Peugeot Creates the Frenchest (Study: Weirdest) Food Truck Ever

If meals trucks are about as hipster as one can get, what about a meals truck as reimagined through a French lens? Thank the stars for Peugeot, then, as we now know how the French would fry up such a vehicle. In this case, it unfolds like a Micro Machines case and is emblazoned with”Le Bistrot du Lion” signage. Sure, food trucks aid keep Austin weird, but this Peugeot keeps alive the notion that when it comes to style, the French exist on a plane numerous levels beyond weird and to the left. Let’s dive in.

Le Bistrot du Lion is Peugeot’s idea of a cheeky name—Peugeot’s logo is a lion, and it now has its own restaurant!—and the rest of the truck is equally silly, even as it’s eminently sensible. Equipped with “everything required to feed 30 patrons,” the Peugeot truck and its matching trailer pack a collection of standing tables, 2 grilling plates, 4 induction burners, and a deep fryer. There’s also a 14.1-cubic-foot refrigerated compartment beneath the floor and a 12.4-cube refrigerator for drinks up prime. The trailer, naturally, houses a full-blown expert espresso operation.

Up until this point, the Peugeot idea follows relatively typical food-truck practices, albeit with a Jenga-like flair and some Euro frippery. Properly, prepare for a heavy dose of étrange. The truck gets a 46-inch show and a Focal sound method so that “foodies can watch the chef’s each move” and hear “even the faintest sizzle of food on the stovetop with astounding accuracy.” It does not cease there: The Focal speakers “are wonderful for live sound when hooked up to the Le Bistrot du Lion mix table, which French DJs Adriano and The Reflex took for its first spin.” As far as we can tell, the DJs don’t spin crêpes backwards, but we can say that remixed sizzling sounds are something only the French could consider up.

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If you uncover oneself in Milan, Italy, around April 14, you can see the Peugeot meals truck—and probably grab a bite to the tantalizing soundtrack of cooking food—at Milan Design and style Week 2015. The truck will then set up next to the French Pavilion at the 2015 World’s Fair in Milan. We believe it’d match in in Austin or Portland just fine—although perhaps the only point missing for U.S. operation at this point is Guy Fieri in a French maid costume. Or perhaps we meant a French mime costume. Our apologies—frosted tips and loud sizzling noises can be disorienting.

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Peugeot Creates the Frenchest (Study: Weirdest) Food Truck Ever

These Are the 15 Greatest Toyotas Ever Constructed

The storied rise of Toyota Motor Corporation from a maker of automatic textile looms to the largest and most profitable automaker in the globe has been well documented. With hundreds of millions of sturdy, reputable workaday cars and trucks created over a span of nearly 80 years, distilling the 15 greatest ’Yotas of all time need to be child’s play, correct? So we believed. If you skipped this introduction to first scan our list, possibly you have a handful of suggestions of your own. Hold in thoughts that this is a list primarily based on cars sold in the United States. There have been memorable Toyotas proffered elsewhere, but these are the Toyotas that had the greatest influence right here in America.

15) 1999 Lexus RX300

Toyota’s luxury division had a strong reputation for top quality and high-worth luxury automobiles. Then the RX300 came along and gave it sales to match. Before the RX300, the simple mid-size-SUV formula involved grafting a wagon body onto a pickup-truck frame. The RX300 (and the ill-fated Pontiac Aztek) pioneered the move of SUVs to passenger-car platforms. The formula proved so successful—for Lexus, not Pontiac—that the RX300 at a single time represented much more than 40 % of Lexus sales. It was the starting of the brand’s domination of the mid-size luxury-crossover segment.

14) 2000 Toyota Tundra

Soon after diddling about with the T100, an almost-full-size pickup that was larger than the mid-size Tacoma but smaller sized than the Ford F-series, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram, Toyota lastly took on the Americans with the Tundra, its 1st full-size truck. Difficult the Americans in the highest-profit, highest-volume segment they nevertheless dominate was a daring move, and it’s nonetheless an experiment that’s waiting to pay off.

13) 2008 NASCAR Toyota Camry

Toyota entered NASCAR’s premiere series in 2007. But it wasn’t till March 9, 2008 (the 4th race of the season), when Kyle Busch drove the Joe Gibbs Racing Camry “Car of Tomorrow” to victory in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway that the firm scored its 1st win. NASCAR = America and Toyota = NASCAR . . . you do the math.

