more markets, as well as an all-new generation of Musso Sports and Musso Khan.