Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: China, Government/Legal, Hyundai

According to a report by Reuters, the Chinese government has suspended the importation of Hyundai and Kia products from South Korea. The importation ban allegedly stems from complaints filed by dealers that the automaker violated anti-trust laws in China by throwing more support behind its own dealers and thus limiting the support offered to independent retailers.

A Hyundai spokesperson confirmed that the automaker has not received import permits since mid-September, but that the Chinese government and Hyundai are working to resolve the matter.

While any ban imposed on Hyundai would temporarily hurt the company in China, only about 50,000 units are imported from South Korea each year, with the majority of Hyundai and Kia’s combined 520,000 annual sales in China coming from vehicles produced locally in a joint venture between the automaker and Chinese companies.

[Source: Reuters]

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Hyundai Motor Co. aims at a higher level of quality and value with the recent release of the Genesis Coupe, touted as the automaker’s ‘halo vehicle’. At the launch in Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination in South Korea, Hyundai took the covers off of the Genesis Coupe for members of the Korean and international […]

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Filed under: Hybrid, Hyundai, Paris Motor Show

We knew that Hyundai would be bringing a new hybrid version of its Santa Fe utility vehicle to Paris for display, and now we have some pictures to prove it. Except for the rather unique paint job, there isn’t much on the outside that would lead you to believe there’s so much going on underneath the skin. Along with the 2.4-liter four cylinder engine, a 30kW electric motor also passes its juice to the shared six speed automatic transmission. That electricity is provided from a lithium polymer battery pack that offers up 270 Volts. To make the most of each drop of fuel, low rolling resistance tires were added along with revised gearing and engine ECU settings. All of these little bits of engineering add up to a vehicle that gets 38 miles per gallon in the U.S. and carbon emissions of 148 g/km. If that sounds green to you, don’t forget that blue is the new green.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Hyundai

Hyundai is headed to the Paris Motor Show with a bevy of environmentally friendly models and concepts. In addition to bringing along production-intent vehicles like the new i20, Genesis Coupe and Genesis sedan, the automaker will showcase two new concepts that will also carry its blue theme. Remember, blue is the new green. Anyway, the i20 blue features aero tweaks and low rolling-resistance tires in order to improve its efficiency, but it’s the Santa Fe hybrid that’s a bit more interesting. That new model features an electric motor that puts out 30kW of power along with a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine. Both powerplants feed their power through a six-speed automatic transmission with revised gear ratios optimized for fuel savings. A 270V lithium-polymer battery pack sends the juice to the electric motor, and it all adds up to 38 mpg in the U.S. and carbon emissions of 148 g/km. We’ll be in Paris to see these things up close and personal, so stay tuned.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Filed under: Economy, Hatchbacks, Hyundai

Car buyers in the US are thinking smaller and more efficient, but probably not small enough for the upcoming Hyundai i10. At least that’s the thinking within the top ranks of Korea’s largest automaker. The i10 is a micro hatchback that was designed for Euro duty, but could find a niche here in the States. Unfortunately, US customers still aren’t snapping up mini cars in any real volume, making it an unattractive proposition for the automaker. Hyundai insists that no final decision has been made, but Hyundai America VP John Krafcik said earlier that the i10 is unlikely to be sold in the States.

Hyundai is still considering bringing the i20 over to our shores, where it would fit under the Elantra. The i20 is being unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, and it will go on sale in Europe by the end of the year. For the short term, Hyundai will import more Elantras from South Korea by November to satisfy our hunger for smaller, more efficient cars.

[Source: Automotive News subs req’d)

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Filed under: Hybrid, Hyundai, Paris Motor Show

Recent reports indicate that Hyundai may be set to introduce the world to its hybrid Santa Fe sport utility vehicle at the Paris Motor Show in October. The Korean automaker says that its hybrid ‘ute will look the same as its gas-powered counterpart but be completely new under the sheet metal. Expect Hyundai’s proven 2.4-liter four cylinder engine to be paired with a 30kW electric motor and mated to a six speed automatic transmission. Lithium ion batteries will provide the juice for the electric motor. Fuel mileage should come in at 44 mpg in the UK (roughly 36mpg in the U.S.) In the UK, where carbon emissions are closely monitored, that consumption equals 148g/km of CO₂ and is pretty good for a sport utility vehicle. Alongside the Santa Fe will be a much less environmentally-friendly seven-seater based on the Veracruz platform known, rather cryptically, as the ix55.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Hyundai Santa Fe hybird

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Hyundai has indeed come a long way from being the butt of jokes in its early years in the American market. The fuel-efficient Hyundai Accent was recently named the most dependable sub-compact car by J.D. Power and Associates in its 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The highly regarded study measures problems experienced by original owners […]

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Hyundai has launched a CNG version of Santro, almost a year after they announced that they are going to launch one.