12) 1985 Toyota MR2

The rear-drive Corolla Sport’s drivetrain was repurposed to sporty impact in this mid-engine 2-seat box. The first-generation MR2 remains one of the most lovable and rewarding-to-drive cars of the 1980s.

11) 1983 Toyota Celica Supra

With a fully independent suspension, a lusty 2.8-liter DOHC inline-6 in its nose, the greatest seats offered at any value, and wide fender flares more than wide 14-inch wheels, this was the initial Supra that was straightforward to appreciate. A tap-in for our 1st-ever 10Best list in 1983, it’s still gorgeous today.

10) 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S

This was an overwhelmingly simple and lightweight auto packing a 112-hp DOHC 16-valve inline-4 in an aerodynamic body. But it has grown into a legend—the mighty AE86—thanks to Initial D and the improvement of drifting. Yes, Corolla is the bestselling car nameplate of all time. But this is the one Corolla worth loving.

9) 2011 Lexus LFA

Toyota aims to develop the ideal car in the planet and winds up with this $ 375,000 carbon-fiber flying wedge with a 4.8-liter V-10 featuring 72-degrees in between its cylinder banks, a 9000-rpm redline, a 9500-rpm fuel cutoff, and 553-horsepower at a screaming 8700 rpm. It was ridiculous in all the very best attainable techniques.

8) 1971 Toyota Celica ST

Toyota had pretty a lot sent only ordinary and utilitarian machinery to America before the Celica. But by applying Ford’s Mustang style formula to the pedestrian mechanical bits of the Carina (sold here only briefly in the early 1970s), Toyota developed an immediate hit. This was the 1st indication that Toyota had true ambitions to be a lot more than a maker of commodity automobiles.

7) 1990 Lexus LS400

This premium luxury sedan basically rocked the globe when it inaugurated the Lexus luxury brand. Assembled with the develop top quality of a Mercedes-Benz, finished greater than a Rolls-Royce, and powered by an utterly silent 250-hp, 4.-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, it carried an absurdly low $ 35,000 base price tag. Toyota was obviously aiming at world domination, and the LS400 was a shot over the bow of properly-established luxury automakers such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Jaguar.

6) 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo

A missile cleverly disguised as a missile, the 4th-generation Toyota Supra—particularly in 320-hp, twin- sequential-turbocharged form—may nicely be the most accessible supercar ever. Although it developed a mighty reputation throughout a production run that lasted by means of 2002 (it was withdrawn from the U.S. right after 1998), its accurate heroism became apparent only when owners began applying more enhance and far more aftermarket gadgetry to the 3.-liter DOHC 24-valve iron-block straight-6. Yeah, 400 horsepower was easy, and 500 was there with no even turning a web page in the HKS catalog. But then items got nuttier and nuttier as claimed outputs swelled into the 4-digit variety. This is the vehicle that produced Vin Diesel–grade insanity component of the Toyota tradition.

5) 1965 Toyota Corona

Toyota was a marginal player in the American industry till the Corona arrived and established it as a maker of rugged and dependable loved ones transportation. With its distinctive wedge nose and bolt-upright greenhouse, the T40- and T50-series Coronas became the 1st automobiles Americans could instantaneously identify as Toyotas. That Toyota survived lengthy adequate to thrive in America is all due to this car.

4) 1967 Toyota 2000GT

Delicate, stunning, powered by a jewel of a 6-cylinder engine, and featured in a James Bond movie, the 2000GT sports car is the 1st correct Japanese classic and the vehicle most individuals default to calling Toyota’s very best. But great as it undeniably is, there have been only 351 (or probably 337) created amongst 1967 and 1970 and it was Yamaha that assembled them.

3) 1960 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

The Land Cruiser is the beast that has carried each and every burden thrown atop it in each and every corner of the earth. And the Cruiser that is worth remembering is the FJ40 that appeared 1st in 1960. Bigger and far more robust than previous versions of the Cruiser, the FJ40 was plain hard. It wasn’t sophisticated or luxurious, and it was quite agricultural in operation. But that is precisely what it needed to be. The FJ40 continued nearly unchanged for far more than 20 years, a tribute to its brutishly powerful design. In 1983, the last new a single was sold in the United States, while the last one particular rolled off the line in Japan in 1984—a complete 24 years right after it was introduced.

2) 1964 Toyota Stout

No matter whether you call it Hilux or “Pickup” or Tacoma, the compact Toyota truck is the heart and soul of the brand. It is the Toyota you’ll see everyplace on the planet—sometimes with machine guns or anti-aircraft rockets mounted in the bed. The first Toyota pickup sold in America was the 1964 Stout powered by an 85-hp 1.9-liter 4-cylinder. Square-rigged and difficult, it has set a standard that Toyota has assiduously kept for half a century. Everyone has owned a compact Toyota pickup—or at least everyone knows somebody who has owned one—and it’s probably that a number of much more yet-to-be-born generations will, as properly.

1) 1992 Toyota Camry

It is not the first Camry or the very first one assembled in America, but it’s the initial actually American Camry. Constructed like an anvil with limousine-style doors, featuring an interior much more comfy than most Hiltons, and hunting like a scaled-down Lexus LS, this generation of Camry is almost everything any American has ever wanted in a Toyota. It’s not thrilling or flashy, it is just a brilliantly conceived and executed appliance. Of course the 1992 Camry is the greatest Toyota of all time. Created with the American industry in mind, the XV10 Camry was wider than Toyotas constructed to Japanese tax laws. And it was that accommodation to American sensibilities that instantly had this Camry tearing up the sales charts. Subsequent Camrys are regularly among the quite bestselling vehicles in America ever since. Toyota has created some great sports automobiles, played around and won some races, and its trucks have earned mighty reputations for toughness. But this third-generation Camry is the Toyota that produced the brand an American auto business.

These Are the 15 Greatest Toyotas Ever Constructed

These Are the 15 Greatest Toyotas Ever Constructed

The storied rise of Toyota Motor Corporation from a maker of automatic textile looms to the largest and most lucrative automaker in the world has been nicely documented. With hundreds of millions of tough, reputable workaday cars and trucks created over a span of almost 80 years, distilling the 15 greatest ’Yotas of all time ought to be child’s play, right? So we thought. If you skipped this introduction to first scan our list, maybe you have a couple of ideas of your own. Keep in thoughts that this is a list primarily based on autos sold in the United States. There have been memorable Toyotas proffered elsewhere, but these are the Toyotas that had the greatest effect here in America.

15) 1999 Lexus RX300

Toyota’s luxury division had a strong reputation for high quality and higher-value luxury automobiles. Then the RX300 came along and gave it sales to match. Ahead of the RX300, the standard mid-size-SUV formula involved grafting a wagon physique onto a pickup-truck frame. The RX300 (and the ill-fated Pontiac Aztek) pioneered the move of SUVs to passenger-auto platforms. The formula proved so successful—for Lexus, not Pontiac—that the RX300 at one time represented far more than 40 % of Lexus sales. It was the starting of the brand’s domination of the mid-size luxury-crossover segment.

14) 2000 Toyota Tundra

Soon after diddling about with the T100, an almost-full-size pickup that was larger than the mid-size Tacoma but smaller sized than the Ford F-series, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram, Toyota ultimately took on the Americans with the Tundra, its 1st complete-size truck. Challenging the Americans in the highest-profit, highest-volume segment they still dominate was a daring move, and it’s still an experiment that’s waiting to spend off.

13) 2008 NASCAR Toyota Camry

Toyota entered NASCAR’s premiere series in 2007. But it wasn’t till March 9, 2008 (the 4th race of the season), when Kyle Busch drove the Joe Gibbs Racing Camry “Car of Tomorrow” to victory in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway that the business scored its very first win. NASCAR = America and Toyota = NASCAR . . . you do the math.

12) 1985 Toyota MR2

The rear-drive Corolla Sport’s drivetrain was repurposed to sporty effect in this mid-engine 2-seat box. The 1st-generation MR2 remains one of the most lovable and rewarding-to-drive automobiles of the 1980s.

11) 1983 Toyota Celica Supra

With a fully independent suspension, a lusty 2.8-liter DOHC inline-6 in its nose, the ideal seats available at any value, and wide fender flares over wide 14-inch wheels, this was the very first Supra that was easy to appreciate. A tap-in for our very first-ever 10Best list in 1983, it’s nonetheless beautiful nowadays.

10) 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S

This was an overwhelmingly straightforward and lightweight automobile packing a 112-hp DOHC 16-valve inline-4 in an aerodynamic physique. But it has grown into a legend—the mighty AE86—thanks to Initial D and the improvement of drifting. Yes, Corolla is the bestselling automobile nameplate of all time. But this is the one particular Corolla worth loving.

