Hyundai may import Elantra from Korea to meet surging demand

The rakish 2011 Hyundai Elantra hit North American dealerships late last year, priced from $14,830 (*excluding $720 for destination). In December 2010, Elantra sales totaled 13,096 units, up from 5,763 in 2009, and this high demand for the new Elantra may be higher than the Korean automaker had originally anticipated.

This increased demand has prompted Hyundai to consider importing some Elantras from Korea. Currently, Hyundai produces U.S.-market Elantras at its Montgomery, AL plant. This facility’s annual production capacity, which stands at 330,000 total units, may not be enough to satisfy America’s thirst for the stylish compact. Recently, Hyundai spokesman Frank Ahrens told Automotive News that:

If Elantra does what we think, hope it will do, it will mean we’ll have to export them from Korea. We’re pretty bullish on it, given the reviews it’s received so far and the price.

The 2011 Elantra is $1,445 cheaper than a base Chevrolet Cruze and $1,440 less than a base 2012 Ford Focus, which makes Hyundai’s model a pocketbook-friendly alternative to its main competitors in the compact class.

Source:Autoblog

Hyundai Group Overtakes Ford and Becomes World's Fourth Largest Automaker

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company that includes KIA has overtaken the Ford Group in the first half of the year to become the fourth largest carmaker in the world selling 2,153,000 units or 8,000 more vehicles than the US giant in the same period, according to figures published by the Automotive News Data Centre. Only a decade ago, the then newly unified Hyundai and Kia company was in 11th place overall.

The Korean automaker attributed the growth to its decision to create factories in several countries including Slovakia, the United States and China that built products designed and engineered specifically for local markets.

“Results for all of last year saw Hyundai-Kia trail Ford by around 1,000,000-units, but by reducing the impact of the global recession by producing the right product for the right times, the group has managed to take fourth place much quicker than had been predicted,” the South Korean automaker said in a prepared statement.

While the economic downturn has taken its toll on all of the top 10 automakers, Toyota managed to hold on to the first place with 3,564,105 units (-26% compared to H1 2008) followed by General Motors that sold 3,552,722 vehicles (-21.8%) and the Volkswagen Group that was the less affected by the slowdown (-5.1%) with 3,100,300 units sold in the first half of the year. Ford slipped to fifth place with 2,145,000 vehicles sold (-30.6 %).

Global Sales – first half of 2009

Manufacturer

H1 2009

H1 2008

% change

1

Toyota

3,564,105

4,815,442

-26.0

2

General Motors

3,552,722

4,541,125

-21.8

3

Volkswagen

3,100,300

3,265,200

-5.1

4

Hyundai-Kia

2,153,000

-

5

Ford

2,145,000

3,093,000

-30.6

6

PSA Peugeot-Citroen

1,586,900

1,844,700

-14.0

7

Honda

1,586,000

2,022,000

-21.6

8

Nissan

1,545,976

2,013,611

-23.2

9

Suzuki

1,152,000

1,283,000

-10.2

10

Renault

1,106,989

1,326,164

-16.5

Hyundai bringing Curb concept to Detroit Auto Show

Hyundai has announced that it is bringing a new crossover concept – the Curb – to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next week. We only have two teaser shots of the new CUV, and while the big wheels and overly swoopy lines are concept car-spec through and through, we won’t rule out the possibility of a sub-Tucsoncrossover coming down the pipeline in the next few years. The interior has been given the typical not-gonna-happen future-tech layout, but it is indeed eye-catching and definitely draws our interest.

The Curb concept will be rolled out on Monday, January 10, and we’ll be on hand to bring you the full suite of details and photos live from Cobo Hall. In the meantime, you can check out both teaser images in high-resolution glory in the gallery below.

Hypermiling Hyundai Sonata Hybrid crosses America in under two tanks

You’ve got to hand it to Wayne Gerdes. He knows how to go the distance in production passenger cars on very little gasoline. In April of 2009, he worked with a team to go 1,445 miles in a Ford Fusion Hybrid on a single tank of gas*. In June of 2010, he went 1,065 miles in a non-hybrid 2011 Hyundai Sonata. His most recent trip was in a Sonata Hybrid, which he drove 2,269.3 miles from San Diego, CA to Jekyll Island, GA on less than two tanks of fuel – a claimed average of 59.58 miles per gallon.

That’s mighty impressive, but for those of us who have been following Gerdes’ recent hypermiling drives, the obvious question is, why was he able to get 66.285 mpg in the regular, gas-powered non-turbo Sonata when the hybrid “only” got 59.59 mpg? (and Fusion Hybrid managed 81.5 mpg.) In part, this can be explained because the trip in the regular Sonata took place in the summer from Chicago to New York, while the hybrid ride was a winter time trek through the mountains – and it was over twice the distance.

In any case, Gerdes has once again showed that it’s quite possible to handily beat the fuel efficiency ratings on a car’s window sticker. In this case, the EPA thinks you will get 40 mpg on the highway, but clearly a lot is left on the table for those whose sole goal is to eke out every last drop of gas.

Just as importantly, we’re not sure if Gerdes and his compatriots employed some of the more radical and dangerous hypermiling staples (drafting semi trucks for lower drag, etc.), but we’ve got a call in to Wayne to learn more about his techniques. In any case, a short video of the Sonata’s mpg display after the first tank is available after the jump.

Hyundai Sonata edges Volt in Autoblog’s informal Car of the Year poll

The finalists for this year’s North American Car and Truck of the Year awards may have been no big surprise, but the vehicle that our readers think will win Car of the Year honors came as something of a shock.

The NACTOY judges have picked the Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf as finalists for Car of the Year. While the Leaf saw a little bit of love with 2,820 votes in our unofficial poll, as well as being named European Car of the Year, the final tally came down to a bare-knuckled fight between the Volt and Sonata. Surprisingly, the Hyundai eked out a win with 8,058 votes and 42.7-percent of the total votes cast, which just barely bested the 7,985 votes cast for the Volt and its 42.3 percent of the total vote.

That’s not a huge margin of victory by any means (a statistical dead heat, as they say), but considering that the Volt has whirred away with honors like the Green Car of the Year, Automobile Magazine‘s Automobile of the Year and Motor Trend‘s Car of the Year awards, we fully expected the Bowtiie to handily walk away with our impromptu poll.

We were pretty smitten with both the 2.0T and the hybrid variants of the Sonata when we hopped behind their wheels earlier this year, and buyers have been no less taken with the base model. The 2011 Sonata has enjoyed a huge year in terms of sales with 183,102 units sold by early December, a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Ford Explorer handily beat the 2011 Dodge Durango and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in our informal North American Truck of the Year poll. You can check out the results from both surveys here, and the stay tuned for when the real winners are announced at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in early January.

Hyundai hits 500,000 sales in U.S. for first time ever

It should hardly come as news to anyone reading blog that Hyundai is in the midst of a hot streak. New models are coming out left and right, the automaker’s quality is reaching new heights and there are no signs of slowing down. So while the automaker’s momentum isn’t news, its sales numbers are: For the first time in its history, the Korean manufacturer has broken the 500,000 unit sales barrier in the States.

The hottest item for Hyundai this year? The aforementioned Sonata, of which 183,102 have been sold. The Sonata is followed by the Elantra and Sante Fe with sales of 120,924 and 70,082 respectively.

This is Hyundai’s 25th year in the United States and its sales are way up for the year. Sonata sales are up 64 percent over last year while the Tuscon has exploded – up 145 percent – and the Genesis has gained 37 percent over its prior year sales.

Geneva Preview: Hyundai i40/Sonata wagon gets officially rendered

Hyundai is preparing to launch a new European D-segment model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March that will compete against such vehicles as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, and it’s released a slew of advance renderings of what we might expect.

Filling the slot in the Korean automaker’s European line-up that’s filled in North America by the Sonata (with which it is a very close twin), the i40 has been designed and developed in Germany by the company’s European R&D center in Rüsselsheim. The design closely follows those of recent Hyundai design studies, the Genus concept most closely.

The i40 is slated to go on sale shortly after its debut in Geneva in wagon form, with a sedan version expected to follow. The engine range is expected to include a 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder producing 170 horsepower and a 1.7-liter turbodiesel with outputs ranging from 115 horsepower to 136, with more powerful versions to follow. In the meantime, take a stroll through the image gallery below for a closer look, as the i40 is almost certainly what a Sonata wagon would look like were Hyundai ever to launch it in the States.

2009 Hyundai Sonata Picture

2009 Hyundai Sonata Picture

2009 Hyundai Sonata Interior

2009 Hyundai Sonata View Behind

2009 Hyundai Sonata Wallpaper

2011 New Hyundai Avante Sports Sedan

Hyundai Motor Co. had its world-premier of the all-new Hyundai Avante compact Sports sedan, the company's best-selling model worldwide, at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show. The fresh 2011 new Hyundai Avante, badged because Hyundai Elantra in commercialises largest Korea comes on Hyundai’s latest 1.6L Gamma gas Direct Injection locomotive and a 6-speed automatic drive to the front-wheel drive compact, the 1st time GDI and six-speed automatic rifle have been boasted on a contract sedan in Korea.

2011 Hyundai Avante

The fresh Avante delivers a peak end product of 140ps and level best torque of 17.0kg-m. They are also almost 10 percent a lot fuel efficient than thems closest challengers, cheers to GDI, the six accelerate automatic and additional fuel economy sweetenings.The fresh Hyundai Avante will enchant and surprise on a raft of additional advanced characteristics not found on additional compacts, admitting HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights, LED compounding lamps in the back, heated back end seats, puddle lamps and a color in TFT LCD entropy display nestled in the caliber cluster.

"The new Hyundai Avante encompasses Hyundai's latest ambitions, featuring the best styling and performance in its class," Steve S. Yang, President & CEO of Hyundai's Global Business Division, said at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) today. "We're confident that it will once again redefine the compact segment worldwide."

With sportier and even more elegant lines than its predecessor, the new Hyundai Avante - badged as Elantra in markets outside Korea - continues Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design philosophy.

Hyundai has applied its latest 1.6L Gamma Gasoline Direct Injection engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission to the front-wheel drive compact, the first time GDI and six-speed automatic have been featured on a compact sedan in Korea. The new Avante delivers a peak output of 140ps and maximum torque of 17.0kg•m. It is also about 10 percent more fuel efficient than its closest competitors, thanks to GDI, the six speed automatic and other fuel economy enhancements.

The new Hyundai Avante will delight and surprise with a raft of other advanced features not found on other compacts, including HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlamps, LED combination lamps in the rear, heated rear seats, puddle lamps and a color TFT LCD information display nestled in the gauge cluster.

Under the Avante/Elantra badge, Hyundai has sold over 6 million units worldwide since the car's launch in 1990. Hyundai will begin sales of the all-new Hyundai Avante in the second half of 2010 in Korea.

2010 Hyundai i-Flow Concept Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

The Geneva Motor Show is quite generous in reveals this year, considering the trend of the automotive industry. Hyundai has just presented its new i-Flow Concept on the catwalk, continuing the company’s statement of developing a the “fluidic design”. As Hyundai continues to branch out into new segments, its European operation, which until recently has focused primarily on small cars, is debuting the Hyundai i-flow concept in Geneva. It's a vision of a coming Hyundai that's expected to do battle in Europe's larger D-segment.

2010 Hyundai i-Flow Concept Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

The i-flow is the latest concept to wear Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" design language, and the large D-segment sedan wears it well. Hailing from Hyundai's European Design Headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, the i-flow incorporates lightweight materials and solar cells from supplier BASF meant to reduce weight and increase energy efficiency.

2010 Hyundai i-Flow Concept Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

The i-flow is fitted with Hyundai's first-ever diesel hybrid drivetrain, in which a 1.7-liter diesel engine with dual-stage turbocharging is mated to Hyundai's Blue Drive hybrid system and a new six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. As we understand it, the i-flow is a parallel hybrid, allowing it to be powered by its lithium-polymer battery pack and electric motors, the diesel engine or a combination of both. Combined with a slippery 0.25 coefficient of drag, the i-flow will reportedly return 78.4 mpg and emit 0.30 grams of CO2 per mile.

