Hyundai Announces Pricing For Blue Link Service

Hyundai announces pricing for Blue Link Service.

Fresh off of winning two major honors for its innovative Blue Link system at the recent 9th Annual Telematics Update Awards, Hyundai provided an important telematics update of its own by announcing that Blue Link service would be available to its drivers for as little as $79.

Blue Link, which is set to debut this summer on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata and roll out through the majority of the Hyundai lineup by 2013, will offer more than 30 different connectivity features and safety services, available in three different packages:

Assurance—Designed to offer enhanced peace of mind for Hyundai owners, the Blue Link Assurance package allows drivers to contact emergency and/or roadside assistance specialists with a push of a button; in addition, if a collision with an air-bag deployment occurs, the system can automatically establish contact with a trained response specialist even without the need for driver action. MSRP: $79 for one year, $139 for two years and $198 for three years.

Essentials—This package includes all Assurance functionality as well as remote door lock/unlock, remote horn/lights activation and remote start, all using a toll-free phone number, website or mobile phone app. Also included are a number of connectivity features, like hands-free text messaging (enhanced by Blue Link’s exclusive Agent-Assisted Voice Recognition system) and location sharing, as well as a quick reference guide to vehicle functions and Service Link, which simplifies scheduling service appointments.

Vehicle self-diagnostics is another part of the Essential package, as is a suite of services designed to monitor the vehicle’s location, speed and time of use, to ensure, for example, a teen driver or valet is operating the vehicle responsibly. MSRP: $179 for one year, $315 for two years and $448 for three years.

Guidance—Turn-by-turn directions for vehicles that do not have on-board navigation systems, a wide range of point-of-interest resources (including the ability to download POI information from select websites), route guidance, traffic and weather data, gas station locations and fuel prices, and even restaurant ratings are all in the mix with the Guidance package, which also includes all services available in the Assurance and Essentials packages. Plus, this package includes guidance of another kind—an Eco-Coach service that monitors and reports on a driver’s fuel use and emissions to help coach more efficient driving. MSRP: $279 for one year, $491 for two years and $699 for three years.

To help introduce Blue Link to customers, Hyundai will offer complimentary Assurance service for six months, and free Essentials and Guidance for three months, on all new Blue Link-equipped Hyundai vehicles. And if customers decide to renew their service within 30 days of vehicle purchase, the complimentary subscriptions extend to a full year for Assurance and six months each for Essentials and Guidance.

“Blue Link combines safety, service and infotainment into a complete package that works to both help simplify Hyundai owners’ lives and reduce distracted driving,” said Barry Ratzlaff, director of customer satisfaction and service business development, Hyundai Motor America. “We’ve carefully studied how drivers rely on smart phones and navigation systems as an innovative link to the outside world. Blue Link brings that seamless connectivity directly into the car.”

Read more: http://www.hyundaiinthenews.com/hyundais-sets-pricing-for-new-telematicsconnectivity-system/#more-989

How are cars becoming more user-friendly?

Are we approaching an era of self-driving cars?

“Fred Flintstone had a car that he had to power with his own feet; by that standard, all of today's cars are pretty easy to use. But cars are becoming even more user-friendly -- so user-friendly, in fact, that they may not even require a user at all. That's because much of the new car technology involves taking over the role of the driver.

For instance, no longer does a driver need to mind the blind spots, as certain cars come with detection systems that will alert the operator to obstacles in other lanes. If a driver should start to drowse off and drift into another lane, the steering wheel will shake or a voice will alert the driver to what's happening. Gone are the days of manually changing the cruise control speed when the car in front of you slows down -- now, adaptive cruise control uses radar to track the speed of that car and adjust the speed on its own. And since cars with adaptive cruise control can sense just how much space separates them from other cars, they can go into panic mode when cars ahead start hitting their brakes.

But you needn't fear a world of self-driving cars just yet. According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, drivers want features that improve safety, but they're not ready to turn over complete control of the road to a machine just yet [source: Adams]. In other words, while drivers may like alerts about a car in their blind spots, they want to be the ones that adjust their cars to account for it. And the same survey found that drivers are willing to keep their eyes on the road despite the goodies that new cars are offering; fancy features like WiFi or temperature-controlled cupholders are at the bottom of drivers' wish lists, perhaps indicating that drivers know they need to focus on driving, not on checking the latest sports scores online.

While today's drivers may be wary of cars that do too much for them, that doesn't mean they don't appreciate a little help and convenience. Keyless ignition systems save drivers the hassle of looking for their keys, new fuel tank caps that don't require a lot of turning can save time at the gas station, and self-repairing paint, which covers a scratch as soon as it occurs, eliminates the ordeal and expense of the body shop.”

Read more: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/cars-more-user-friendly.htm

Hyundai Hope On Wheels

A very worth cause. Read on for more details.

Every 36 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. When you visit Laurel Hyundai during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, make sure to offer your support by purchasing an official Hope on Wheels handprint or decal. All proceeds benefit childhood cancer research, so make sure to tell your friends!

To support National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September and as part of the second annual Hope Grant September program Hyundai Hope on Wheels will award a record breaking $7.1 million to 71 pediatric cancer research projects and programs at Children’s Oncology Group (COG) institutions across the country. Since 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels and its more than 800 dealers have been committed to fighting childhood cancer, raising awareness by collecting thousands of children's handprints and committing to date more than $43 million to finding a cure.

 

For more details or to read more please visit: www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org