In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, individuals and organizations alike are coming together to help support relief efforts. We took special notice when we saw just how many car manufacturers are doing the same - and making a big impact while they are at it. Here are just a few examples: 

BMW Group, whose North American sales headquarters is in New Jersey, has donated $1 million to the Red Cross in an effort to aid the many who are in need in affected areas. In addition to such a large donation, BMW is encouraging their employees across the nation to volunteer their time and money to relief efforts.

Mazda has contributed $100,000 to the American Red Cross towards Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Additionally, The Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. Board of Trustees have approved grants of $5,000 each to be donated to two food banks in the impacted area surrounding Mazda’s North East Region office.

Chevrolet got creative and has donated 50 Silverado full-size pickup trucks and express cargo vans to the American Red Cross for use in relief and recovery in the affected areas. Each of these vehicles will come with 300 OnStar Hands-Free Calling Minutes and three months of its directions and connections plan, which includes turn-by-turn navigation services. Additionally, the GM Foundation donated $250,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program.

Ford Motor Company and its employees have contributed $50,000 to the American Red Cross relief efforts. They are an active partner in the 2012 Red Cross Disaster Program, and have been partners with the Red Cross for more than 30 years!

Hyundai  Motor America is set to donate $500,000 to the Red Cross. Additionally, Hyundai is encouraging their employees, dealer network, and vendor partners to volunteer or provide support in any way they can.

In a time of devastation across our Eastern Seaboard, it is both hopeful and encouraging to see car makers pulling together and giving back to the community in a very big way.

If fun is on your road trip to-do list, the Veloster Turbo should be right below it. The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is equal parts fun, style, and performance.

From the outside, the Veloster is hard to miss. A unique three-door design makes it much easier for backseat passengers to get in and out, while also giving the car a look that we think is pretty cool. LED headlight accents allow for incredible vision on the road as well as a sharp look. The cool isn’t over yet though. A centered, chrome-tipped dual exhaust system looks and sounds impressive. Pair that with 18’’ alloy wheels with chrome (or color) accents and the Veloster Turbo is suddenly the coolest car on the block.

Road trippin’ on windy roads? You’ll have a blast. The Veloster Turbo’s Motor Drive Power Steering allows for incredibly tight and responsive turning wherever your trip may take you. A 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injected turbo-charged engine packs in a powerful 201 HP designed to keep you moving. Surely though, all this power and responsive handling must come at a cost, right? Wrong. The Veloster’s 38 MPG gives you a range of more than 500 miles on one tank of gas. Handling, speed, distance—what else matters?

The Veloster’s interior, believe it or not, just may be the car’s biggest achievement. A tech guru’s dream, the Veloster is a glorified media room on wheels. A 7” multimedia touchscreen is home to navigation, satellite radio, Pandora, your iPod and your Xbox 360 (Yes, even your Xbox). An eight-speaker, 450 watt sound system is sure to keep your music playing loud and clear. Hyundai’s own Blue Link turns your Veloster into your personal assistant. Get the weather, find a restaurant, send text messages, and get directions—all with the power of your voice. Blue Link even allows drivers to unlock and start their car from a smartphone app or toll-free number. Comprehensive vehicle maintenance reports, along with speed and location information helps you make certain your Veloster is being driving how and when you want it—even when you’re not in it

The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is the road trip car of your dreams. Fuel efficient, fun to drive, and packed with technology, the Veloster Turbo is a tough car to beat.

 

Will Hyundai join the ranks of many other automakers and join the pickup truck market…not likely.  “Our brand resonates best with families, there’s tremendous upside for us in crossovers.  More seven-passenger crossover capacity is No. 1 on our priority list for the U.S.,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai President and CEO.

But what about Kia, what are their plans? No official word has been received from Kia, but the brand has certainly demonstrated its willingness to explore other segments. If auto show concepts are any indication of where Kia may be headed a pickup truck could surely be in Kia’s future. At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Kia unveiled the Soul’ster; a compact, sporty two-door truck derived from Kia’s Soul.

Kia certainly has a lot of interesting design and technology options at its disposal; but if they do decide to enter this popular market it will certainly require a new assembly plant and some serious modifications to any existing facilities.

For now we’ll just have to wait and see what either Kia or Hyundai do.  With rising gas prices the auto industry may see another drop in interest in big trucks like it did in 2008; if this is the case Kia may need to reconsider its new path.