Quickies: What I Drove At The MAMA Summer Drive
Now that I took a summer drive to the Midwest Automotive Media Association Summer Drive in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, let’s talk about what I drove at the Summer Drive.
Now that I took a summer drive to the Midwest Automotive Media Association Summer Drive in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, let’s talk about what I drove at the Summer Drive.
Is it a small sports coupe that sometimes act as a commuter? Or, could it be the most practical autocross and track weapon that you could drive daily?
Let’s face it, every new vehicle that goes through its debut phase is important to the bottom line and reputation of their respective brand and manufacturer. By introducing a new model that will be positioned for a specific segment, they are betting everything on it.
This time around, Hyundai infused a lot of design elements from its larger three-row cousin, the Palisade, into the Santa Fe. The result is something different, but actually the same.
The point of this train of thought is that you are never too old to get excited about working with a vehicle or write a story that excites you.
You can imagine how many contenders were for each year. Selecting one was tough, but I also did not want to repeat myself year-after-year with the same vehicle or brand. That was how the last list was set up.
The chance to write about four generations of Elantras – dating back to when I was renting the fourth-generation model and writing about it – is what this work is all about. To see the progress of a single model through multiple generations and watching the evolution – or, in some cases, revolution – of a vehicle.
However, the automotive world has evolved in the past decade. Sedans are fine, but you need an SUV to make any money. People want SUVs. That is the drumbeat of marketing teams across the industry.
Some will look at it from the lens of the global headlines. Headlines not worth repeating for the sake of keeping us in good spirits. Some will look at the overall challenge of navigating a year full of curve balls and emotional rollercoasters.
In the meantime, the automotive retail business has been working overtime to reinvent itself. They are hungry for inventory, while production is ramping up under safer conditions along the assembly lines. Used cars are becoming scarce, with some auction facilities laying off personnel. However, the rental car companies are trying to reduce excess fleet in the pall of financial issues due to a reduction in travel.