2015 Canadian VS US. Packages/Equipment

[Mark_888]

But Russia and Canada are pretty far north,

The southern tip of Ontario Canada is about the same latitude as northern California. 95% of Canadian population lives within 1hr of the US border.

I don't quite understand your point? Does every country have to have the same exact rules for DRL's? Is the USA not free to decide for itself whether the DRL's should be on all the time, or can be switched off? It would never occur to me to tell another country how to regulate the DLR issue, and I would never second guess their decision whatever it was.

 

[liquidice]

Hyundai USA could have just left the DRLs turned on all the time w/o an option to turn it off. Plenty of cars are like that. I have a 2009 Honda Civic that doesn't allow you to turn off the DRLs. I also have a 2011 Lexus ES350 that does allow you to turn off the DRLs but my understanding is if you bought the car w/o the Navigation there is no way to turn it off (it is an option found buried under a bunch of menus in the Navigation system).

Since it isn't required in the USA - it is fine that there is an option to turn it on or off, but it isn't like they HAD to allow it to be turned off in the USA.

I don't buy that running the LED eyelashes as the DRLs would use too much energy because they do it on the Korean and Canadian models.

I also think it is really annoying that all of the HyundaiUSA videos on Youtube show the Genesis with the LED eyelashes as the DRLs.

Can someone who owns the car tell me - what color are the LED eyelashes at night? I noticed a few pictures / videos that show they are amber. Is that only on the US models? It might explain why they chose not to use them as DRLs if they are amber.

 

[Mark_888]

Hyundai USA could have just left the DRLs turned on all the time w/o an option to turn it off. Plenty of cars are like that. I have a 2009 Honda Civic that doesn't allow you to turn off the DRLs. I also have a 2011 Lexus ES350 that does allow you to turn off the DRLs but my understanding is if you bought the car w/o the Navigation there is no way to turn it off (it is an option found buried under a bunch of menus in the Navigation system).

Since it isn't required in the USA - it is fine that there is an option to turn it on or off, but it isn't like they HAD to allow it to be turned off in the USA.

No one said Hyundai "had" to allow the DRL's to be turned off. Hyundai doesn't have to offer DRL's in the USA either (they are required in Canada). I assume Hyundai Motor America (HMA) decided as a marketing decision, to appeal to the largest customer base, to include DRL's but allow them be turned on or off by the owner.

I don't buy that running the LED eyelashes as the DRLs would use too much energy because they do it on the Korean and Canadian models.

Personally, I would prefer to have them on all the time in my car. But the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Administration) has done extensive statistical analysis in the USA, and found there is no statistically significant difference (within the margin of error for the statistical sample) in the rate of accidents when DRL's are on or off. Statistical analysis done in some other countries, especially those in more northern latitudes, have shown that DRL's do reduce accidents. As mentioned previously, this probably has something to do with the duration of twilight conditions (longer in northern latitudes).

Regarding energy usage, when the vehicle electrical system is drawing more current, there is more drag on the engine (and causes more fuel to be used) due to the alternator having to generate more amps. The amount of extra drag is slight, but when multiplied by the number of cars on the road, it does add up to more global energy use and more greenhouse gases. I am not endorsing the conclusion that for that reason that DRL's should not be used (I agree the difference is very small), but there is "some" rationale for that position, especially "if" it can be statically determined that DRL's do not decrease accidents.

But aside from extra energy usage, there are others who don't like DRL's for reasons that probably are stronger cases against them:
http://www.motorists.org/drl/reasons-to-oppose
Looks like motorcycle riders are probably behind this group, since it makes them less noticeable if they are no longer the only ones with DRL's. If I ever rode a motorcycle, I would definitely want to be the only ones with DRL's on the road.

 

[liquidice]

No one said Hyundai "had" to allow the DRL's to be turned off. Hyundai doesn't have to offer DRL's in the USA either (they are required in Canada). I assume Hyundai Motor America (HMA) decided as a marketing decision, to appeal to the largest customer base, to include DRL's but allow them be turned on or off by the owner.

Right - earlier I think you mentioned that US regs don't have a problem with always-on DRLs, I was just confirming there are definitely USDM vehicles that have always on DRLs so it shouldn't violate any US regs

Personally, I would prefer to have them on all the time in my car. But the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Administration) has done extensive statistical analysis in the USA, and found there is no statistically significant difference (within the margin of error for the statistical sample) in the rate of accidents when DRL's are on or off. Statistical analysis done in some other countries, especially those in more northern latitudes, have shown that DRL's do reduce accidents. As mentioned previously, this probably has something to do with the duration of twilight conditions (longer in northern latitudes).

Regarding energy usage, when the vehicle electrical system is drawing more current, there is more drag on the engine (and causes more fuel to be used) due to the alternator having to generate more amps. The amount of extra drag is slight, but when multiplied by the number of cars on the road, it does add up to more global energy use and more greenhouse gases. I am not endorsing the conclusion that for that reason that DRL's should not be used (I agree the difference is very small), but there is "some" rationale for that position, especially "if" it can be statically determined that DRL's do not decrease accidents.

But aside from extra energy usage, there are others who don't like DRL's for reasons that probably are stronger cases against them:
http://www.motorists.org/drl/reasons-to-oppose
Looks like motorcycle riders are probably behind this group, since it makes them less noticeable if they are no longer the only ones with DRL's. If I ever rode a motorcycle, I would definitely want to be the only ones with DRL's on the road.

My only beef with the energy use is I have heard some people mention that they were told (IIRC it was by a Hyundai Salesman who probably was making stuff up) that the LED eyelashes are not used for the DRLs because it has a higher draw on the alternator.



I don't think it was in this thread - but someone did mention the 6 watt draw on the alternator. DRL in USDM is different than the KDM and CDM versions - it doesn't use the LEDs, so technically in the US version I think it would use MORE power than using the LEDs.

I am completely assuming here though because for an equivalent amount of light output LEDs generally use less energy than an equivalent HID or Halogen bulb.

I think the USDM base Genesis uses Halogen and the Signature package and above use HID?

If Hyundai were really concerned with the power draw overall - they would have used the LEDs instead of the Halogen/HID for the USDM with an on/off switch still and then overall power "waste" for DRLs would be lower in theory at least.

 

[Mark_888]

If Hyundai were really concerned with the power draw overall - they would have used the LEDs instead of the Halogen/HID for the USDM with an on/off switch still and then overall power "waste" for DRLs would be lower in theory at least.

Hyundai is not concerned with the power draw. They probably just want to give a choice, so consumers don't rule out the Genesis based on this issue. I think the energy thing may be theoretically valid, but very small and not important since it is not even mentioned by the other group that doesn't want DRL's.
http://www.motorists.org/drl/reasons-to-oppose

 

[liquidice]

Hyundai is not concerned with the power draw. They probably just want to give a choice, so consumers don't rule out the Genesis based on this issue. I think the energy thing may be theoretically valid, but very small and not important since it is not even mentioned by the other group that doesn't want DRL's.
http://www.motorists.org/drl/reasons-to-oppose

I feel like the choice answer stinks because they offered the choice of crappy DRL lighting or none at all. On the USDM models there is no choice to use the LED Eyelashes / Eyebrows or whatever. This is what the DRLs look like on the USDM model...

Credit: gameday22 in his lighting thread here: http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=13352

Anyway - I think we've beat the DRL thing to death. I wish the DRLs were LED like the Canadian / Korean model but nothing I can do about it except maybe wait until next year and see if the 2016 version has it.