9) 2011 Lexus LFA

Toyota aims to construct the very best vehicle in the world and winds up with this $ 375,000 carbon-fiber flying wedge with a 4.8-liter V-10 featuring 72-degrees among its cylinder banks, a 9000-rpm redline, a 9500-rpm fuel cutoff, and 553-horsepower at a screaming 8700 rpm. It was ridiculous in all the best achievable approaches.

8) 1971 Toyota Celica ST

Toyota had pretty much sent only ordinary and utilitarian machinery to America just before the Celica. But by applying Ford’s Mustang design formula to the pedestrian mechanical bits of the Carina (sold here only briefly in the early 1970s), Toyota created an instant hit. This was the very first indication that Toyota had genuine ambitions to be far more than a maker of commodity vehicles.

7) 1990 Lexus LS400

This premium luxury sedan merely rocked the globe when it inaugurated the Lexus luxury brand. Assembled with the develop top quality of a Mercedes-Benz, completed better than a Rolls-Royce, and powered by an utterly silent 250-hp, 4.-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, it carried an absurdly low $ 35,000 base price. Toyota was certainly aiming at world domination, and the LS400 was a shot more than the bow of effectively-established luxury automakers such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Jaguar.

6) 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo

A missile cleverly disguised as a missile, the 4th-generation Toyota Supra—particularly in 320-hp, twin- sequential-turbocharged form—may well be the most accessible supercar ever. Even though it created a mighty reputation in the course of a production run that lasted through 2002 (it was withdrawn from the U.S. after 1998), its accurate heroism became apparent only when owners started applying far more enhance and far more aftermarket gadgetry to the 3.-liter DOHC 24-valve iron-block straight-6. Yeah, 400 horsepower was easy, and 500 was there with no even turning a web page in the HKS catalog. But then items got nuttier and nuttier as claimed outputs swelled into the 4-digit variety. This is the automobile that created Vin Diesel–grade insanity part of the Toyota tradition.

5) 1965 Toyota Corona

Toyota was a marginal player in the American industry until the Corona arrived and established it as a maker of rugged and reputable household transportation. With its distinctive wedge nose and bolt-upright greenhouse, the T40- and T50-series Coronas became the very first vehicles Americans could instantly identify as Toyotas. That Toyota survived lengthy enough to thrive in America is all due to this automobile.

4) 1967 Toyota 2000GT

Delicate, beautiful, powered by a jewel of a 6-cylinder engine, and featured in a James Bond film, the 2000GT sports auto is the first accurate Japanese classic and the vehicle most individuals default to calling Toyota’s best. But great as it undeniably is, there were only 351 (or maybe 337) produced in between 1967 and 1970 and it was Yamaha that assembled them.

3) 1960 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

The Land Cruiser is the beast that has carried each and every burden thrown atop it in each and every corner of the earth. And the Cruiser that’s worth remembering is the FJ40 that appeared initial in 1960. Bigger and a lot more robust than previous versions of the Cruiser, the FJ40 was plain difficult. It wasn’t sophisticated or luxurious, and it was pretty agricultural in operation. But that’s specifically what it required to be. The FJ40 continued nearly unchanged for a lot more than 20 years, a tribute to its brutishly efficient style. In 1983, the final new one particular was sold in the United States, while the final one rolled off the line in Japan in 1984—a complete 24 years following it was introduced.

2) 1964 Toyota Stout

Regardless of whether you get in touch with it Hilux or “Pickup” or Tacoma, the compact Toyota truck is the heart and soul of the brand. It is the Toyota you’ll see everyplace on the planet—sometimes with machine guns or anti-aircraft rockets mounted in the bed. The first Toyota pickup sold in America was the 1964 Stout powered by an 85-hp 1.9-liter 4-cylinder. Square-rigged and challenging, it has set a common that Toyota has assiduously kept for half a century. Every person has owned a compact Toyota pickup—or at least everyone knows somebody who has owned one—and it is probably that many far more however-to-be-born generations will, as effectively.

1) 1992 Toyota Camry

It’s not the 1st Camry or the 1st one assembled in America, but it’s the initial actually American Camry. Built like an anvil with limousine-style doors, featuring an interior far more comfortable than most Hiltons, and looking like a scaled-down Lexus LS, this generation of Camry is everything any American has ever wanted in a Toyota. It is not exciting or flashy, it is just a brilliantly conceived and executed appliance. Of course the 1992 Camry is the greatest Toyota of all time. Made with the American market place in mind, the XV10 Camry was wider than Toyotas built to Japanese tax laws. And it was that accommodation to American sensibilities that quickly had this Camry tearing up the sales charts. Subsequent Camrys are frequently amongst the extremely bestselling vehicles in America ever considering that. Toyota has produced some fantastic sports cars, played around and won some races, and its trucks have earned mighty reputations for toughness. But this third-generation Camry is the Toyota that created the brand an American auto business.

