Reliable Hyundai

Long distance relationships with family members can sometimes be tough to cope with, and when your dad is an astronaut for a living, keeping the lines of communication open is especially difficult. Thirteen-year-old Stephanie from Houston, Texas, knows this all too well and constantly struggle to keep in contact with her father while he's on the International Space Station. To help with this, Hyundai recently came up with a larger-than-life plan that allowed Stephanie to send a special message to her father.

Automakers are constantly on the hunt to find new ways to improve their vehicles' emissions without sacrificing power and Hyundai recently decided to turn to turbocharged power to do exactly that. The company will be debuting a twin-turbo V6 engine that is likely to find its way onto the Hyundai Genesis by 2017/18. The change will benefit future Genesis drivers, allowing them to obtain excellent gas mileage.

Longtime art fans will be pleased to know that Southwest Missouri's largest fine arts festival, Artsfest, will once again be open to the public May 2-3 on Historic Walnut Street. An annual event garnering a wide range of spectators each year, Artsfest will showcase artwork from over 140 artists during its two-day run. From ceramics and paintings to drawings and sculptures, there will be a variety of art forms for attendees to view at this year’s festival.

Hyundai's Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept was a surprise hit when it debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show and now there's been word that a production model of the truck could see the light of day. If Hyundai goes through with the plan, this will mark the first time the automaker has offered a truck in the U.S. market, which could be a big success for the company in the long run.

Automotive experts and families alike agree that the 2015 Hyundai Sonata is one of the top family cars on the market today. In a series of evaluations conducted by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, the sedan was praised for its comfort, spacious accommodations, entertainment features and first-class safety, which led the company to name it a Best Family Car of 2015.

Jurassic Quest is a realistic, interactive dinosaur exhibit that allows families to get up close and personal with some of the world's most well-known prehistoric creatures. Coming to the Springfield Exposition Center Mar. 13-15, this kid-centric event will feature more than 50 life-size, animatronic dinosaurs, and over 11 different activities/attractions for children and adults to take part in.

Smartwatches have been steadily gaining steam in the technology realm for the last few years and now it seems these wearable devices are beginning to find their place in the automotive world. Many brands have been developing apps that are compatible with these watches, allowing car owners to stay connected with their car even when they're away from the vehicle. A new venture for automakers, this technology could change the industry as we know it; however, it's still currently foreign to many car owners.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance has announced winners of the Best Value Awards and we’re happy to reveal the 2015 Hyundai Genesis took home a prestigious accolade. Completely revised for the 2015 model year, the Genesis was named Best New/Redesigned Car in the $50,000 and Over category. Its fresh, appealing styling and upscale features led to its win in Kiplinger's annual awards. Hundreds of cars, trucks and SUVs were reviewed before Kiplinger's chose the winners.

Enjoy fantastic food, drinks and live bands at the 34th Annual Sertoma Chili Cook-Off! Scheduled to be held Feb. 27-28 at the Springfield Expo Center, this annual event celebrates all things chili related by having some of the best of the best cooks in the area go head to head in a chili cook-off.

Automotive technology is constantly changing each year, with more and more brands integrating all-new innovative features in their latest models. Just in the past few years, we've seen the introduction of high-end components, such as automatic parking and Bluetooth hands-free calling, and now we're about to experience complete smartphone integration for the first time with the upcoming release of Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto.