Hyundai

With the pandemic still looming over our heads, 2021 was a pretty action-packed year for the auto industry. Sure, you had challenges, with automakers having to contend with issues like chip shortages, causing delays to consumers. But regardless, the show had to go on and we got some pretty cool cars making their debut, predominantly towards the latter half of 2021.

Let’s get one thing out of the way, 2021 really was also the year, when the market as a whole began to embrace EV’s and you could see several automakers both the legacy as well as EV startups bring several new models to market. Having said that, we did see some pretty cool ICE cars, also make their debut. Now there were several cars that made headlines this year, it was very difficult to pick out the best ones, but the cars on this list definitely stood out. Here’s our list of some of the most highly anticipated and important cars that were unveiled in 2021.

Hyundai has big plans for the future: by 2025 the company wants to have 23 EVs in its lineup and the Ioniq 5 was the first model out of these 23. It was previewed by the 45 concept at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show and, earlier this year, it finally made its world debut.

Now, Hyundai announced that the new Ioniq 5 will go on sale in late December at a starting price of $39,700. The car is also eligible for a $7,500 Federal Tax Credit.

Arriving with significant updates both to the exterior and interior, the new 2022 Kona brings hope not only to younger buyers but also enthusiasts with the newly added Kona N Line and N. While the looks and the aesthetics have taken a sharper appeal, the mechanics have stayed the same, except for the addition of a CVT to the base engine. We think that the new Kona is a breakthrough in how compact SUVs should look and feel, but, should you buy one?

Hyundai is introducing a rugged-looking Tucson XRT for the 2022 model year. But that’s basically what this new variant is. It looks rugged, but it’s not by any means an off-roader.

The folks at ‘The Fast Lane Truck’ conducted a drag race with not two, but five different pickup trucks. They had trucks across segments, starting from the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, to the Nissan Frontier, the Toyota Tundra, and the Ford F-150 Raptor. This wasn’t a conventional race wherein you just had all five trucks go at it together. It was more of a gauntlet match wherein the winner of a race faced a new truck in the next round and the loser got eliminated. Sounds a little like Squid Game, doesn’t it?

WayRay is a Swiss deep-tech startup, has introduced the Battery Electric Holograktor, which is the world’s first car with a holographic display that can superimpose items at any distance around the vehicle.

Hyundai revealed the Vision T concept at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show with a promise that it would loan at least some of its DNA to the next-generation Tucson. As a very bold concept, it didn’t seem likely that much of its design would make it to production, but here we are looking at the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and, sure enough, it has a daring new design akin to that of the concept that previewed it. The new entry-level Tucson has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is derived from the Sonata, but a Hybrid and PHEV model is also available. The Tucson comes fairly well equipped even in base trim, but it’s the comfort, practicality, and driving dynamics that will really wow you. The Tucson has an uphill battle in a crowded segment, with its main competitors including the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, and even the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Hyundai has paid homage to the 1986 Grandeur by electrifying it and equipping it with modern features. The Grandeur was Hyundai’s luxury flagship sedan introduced in the South Korean market and was an important product for it back then. The company is celebrating the Grandeur’s 35th anniversary by reincarnating the 1986 Grandeur as an EV. Called the Heritage Series Grandeur, this ‘electrifying retro-futuristic’ resto-mod looks tasteful and reminds people of the car that paved the South Korean’s way into the luxury sedan segment in its domestic market.

Hyundai is growing its electric fleet of vehicles as fast as it can, with the 2022 Ioniq 5 poised to be a solid alternative to the Tesla Model 3 This car, and its push of the Ioniq sub-brand has proven how resilient the automotive sector is, and now the Seven Concept pushes that idea a step further. The Ioniq 5 serves as the compact hatchback\crossover and the SEVEN represents a full-size EV that Hyundai will begin marketing in the very near future.

Tesla is no longer the sole EV carmaker, as more and more companies are churning out high-performance models, powered purely by electricity. The IONIQ 5 is Hyundai’s latest contender and features powertrains ranging from modest 170 to a respectable 325 horsepower. And while the CUV features a hatchback design, an Italian graphic designer has introduced a sedan version of it.

Most car enthusiasts tend to prioritize a car’s exterior design, but in reality, we spend more of our time inside the vehicle. Thankfully, Wards Auto is here to help us determine which interiors are truly worth our time behind the wheel.

There’s something to be said about a drag race between pickup trucks. Straight-line performance is not really the main selling point of these types of vehicles, but it still gives you an idea of how good the powertrains are at propelling them. Last time, Sam CarLegion had a RAM 1500 TRX vs Ford F150 ROUSH drag race, instore. This time, it’s the Honda Ridgeline vs the Hyundai Santa Cruz, and here’s what happened.

After making its debut in the Paramount Pictures’ action film “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins,” the limited-production Hyundai Sonata N Line Night Edition is now finally available at dealerships. It will be limited to only 1,000 units - offered in either Phantom Black or Quartz White - each with a starting price of $34,750.

The all-new Honda Civic takes on one of its top rivals in the compact sedan class, the Hyundai Elantra in a couple of ¼ mile drag races.

For the longest time, I’ve refused to acknowledge the Mach-E to have the Mustang spirit. But, it looks like I’ll have to change that now. The Mach-E just gave us solid proof that it has the Mustang DNA by failing a moose test that its rivals passed without breaking a sweat. The Mach-E swayed across and fishtailed its way into the cones at the first turn. The original Mustang must be smiling with tears in its eyes looking at the Mach-E.

Mat Watson and his team from ‘Carwow’ brought three hot budget hatches to the drag strip. The contenders were the Hyundai i20 N, the Ford Fiesta ST, and the Volkswagen Polo GTI. All of them make in the whereabouts of 200 horsepower. The fact that every car has an aspect where it shines the best and is better than its competitors makes up for an interesting race. Which hatch do you have your money on?