These Are the 15 Greatest Toyotas Ever Constructed

Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Hyundai, one of the top-selling brands globally and in South Africa, saw its brand value post another 2-digit growth into the top 40 in 2014 for the first time – fueled by the successful launch of products such as the new Genesis, as well as the successful implementation of its Modern Premium brand direction.

The brand value of Hyundai Motor Company, which has been included in Interbrand’;s Best 100 Global Brands for 10 consecutive years, surpassed the $ 10 billion mark for the first time, its highest record so far. This is a 16% increase from last year’;s $ 9 billion value and a nearly 200% jump from its $ 3,5 billion value in 2005.

“Hyundai Motor is one of the fastest growing automotive brands in terms of both volume and brand value,” Interbrand said in a statement. “Hyundai Motor makes unique convenience features available across a broader range of vehicles to enhance driving experience and customer satisfaction, while its commitment to brand building extends to multiple touchpoints.

“As a result of these efforts, brand awareness of product attributes like design and the kind of brand loyalty that comes from an emotional connection are becoming key drivers over price.”

Hyundai Motor, whose brand value ranking rose 3 notches to reach the top global 40 ranking for the first time this year, is building a loyal fan base through continued enhancements in its product lineup, including innovative eco-friendly products such as the world’;s first assembly-line produced ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle.

Ongoing investment in the brand, such as active involvement in high-profile sports marketing activites with UEFA, FIFA, and the World Rally Championships also continue. In Seoul, the automaker opened its first brand experience space, Hyundai Motorstudio, while a second one is scheduled to open in Moscow later this year.

Hyundai Motor’;s ranking rose 44 notches since 2005, when it first announced its shift to brand management. Also, the brand value has increased an average of 20% each year after the company introduced its new brand direction in 2011, called “Modern Premium”, which has been creating not only a unified image for the brand worldwide, but also an emotional connection with its customers.

“We’;re implementing a wide variety of brand-related activites that aren’;t simply focused on increasing sales, but are aimed at becoming a brand that our customers genuinely love,” said Won Hong Cho, Hyundai Motor’;s chief marketing officer. “We will continue to invest in our brand, by providing Hyundai Motor’;s unique premium experience in all aspects of the customer’;s journey with our brand.”

Hyundai announced its latest brand direction, “Modern Premium”, and slogan, “New Thinking. New Possibilities.”, at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Since then, a wide range of Hyundai Motor’;s divisions including product development, design, marketing, sales and after sales, have applied the direction to their work in a sustainable, consistent and systematic way. Enhanced global brand awareness and preference of the Hyundai brand through such efforts contributed to the increase in global sales and profits.

The Interbrand rankings are calculated using companies’; financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities, while also reflecting each brand’;s potential profit.

Automotive Brand Rankings

Rank (Auto)	Brand	Brand Value (US$ billion)		2014 Rank (total)
		?	Y-o-Y
1	Toyota	42,4	19,9%	8
2	Mercedes-Benz	34,3	7,6%	10
3	BMW	34,2	7,5%	11
4	Honda	21,7	17,2%	20
5	VW	13.7	23,3%	31
6	Ford	10,9	18,5%	39
7	Hyundai	10,4	15,6%	40
8	Audi	9,8	26,6%	45
9	Nissan	7,6	22,9%	56
10	Porsche	7,2	10,8%	60
11	Kia	5,4	14,6%	74
12	Chevrolet	5,0	10,0%	82
13	Land Rover	4,5	new	91

;

Hyundai Motor’;s Brand Value (2005 – 2014)

Year	Brand Value (US$ billion)	Rank (total)
2005	3,5	84
2006	4,1	75
2007	4,5	72
2008	4,8	72
2009	4,6	69
2010	5,0	65
2011	6,0	61
2012	7,5	53
2013	9,0	43
2014	10,4	40

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Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Hyundai, one of the top-selling brands globally and in South Africa, saw its brand value post another 2-digit growth into the top 40 in 2014 for the first time – fueled by the successful launch of products such as the new Genesis, as well as the successful implementation of its Modern Premium brand direction.

