New York: Checking out the Hyundai Equus in person

If you think the Genesis sedan is nice, wait'll you get a load of Hyundai's home-market luxu-flagship, the Equus. The automaker has one prominently on display here at the New York Auto Show this week, and while it's supposed to merely be a "Look, this is how awesome we can be" thing (there's no plan for the Equus to be sold here at this time), you can bet Hyundai is taking note of people's reactions. Outside, the Equus is more ornate than the Genesis, with a bright grille, highly-polished wheels and a pedestrian-impaling hood ornament. The sheetmetal details are nice, too. We especially dig the subtle fender bulges over the rear wheels.

While that's all well and good, it's inside the cabin where the Equus shows that it's truly meant to do battle against the likes of the Mercedes S-Class, Lexus LS and BMW 7 Series. All the toys are present: push-button start, a console-mounted control interface for the in-car systems, classy wood accents, upmarket switchgear, and even Grey Poupon snack trays for the rear passengers. Oh, those rear passengers get massaging back seats, as well. It's very impressive looking and it stinks of quality. If Hyundai ever decides to gamble and attack the next price segment up from the Genesis sedan, they clearly have the ammo to do so. The Equus is the real deal.

New Kia Sorento gets its video debut

The outgoing Kia Sorento may be known more for its affordable price tag than its luxury appointments, but the Korean automaker is looking to change that with a 2010 overhaul. And when we say overhaul, the transformation is complete, save for the carryover name. The new Sorento goes from a body-on-frame SUV to a unibody crossover. Not only does the new Sorento have a third row of seats and more cargo space, it'll likely return superior fuel economy as well. The new Kia Sorento also wears more modern-looking sheet metal, a better looking interior, and amenities like iPod support. Engines for the US market haven't yet been announced, but we're expecting Kia's 3.8L V6 and a base 2.4L four cylinder model.

We've seen plenty of the Sorento in photos, and now we've got the first video of Kia's new crossover in motion. Hit the jump to watch. The onscreen text is Korean, but the spoken audio is done in English.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

VIDEO: Drifting 101 with world champion Rhys Millen

Hyundai has set up a new YouTube channel where it's going to be posting videos featuring its cars. The first couple of clips come from the Genesis coupe press intro that just took place in Nevada. You can read Mike Harley's report on that later this week.

In the meantime, check out drifting champion Rhys Millen explaining how drifting competitions are judged and what sort of changes his team had to make to Genesis to turn it into a drift car. Warning: if screeching tires, shredded rubber and lots of smoke make you squeamish, you might want to avoid this.

Hyundai goes blue in Paris

Hyundai is headed to the Paris Motor Show with a bevy of environmentally friendly models and concepts. In addition to bringing along production-intent vehicles like the new i20, Genesis Coupe and Genesis sedan, the automaker will showcase two new concepts that will also carry its blue theme. Remember, blue is the new green.

Anyway, the i20 blue features aero tweaks and low rolling-resistance tires in order to improve its efficiency, but it's the Santa Fe hybrid that's a bit more interesting. That new model features an electric motor that puts out 30kW of power along with a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine. Both powerplants feed their power through a six-speed automatic transmission with revised gear ratios optimized for fuel savings. A 270V lithium-polymer battery pack sends the juice to the electric motor, and it all adds up to 38 mpg in the U.S. and carbon emissions of 148 g/km. We'll be in Paris to see these things up close and personal, so stay tuned.