Hyundai’s been on a roll lately with some strong additions to its SUV lineup, and now they have turned their eyes to their existing SUVs that were due for a refresh to match their modernized design standards.
Among the latest vehicles to get a brand new look is the compact Hyundai Tucson SUV, and as an added bonus a sharp new trim level has been added called the N Line.
Competing in a segment packed with strong vehicles, from Ford’s Bronco Sport to Asian rivals Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4, Hyundai has to come out strong to compete in this popular class of SUVs.
I recently spent some time behind the wheel of a 2022 Tucson N Line model, and I’m back with a full report.
Additional Info
- Vehicle 2022 Hyundai Tucson
- Price as tested $33,670 (Starts at $25,500)
- Best feature Bold redesign, tech and safety features
- Rating 4 out of five stars
- Who will want this vehicle? SUV buyers looking for a fully updated, high-tech vehicle with a sharp look
As the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote many moons ago, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. Which is why it’s always good to have a strong backup plan in place.
In the case of the GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck, a fully refreshed model had been teased for release early in 2022 — featuring exterior and interior styling upgrades, updated infotainment system, among other changes.
But due to production delays caused by ongoing supply chain issues, the arrival of these new Sierras has been delayed until later in 2022. So Plan B — continuing to offer a GMC Sierra 1500 Limited model carried over from the 2021 version — has become the reality for the short-term.
I recently drove the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited, specifically one equipped with the AT4 off-road package, and I’m back with a full report on what it offers to buyers who aren’t willing to wait for the new version of the Sierra.
Additional Info
- Vehicle 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited AT4
- Price as tested $64,715 (Price starts around $33K)
- Best feature Ability to perform well both on-road and off-road
- Rating 4 out of five stars
- Who will want this vehicle? Buyers who want a strong truck now and can’t wait for the fully updated 2022 Sierra to be available
Omolle, a global manufacturer and distributer of connected fitness products based in Seoul, South Korea, is launching a limited release of its new product, Mativ, an interactive AI workout mat.
The Mativ smart mat is paired with a wrist band and embedded sensors that can be used for a variety of activities including High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Pilates, strength training and yoga. The mat’s technology includes video content of instructor-led workouts; real-time feedback such as calorie burn, voice motivation, suggestions and ranking; and provides a virtual community for users to connect with other users, influencers and instructors.
Connected fitness is the most rapidly growing segment of the fitness industry with a predicted average annual growth of 31.2 percent, reaching nearly $6 billion by 2025. Omolle’s vision is to disrupt the connected fitness industry by providing affordable, accessible and intuitively connected fitness equipment to a large audience.
“How people exercise has been forever changed in the past few years and has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Omolle CEO Minki Kang, about the fitness trend toward connected, remote training. “I saw a clear gap in the marketplace in the area of affordable, connected fitness equipment, and our Mativ smart mat is an example of how people can continue to stay in shape on their own terms without spending thousands of dollars to do so.”
The Mativ mat costs $299, and the monthly subscription is $9.99 for content/connectivity. For more information on Mativ, or to pre-order, visit www.mativfitness.com.
Omolle, established in 2018, started to develop fitness content services as a member of Born2Global Center, a South Korean-based government agency that supports startups. The Seoul-based company quickly realized there was an underserved fitness market segment and set out to fulfill it. Omolle’s technological expertise is recognized worldwide, and the company has applied for 50 different patents, trademarks, and designs, both in Korea and abroad. Thirteen patents and other intellectual property rights have already been registered. Omolle was also selected for the Amazon Launchpad program.
In view of the increasing shortage of skilled workers, women are an important target group when recruiting for many manufacturing and engineering companies. We spoke to Franziska Gempp (32), HR Manager, at the international automotive supplier ARaymond in Lörrach, Germany, and the trained technical draftswoman Yvonne Maschat (34) about how the specialist for fastening and assembly solutions is doing at its German locations Lörrach and Weil am Rhein, what support the company needs from politicians, what perspectives women have, and what makes a technical profession so exciting.