The brand value of Hyundai Motor Company, which has been included in Interbrand’;s Best 100 Global Brands for 10 consecutive years, surpassed the $ 10 billion mark for the first time, its highest record so far. This is a 16% increase from last year’;s $ 9 billion value and a nearly 200% jump from its $ 3,5 billion value in 2005.

“Hyundai Motor is one of the fastest growing automotive brands in terms of both volume and brand value,” Interbrand said in a statement. “Hyundai Motor makes unique convenience features available across a broader range of vehicles to enhance driving experience and customer satisfaction, while its commitment to brand building extends to multiple touchpoints.

“As a result of these efforts, brand awareness of product attributes like design and the kind of brand loyalty that comes from an emotional connection are becoming key drivers over price.”

Hyundai Motor, whose brand value ranking rose 3 notches to reach the top global 40 ranking for the first time this year, is building a loyal fan base through continued enhancements in its product lineup, including innovative eco-friendly products such as the world’;s first assembly-line produced ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle.

Ongoing investment in the brand, such as active involvement in high-profile sports marketing activites with UEFA, FIFA, and the World Rally Championships also continue. In Seoul, the automaker opened its first brand experience space, Hyundai Motorstudio, while a second one is scheduled to open in Moscow later this year.

Hyundai Motor’;s ranking rose 44 notches since 2005, when it first announced its shift to brand management. Also, the brand value has increased an average of 20% each year after the company introduced its new brand direction in 2011, called “Modern Premium”, which has been creating not only a unified image for the brand worldwide, but also an emotional connection with its customers.

“We’;re implementing a wide variety of brand-related activites that aren’;t simply focused on increasing sales, but are aimed at becoming a brand that our customers genuinely love,” said Won Hong Cho, Hyundai Motor’;s chief marketing officer. “We will continue to invest in our brand, by providing Hyundai Motor’;s unique premium experience in all aspects of the customer’;s journey with our brand.”

Hyundai announced its latest brand direction, “Modern Premium”, and slogan, “New Thinking. New Possibilities.”, at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Since then, a wide range of Hyundai Motor’;s divisions including product development, design, marketing, sales and after sales, have applied the direction to their work in a sustainable, consistent and systematic way. Enhanced global brand awareness and preference of the Hyundai brand through such efforts contributed to the increase in global sales and profits.

The Interbrand rankings are calculated using companies’; financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities, while also reflecting each brand’;s potential profit.

Automotive Brand Rankings

Rank (Auto)	Brand	Brand Value (US$ billion)		2014 Rank (total)
		?	Y-o-Y
1	Toyota	42,4	19,9%	8
2	Mercedes-Benz	34,3	7,6%	10
3	BMW	34,2	7,5%	11
4	Honda	21,7	17,2%	20
5	VW	13.7	23,3%	31
6	Ford	10,9	18,5%	39
7	Hyundai	10,4	15,6%	40
8	Audi	9,8	26,6%	45
9	Nissan	7,6	22,9%	56
10	Porsche	7,2	10,8%	60
11	Kia	5,4	14,6%	74
12	Chevrolet	5,0	10,0%	82
13	Land Rover	4,5	new	91

;

Hyundai Motor’;s Brand Value (2005 – 2014)

Year	Brand Value (US$ billion)	Rank (total)
2005	3,5	84
2006	4,1	75
2007	4,5	72
2008	4,8	72
2009	4,6	69
2010	5,0	65
2011	6,0	61
2012	7,5	53
2013	9,0	43
2014	10,4	40

;

Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Hyundai, one of the top-selling brands globally and in South Africa, saw its brand value post another 2-digit growth into the top 40 in 2014 for the first time – fueled by the successful launch of products such as the new Genesis, as well as the successful implementation of its Modern Premium brand direction.

The brand value of Hyundai Motor Company, which has been included in Interbrand’;s Best 100 Global Brands for 10 consecutive years, surpassed the $ 10 billion mark for the first time, its highest record so far. This is a 16% increase from last year’;s $ 9 billion value and a nearly 200% jump from its $ 3,5 billion value in 2005.

“Hyundai Motor is one of the fastest growing automotive brands in terms of both volume and brand value,” Interbrand said in a statement. “Hyundai Motor makes unique convenience features available across a broader range of vehicles to enhance driving experience and customer satisfaction, while its commitment to brand building extends to multiple touchpoints.

“As a result of these efforts, brand awareness of product attributes like design and the kind of brand loyalty that comes from an emotional connection are becoming key drivers over price.”

Hyundai Motor, whose brand value ranking rose 3 notches to reach the top global 40 ranking for the first time this year, is building a loyal fan base through continued enhancements in its product lineup, including innovative eco-friendly products such as the world’;s first assembly-line produced ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle.

Ongoing investment in the brand, such as active involvement in high-profile sports marketing activites with UEFA, FIFA, and the World Rally Championships also continue. In Seoul, the automaker opened its first brand experience space, Hyundai Motorstudio, while a second one is scheduled to open in Moscow later this year.

Hyundai Motor’;s ranking rose 44 notches since 2005, when it first announced its shift to brand management. Also, the brand value has increased an average of 20% each year after the company introduced its new brand direction in 2011, called “Modern Premium”, which has been creating not only a unified image for the brand worldwide, but also an emotional connection with its customers.

“We’;re implementing a wide variety of brand-related activites that aren’;t simply focused on increasing sales, but are aimed at becoming a brand that our customers genuinely love,” said Won Hong Cho, Hyundai Motor’;s chief marketing officer. “We will continue to invest in our brand, by providing Hyundai Motor’;s unique premium experience in all aspects of the customer’;s journey with our brand.”

Hyundai announced its latest brand direction, “Modern Premium”, and slogan, “New Thinking. New Possibilities.”, at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Since then, a wide range of Hyundai Motor’;s divisions including product development, design, marketing, sales and after sales, have applied the direction to their work in a sustainable, consistent and systematic way. Enhanced global brand awareness and preference of the Hyundai brand through such efforts contributed to the increase in global sales and profits.

The Interbrand rankings are calculated using companies’; financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities, while also reflecting each brand’;s potential profit.

Automotive Brand Rankings

Rank (Auto)	Brand	Brand Value (US$ billion)		2014 Rank (total)
		?	Y-o-Y
1	Toyota	42,4	19,9%	8
2	Mercedes-Benz	34,3	7,6%	10
3	BMW	34,2	7,5%	11
4	Honda	21,7	17,2%	20
5	VW	13.7	23,3%	31
6	Ford	10,9	18,5%	39
7	Hyundai	10,4	15,6%	40
8	Audi	9,8	26,6%	45
9	Nissan	7,6	22,9%	56
10	Porsche	7,2	10,8%	60
11	Kia	5,4	14,6%	74
12	Chevrolet	5,0	10,0%	82
13	Land Rover	4,5	new	91

;

Hyundai Motor’;s Brand Value (2005 – 2014)

Year	Brand Value (US$ billion)	Rank (total)
2005	3,5	84
2006	4,1	75
2007	4,5	72
2008	4,8	72
2009	4,6	69
2010	5,0	65
2011	6,0	61
2012	7,5	53
2013	9,0	43
2014	10,4	40

;

Hyundai reaches highest ever brand value rating

Ever blown a gasket?

If your auto has ever blown a head gasket, you’ll be all too aware of that sinking feeling as you realise not only is your automobile now totally undriveable, it’ll also expense the ideal part of a family members vacation to get it back on the road once again.

Even though a blown head gasket can be ‘just one of these things’, there is evidence to suggest that some automobiles are much more susceptible to the issue than other people.

And if you know the warning indicators, you could get the dilemma fixed prior to you find your self stranded on the roadside with plumes of steam coming from your engine.

Automobiles that could blow their prime

If you drive a Daewoo, MG or Rover then it could be time to take a appear below the bonnet as information from customer warranty provider, Warranty Direct, has located these makes to be most probably to suffer head gasket failure.

Head gasket breakdowns tend to hit soon after the auto is at least 3 years old  – which is out of the warranty period for most makers – and charges an typical of £770 to repair.

And I can vouch for the glint in the mechanic’s eye when he sees he’s got a head gasket job on his hands as I’ve had 2 vehicles blow their gaskets, each on the exact same stretch of motorway.

While this was absolutely nothing much more than an unhappy coincidence, I could have avoided the second one quite easily had I just accomplished a bit much more analysis prior to getting – the auto in query was a 52-plate Rover 25, and I subsequently learned these vehicles are notorious for head gasket troubles, specifically as they hit the 70,000 to 80,000-mile mark.

Mine blew its prime at 77,000 miles.

The head gasket hall of shame

*It’s worth noting the analysis includes MG and Rover autos sold between 2002 and 2012 – there’s my 52-plate covered – when both brands had been undergoing a change of ownership and underwent significant adjustments.

Given that 2011, MG has been beneath the ownership of SAIC and has started introducing all-new autos.