2010 Hyundai i-Flow Concept Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

The new lines give an elegant avant-garde look, helping in the same time in reducing the CO2 emissions to 85g/km and improving its aerodynamics. In collaboration with chemical company BASF, Hyundai produced its first eco-friendly diesel hybrid powertrain, using high-technologies and next-generation materials. The new i-Flow combines perfectly the concept of a little-big car, as it shows a sporty looks but also provides quite enough space due to the use of a minimalistic design for the seats and center console.

2010 Hyundai i-Flow Concept Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

The high-tech engine presents the new 1.7-litre engine fitted with 2-stage turbocharging connected to a Lithium Ion-Polymer battery for a more efficient consumption, especially when driven i-flow’s six-speed, dual-clutch transmission. The i-Flow technology is a test bed for new energy harvesting ideas, ranging from flexible solar panel roofing to a thermo-electric generator which uses exhaust heat to produce power. More news of Hyundai’s star cars will be published in advance of the show and will be available on the stand.  The company’s press conference will take place in Hall 1 at 14:15 (CET) on Tuesday 2nd March  (2010).

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe with SHIFTRONIC to handle the additional torque

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe

The people at South Korean automaker Hyundai are listening to their customers. The 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, confirmed for production and a release early in 2009, follows the tradition of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis in offering a true high performance rear wheel drive, sporty architecture in an affordable package. The 2010 Genesis Coupe is a purpose-built rear-wheel drive sports coupe featuring two performance-focused engines - a212-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a range-topping all-aluminum 306-horsepower, DOHC 3.8-liter V6 engine.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe

Genesis Coupe employs a MacPherson strut dual-link front suspension and a five-link rear suspension setup. Both engines are mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission. The Genesis Coupe 2.0t (2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo) offers an optional five-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC® while the 3.8-liter V6 offers a ZF six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC to handle the additional torque.

The Genesis Coupe follows the styling tradition set forth by the Hyundai Tiburon, but outdoes that aging Hyundai compact sports car in every way. The Genesis Coupe comes with an available naturally aspirated V6, sure to be a motor to find its way into more of Hyundai's lineup. The high output engine offers 310 horses on premium fuel. Following the introduction earlier this year of the rear-wheel drive Genesis sport sedan, Hyundai Genesis Coupe is Hyundai's most dynamic performance car ever and the second consecutive all-new model introduction from Hyundai appealing directly to the car enthusiast.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe

Hyundai Genesis Coupe uses the same flexible rear-wheel drive architecture originally developed for the Genesis sport sedan.
The 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe offers Xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The advantages of HID headlamps include greater lighting power, daylight-type lighting and reduced power consumption. In addition, the cut lines of the new HID headlights are extremely precise, providing maximum nighttime visibility without distracting other drivers.

All Hyundai Genesis Coupe models feature standard four-channel ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to optimize brake performance under various dynamic loading conditions. The system also includes Brake Assist, which provides maximum ABS-level braking force when a panic stop is detected.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe

It is nice to see that Hyundai, an automaker currently enjoying growth and a solid reputation for producing mainstream-market cars that last, is making steps toward the sports car market. The styling of the Genesis Coupe is hit or miss, some will love it and others will wonder what Hyundai was thinking. But, with the sports car pedigree to back it up, the Genesis Coupe should be another worldwide hit for Hyundai.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Sports Car Coupe

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is offered in three trim levels: the stylish and affordable GS, the premium-sport GT featuring the 3.8-liter V6, and the high-performance SE, available with either the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or the 3.8-liter V6 engine.

2010 Hyundai Sonata i40 Electric Hybrid Concept Car

2010 Hyundai Sonata i40 Electric Hybrid Concept Car

Hyundai presented the next generation Sonata sedan, which is on the European market would be called i40.
2010 Hyundai Sonata gets a new platform and a different range of engines, which will include a series of turbo diesel “R” and the four-and six-cylinder petrol engines. It is also expected to modify the appearance of 228-strong hybrid that combines 2.0-liter turbo-charged (according to other sources - 2.4-liter) capacity of 30 kilowatt electric motor, lithium-ion batteries, and six-speed automatic transmission.
In the sale of novelty will appear early next year. According to some foreign publications in Europe, first to the market can go touring Hyundai i40, then hatchback, sedan and the hybrid version.