Hyundai

In a very short time, Hyundai has made an amazing transformation from basket case to the automotive equivalent of a “nice girl”—dependable, easy to live with, and undemanding. But can Hyundai get its nice girls to do tequila shots and dance on tables from time to time? The conventional wisdom was that the much-heralded Genesis sedan and coupe would be the Hyundais that buck the trend, but they were variations on the same old Hyundai theme. As it turns out, the rebel Hyundai is an unlikely one—the Elantra Touring, a five door hatchback version of the Elantra sedan. [click to continue...]

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) today reported 16.41 per cent growth in its total sales in September at 53,804 units, the highest ever monthly sales since the company first rolled out its car in India 11 years ago.

HMIL had sold a total of 46,218 units in the same month last year.
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Even though Hyundai India is gearing up to shift one-third of the i-20 model’s production (the export-driven version) to Europe by 2010-mid due to logistical reasons and tax benefits, it has also decided to put curtains on its less-than-a-decade-old model Getz by 2011 owing to dwindling demand.
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South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co plans to produce a new model in India priced as low as $5,000 and targeting emerging countries, Japanese business daily Nikkei reported.

Lheem Heung-soo, chief executive of Hyundai Motor India Ltd, told Nikkei in an interview the 800cc car, to be manufactured at its Chennai factory, would retail for $5,000-$6,000, adding the vehicle’s debut was several years away.

In addition to the rollout in India, where Hyundai is ranked No. 2, the model will be shipped to other emerging countries, the paper said.
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Hyundai launched an electric version of the i10 in Korea. This Hyundai i10 will be powered by a 49Kw electric motor and a 1Kw lithium-ion polymer battery which will push the i10 electric to a top speed of 120kmph and an acceleration of 0-100kmph in 15 seconds.

The i10 electric will have a range of 150kms on a single charge. The party piece of the i10 electric is how quickly it gets charged, the battery can be charged to 85% capacity in 15 minutes. Full charging will take up to 5 hours. This is attributed to the lithium-ion polymer battery which offers a weight drop of 30%, volume drop of 40% and efficiency boost of 12% compared to nickel batteries.
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Hyundai is one of the biggest automakers in the whole of Asia. Now we have word that the Seoul based manufacturer has launched the Hyundai Tucson ix in Korea. The compact sports utility vehicle boasts of sweeping coupe-styled lines, the feel of a premium vehicle and features over its predecessor.
Hyundai aims at recapturing the sales leadership in the small SUV market in Korea, and has started sales of the Tucson ix. The car has stylings based on the ix-onic concept displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Everything from the fuel-efficiency to power output, from safety features to comfort has been upgraded. Developed under the project name LM, it took 280 billion won and about 36 months for the dream to be realised.

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Hyundai released two sketches of the next-generation Sonata midsize sedan. Orders are already being taken in Korea ahead of its official launch there on Sept. 10; the Sonata won’t hit the U.S. until 2010 as a 2011 model.

We expect to learn and see a lot more of the Sonata next week, but we do know that the Korean version will have a six-speed automatic transmission and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The current Sonata has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with a five-speed automatic transmission returning 22/32 mpg city/highway. This new engine looks to be more efficient. Electronic stability control will be standard across the line.
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Hyundai Motor Company’s all-new ix35 has been officially unveiled.

The compact sports utility vehicle has sweeping coupe-like lines, a premium vehicle feel and comes with features unavailable on its predecessor.

“The launch of the Tucson ix in Korea, which will carry the ix35 name in the New Zealand market, has been a long awaited event and we have already seen considerable interest in the vehicle in New Zealand” Says Philip Eustace, Executive Director Hyundai New Zealand.

The ix35 has gone on sale in Korea and Hyundai New Zealand hope to have the vehicle here for our market as early as April 2010.

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The 2009 Hyundai Sonata is good-looking, outside and in. Its proportions are well balanced, and its detailing is pleasant—and its newly revamped interior is a standout. It comes in three trim levels all with essentially identical styling: GLS, SE and Limited.

A slight update gives the Sonata a new bumper and grille, but LeftLaneNews points out “most casual observers would be hard-pressed to tell the difference unless the 2008 and 2009 models were parked side by side.” Automotive.com thinks “the Sonata remains refreshingly clean and spare, with sharply angled headlight housings and a quiet, clean-cut grille topped with a sliver of chrome,” while Cars.com notes that “jeweled projector headlights sit up front,” and “chrome-tipped dual exhausts are installed with the V-6 engine,” adding that, “the horizontal taillights look a lot like those on the previous-generation Honda Accord.” Kelley Blue Book comments “some might argue the Sonata design is also somewhat generic”; however, they praise “the Sonata’s new styling, even if it’s squarely on the conservative side” and “don’t see any single design feature likely to turn anybody away from the car.”

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