At the other finish of the scale, the data shows cars created by Lexus and Aston Martin are the least susceptible, with fewer than one in 500 and a single in 1,000 respectively suffering from blown head gaskets.

So, what are the warning signs your automobile could be about to blow?

Blown head gasket – the warning indicators

The head gasket is positioned amongst the engine block and cylinder head and creates a seal to avoid engine oil and coolant mixing.

When it fails, the automobile will shed energy, overheat and emit white smoke from the exhaust.

The very first and most straightforward check you make is to take the oil cap off and verify the oil is not milky, you can also verify the oil on the dipstick.

This check is by no implies failsafe, even though, and so you should also verify your engine’s coolant levels.

If you notice your engine is overheating, the coolant is disappearing and there are no cracks or leaks in the coolant reservoir, take it to a garage to get it checked out.

They will verify for hydrocarbons, a presence of unburned fuel in the cooling system – if any is present, you are going to need to have to get the head gasket fixed or replaced.

Don’;t forget, prevention (in a garage) is ideal that remedy (following an unscheduled cease on the difficult shoulder).

Any head gasket tales of woe? Let us know in the box below…

Ever blown a gasket?

The 5 Hottest 2014 Paris Debuts That You will By no means, Ever Drive

As with any European auto show, the 2014 Paris event offered us Americans a prime, front-row seat to witness the debuts of a bunch of rad, attractive, higher-performance (and sometimes all 3!) Continent-only rides that we’ll never, ever, ever be capable to purchase. Our coping mechanism for this look-but-don’t-touch bind is to share our favourite Euro-market specials with you, lest we internalize our frustrations and, nicely, pop. Of course stuff like the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate—it’s a superfast wagon, duh—and the Volkswagen Tristar concept van/pickup and the wild Honda Civic Sort R will never come stateside, but there’s some hope for the other individuals. Nissan’s Pulsar hatchback would make a fantastic Sentra 5-door here, and the conceptual NISMO version would make a wonderful sporty plus-one to that party. The Volkswagen Golf Alltrack is not absurdly unprecedented, either just look to VW’s corporate buddy, Audi, which sells the related A4-based Allroad wagon. See? Isn’t it very good to just . . . let it out?

Honda Civic Sort R Idea

A second concept version (here’s the initial) of Honda’s extended-awaited, 4th-generation Civic Variety R will debut at the Paris auto show later this week before it tends to make it into European Honda showrooms sometime subsequent year. Read Much more ››

2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate

With out a doubt, the most recent C63—rechristened Mercedes-AMG C63 rather than Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG—is a fantastic beast. We haven’t driven the hottest C-class Benz yet, but with the base model putting down 469 horsepower and the further-zooty C63 S throwing down a 503-hp gauntlet, there’s no way it is not going to be wonderful, huge gobs of enjoyable, proper? In our thoughts, there’s just 1 way to make it greater, and that is to give it a bigger ass. Meet the C63 Estate. We want. Study Far more ››

Nissan Pulsar NISMO Notion

In the U.S., Nissan’s little-car lineup is like watching late-night skin flicks on Cinemax—you’re technically acquiring what you want, but a lot is left to be desired. In Europe, on the other hand, Nissan’s compact rides are considerably far more properly equipped and satisfying. Take, for example, the Nissan Note, a loose cousin to our Versa Note hatchback on the Continent, the Note is very practically a premium car. Here, the “Versa” badge marks it as deeply flawed. At the 2014 Paris auto show, Nissan showed off its latest European-marketplace compact—the Pulsar—and it follows the pattern by appearing a lot more intriguing than any modest vehicle the brand peddles to Americans. Read Much more ››

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

Virtually a quarter century ago, Volkswagen tried and failed to jump-start off the crossover segment in Europe. The Golf Nation, an ultratall version of the second-generation Golf, was launched in 1990 and killed prior to 1992. It certainly didn’t catch on. Read A lot more ››

Volkswagen Tristar Notion

Volkswagen is an auto company soon after our van-loving hearts sure, typical, everyday vans aren’t the coolest factors in the planet, but VW has been churning out a steady stream of awesome hauler variants—conceptual or otherwise—that truly get us going. Now, the automaker has unveiled its newest van-based creation, the Tristar concept, at the IAA commercial-automobile conference in Hannover, and it appears nothing like a van at all. Study Much more ››

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The 5 Hottest 2014 Paris Debuts That You will By no means, Ever Drive