Ms. Gempp, how are you affected by the shortage of skilled workers and what kind of support would you like from education policy?
Franziska Gempp: The shortage of skilled workers is of particular concern to us in the area of technical jobs. In many cases, we lack skilled workers here – such as a good electrician or a toolmaker. Against this background, the increasing academization worries us. For us, a good education is just as important as a good degree. We are currently noticing that a large number of young people immediately think in the direction of studying and that training is becoming less important. I wish that we would emphasize the value of our very good dual training system in Germany much more. One of our trainees told me that the career orientation at her high school was exclusively geared towards studying. I think schoolchildren should be aware that they can start an apprenticeship with a high school diploma and, based on that, develop further professionally. And they should be able to test whether they are more the type for scientific or practical work. For me, that would be important content that should be discussed in the career orientation phase.
What contribution does your company itself make to career orientation?
For example, we offer many internships, of course also for girls and young women. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, women are an important target group for us, as are career changers or somewhat older applicants. When it comes to women, I think the most important thing is to get them excited about technology at an early age. That's why we target girls at school and bring them into the company through campaigns such as Girls' Day or internships. We often get feedback like "Wow, I hadn't imagined it that way, that's really interesting." Or "I thought that was much more difficult." In addition to the exciting technique itself, this certainly has something to do with the fact that production conditions have changed significantly in recent years and the technical production jobs are no longer associated with heavy physical work. We have lifting aids, etc., so the jobs are suitable for everyone — men and women, but also older workers.
When the women are with you: How does, for example, a technical production job go together with the topic of children or caring for relatives — both topics in which women in particular continue to withdraw from their jobs?
We see to it that we get the best possible outcome for our employees and for us as an employer with flexible working time models – in other words, in production, for example, we talk about shift models that are suitable for childcare. In areas such as construction and development, mobile working is also possible for better compatibility. And then of course we have many part-time models, which are normal for us wherever they are feasible. We keep in touch during parental leave: Many employees come by regularly or, of course, are part of the team at events such as a Christmas party or a barbecue.
Ms. Maschat, as a trained technical draftswoman, you now work as a project manager assistant in the development of ARaymond. How did you get into this technical job?
Yvonne Maschat: I did my training as a technical draftswoman here at ARaymond (today that corresponds to the job profile of a technical product designer) and, with the support of the company, I went to evening classes to do further training to become a technical business administrator. As a result, I got my current job as a project manager assistant in construction. As a technical draftswoman, I was entrusted with developing fasteners for the automotive industry and deriving the drawings from them. As an assistant, I still design today, but I also do a lot of customer communication and know what customers want.
— Content provided by ARaymond
Among automakers, it’s a bit of a race right now to see who can be the one to adapt to the electric vehicle future better than the rest.
Ford is starting to step up in this fight, as it recently announced that it will invest $22 billion in electric vehicles (and $7 billion in autonomous vehicles) through 2025. And it’s already selling new EV offerings such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
One step short of a full EV is a plug-in hybrid (or PHEV), and I recently had the chance to test a Ford offering in this realm: The Ford Escape PHEV. This type of vehicle is a good step for people who aren’t quite ready to rely on a fully electric vehicle, but want something other than a traditional ICE ride — either for environmental reasons, or just to get a break from the yo-yo gas prices we so often see.
I tested a 2021 Escape PHEV, but it carries over to the 2022 model year pretty much as-is, other than some new paint options.
Additional Info
- Vehicle Ford Escape PHEV (plug-in hybrid)
- Price as tested $40,130 (starts around $34,000)
- Best feature Fuel economy, green credentials; smooth ride, sharp design
- Rating 4 out of five stars
- Who will want this vehicle? SUV buyers looking for a well-designed and comfortable ride that will keep them away from the gas pumps
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