Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept

Hyundai is aiming hard to capture the small truck/pick-up truck market with their trucklet, the Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept.

This four-door five-passenger “urban adventure” concept is powered by a 2-litre turbodiesel producing 190 horsepower, 300 lb-ft of torque, and a fuel efficiency figure north of 30 mpg. The Santa Cruz’s HTRAC AWD system puts the power to the ground, though the transmission used to direct said power wasn’t mentioned.

Other features include: expandable bed, integrated tonneau cover, Brembo brake calipers, LED fog lamps, lens-free honeycomb headlamp projectors, tie-down cleats on the roof, wheel arches and bed rails, and a footprint comparable to a small crossover.

Hyundai states that the concept is not aimed at traditional truck buyers, instead choosing to pursue crossover and sedan buyers looking for a vehicle that’s truck-like, but better suited to city life.

Chevrolet Bolt : Electric car of the future

Chevrolet unveiled its latest electric concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The car, a high-roofed hatch, promises "more than" 200 miles on a charge at a price around $30,000 which is not far from what Tesla is looking to go after with its upcoming Model 3. It supports DC fast charging, though GM doesn't say exactly how long it would take to fill it from empty.

A 10-inch touchscreen is the centerpiece of the dashboard. It is bigger than many of today's interior screens and leads up a list of high-tech features, including the ability to use a smartphone as your key, integrated ride-sharing management, and self-parking capability.

Hankook unveils three new future tire concepts

Hankook works closely with a chosen university every two years to produce these stunning concepts. This year, Hankook teamed up with the University of Design, Engineering and Business in Pforzheim, Germany to create the concept tires, meant to reflect the brand’s research and development initiatives going forward.

Hankook revealed three concepts of wheels that are capable of changing their shapes dynamically, altering their performance through rapid changes in terrain and conditions. The 

“Boostrac” tire is essentially a dune buggy-type wheel made up of hexagonal tread blocks that can expand, changing up the traction to plow through sand or scale a steep mountain path.

“Alpike” is the tire that can expand its circumference, making driving through snow much easier. When the tire expands, the gaps in the tread and exposed studs grip icy surfaces better, as well. 

Lastly, the “HyBlade” has a water-wheel-like design and pop-out fins to paddle through water like a riverboat.

The notion of rubber-and-air tires is constantly being challenged by new innovations, and the concept of a dynamically adaptive tire system is an in invention just waiting to be made. It’s likely that, if a company like Hankook can make this technology applicable, we may be the generation that sees the reinvention of the wheel.

VW will bring the 2015 Golf R 400 Concept to the L.A. Auto Show

Volkswagen unveiled the Golf R 400 Concept at the Beijing auto show earlier this year. And from news, it is clear that Volkswagen are bringing their famous hatch to the Los Angeles Auto Show.

To refresh the new version of the legendary car, the R 400 features a Haldex 5 AWD system  and a turbo-boosted 2.0-litre engine. The standard Golf R makes a healthy 292 horsepower. The extra hundred ponies on the R 400 are able to push the German icon to 60 mph in under four seconds.

VW claims 3.9 seconds, which puts it on terms with a 2014 Corvette Stingray. The Vette makes more power than the R 400, but the Golf uses all four wheels to move the much lesser weighted body.

The gearbox is a seven-speed DSG , the interior is laced with carbon, and two center-exit pipes protrude from the rear. In terms of looks, the Golf R 400 is aces, resplendent in silver with lemon-yellow accents.