Volkswagen Oem 5k0941006d Headlight-headlamp Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai shows its Blue2 hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicle in Seoul

Hyundai Motor Co. has unveiled a hydrogen fuel cell concept vehicle called the Blue2 that takes the South Korean automaker deeper into alternative-drivetrain territory. Hyundai is banking on the car to propel it to a leadership role in the race to commercialize fuel cell electric vehicles, a contest joined notably by such Japanese rivals as Honda Motor Co.

Mercedes-Benz scores double wins at German Design Council awards

Mercedes-Benz took home two design trophies from the 2014 German Design Council awards, winning Special Mentions for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class and the Ener-G-Force concept vehicle. The German Design Council traces its history back decades, and every year dozens of experts evaluate more than a thousand entries, with just a fraction of them being automotive designs. This year 30 well-known design experts judged approximately 1900 submissions, assessing a variety of design elements in picking their top choices, and this year a duo of Mercedes-Benz vehicles won the praise of design gurus.

A look at Toyota future products

Toyota has slipped behind competitors in drivetrain technology and now must play catch-up against the likes of Ford, Hyundai and Mazda. Much of Toyota's lag stems from engineering resources being diverted by the unintended acceleration crisis and other quality miscues in the past two years. Now expect Toyota to focus more on turbocharging and direct injection, and it may even bring a couple of diesels to the United States as part of midcycle changes.