But this will not be a factory fitted system that can run on CNG - a CNG kit will be retrofitted at the dealer. CNG version is available only in Delhi. The CNG version will be available in four variants - XK (non A/c), XL, XO and AT with prices starting at 3.25 lakh ex-showroom

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Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Podcasts, Coupes, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Wagons/Estates, Crossovers/CUVs, Hatchbacks

After a far-too-long hiatus, we’re back with podcast #62, in which we recap the New York Auto Show. A large contingent of Autobloggers attended the show, and we’re hot to talk about what we saw. The first target we take aim at is Subaru, which trotted out its newly restyled Impreza, WRX and Tribeca. Caspar Milquetoast, your cars have arrived. Ford actually did something bold by translating the Fairlane concept in to the Flex production vehicle. Opinions are split on whether it’s exciting, or just some kind of bastard offspring from a MINI/Scion xB tryst. Let’s just call it a modern interpretation of the Country Squire, without the woodgrain vinyl appliqué. Also over at the Ford stand was special-edition Mustang #6,463: the Shelby GT500KR. Whoopdedooyeeha! Sure, it’s badass, what more needs to be said? GM had three well-turned-out microcars that we were all calling the Triplets. The Groove, Beat and Trax are variations on a theme, and they definitely generated buzz. We’re glad to see the General doing small cars, as well as some of the new developments over at the HUMMER area.

Speaking of buzz, the Hyundai Genesis concept takes aim at high end luxury/performance sedans from German and Japanese manufacturers. As is their wont, Hyundai will be pricing it around 30 grand to start, and offering V8 power sent to the rear wheels, all wrapped in a handsome (if derivative) skin. Speaking of handsome skin, Infiniti dropped the G37 on us, and it’s not only a significant upgrade from the outgoing G35 coupe, it stands apart from the G35 sedan, as well. While ogling the G37’s tight lines, we bumped into the EX concept that was exceptionally well done. We wrap up by briefly touching on the de-cuted Liberty, the Lexus LX570, which no longer looks like a Land Cruiser with a different grille, and finally, our visit to Mercedes on our way back to the windowless confines of the media room.

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Hyundai has launched a new version of the Getz, called Getz Prime, which is meant to comply with government’s definition of small car to obtain tax discounts, and hence reduce the price tag of the car.

The Getz prime GLE with a 1.1 liter engine and body length less than 4000mm will comply to small car standards and will cost 3.89 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Getz also comes with a 1.3 liter,

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Filed under: Diesel, Hyundai

Its always interesting to see what car companies are up to in other countries. In Australia Hyundai has just two diesel models, the Terracan and Santa Fe. If you think of the leaders in passenger car diesels, you’d be likely to pick a European brand, probably German. Across the Tasman in New Zealand though, Hyundai is trying hard to take the diesel lead with the release of diesel Sonata and Getz models.

Featuring a 2.0 litre common rail turbo charged diesel engine, the Sonata diesel delivers great performance and economy with 103 kW / 138hp at 4,000 rpm, as well as 305 Nm / 225 ft-lbs of torque at 1800 - 2,500 rpm. Other highlights are a Variable Geometry Turbo and four speed transmission that features a sequential sports shift option.

The Getz has a 1.5 litre common rail turbo charged diesel under the bonnet which delivers 65 kW / 87hp of power at 4,000 rpm, and 215 Nm /158 ft-lbs of torque at 1,900 - 2,500 rpm.

More models are expected in 2007 with an Elite Sonata diesel and a 1.5 litre Accent in January 2007, as well as an Elantra Euro hatch diesel in the latter half of 2007.

Who knew?

Related:

• 7-seat Hyundai SUV gets 50.4 mpg in Australian demonstration
• Hyundai needs government help to compete with the Japanese on hybirds

[Source: Scoop.co.nz]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

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Some guys get off on rock climbing. Others sky dive, bungee jump, spend exorbitant amounts of money in the stock market and more, just to experience a thrill or two. Danish-born eco adventurer Hans Tholstrup gets his kicks from going green in ways no one has gone green before. Fans of the World Solar Car […]

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Porsche, Saturn, Toyota

We must admit that we were a bit surprised that MotorWeek’s award for “Best Car of the Year” went to the Honda Fit. But, we suppose that it, uh, fits. We know, that was way too easy - feel free to mock us in the comments, we can take it. Here is the complete list of winners:

• Best of the Year: Honda Fit
• Best Small Car: wait for it… Honda Fit
• Best Family Sedan: Saturn Aura
• Best Minivan: Hyundai Entourage/Kia Sedona
• Best Convertible: Volkswagen Eos
• Best Luxury Sedan: Lexus LS
• Best Sports Sedan: Infiniti G35
• Best Performance Car: Ford Shelby GT500
• Best Small Utility: Honda CR-V
• Best Large Utility: Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon
• Best Crossover Utility: GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook
• Best Pickup Truck: Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra
• Best Eco-Friendly: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Best Dream Machine: Jaguar XKR, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche 911 Turbo

We can’t say that we agree with many of these choices, but we didn’t choose them, MotorWeek’s editors did. We just typed them for your benefit, ’cause we’re cool like that.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, Hyundai

Hyundai and Chrysler already share their 2.4 liter “world engine” (along with Mitsubishi), and they may share much more in the future. Rumors are trickling in from all quarters about potential suitors for Chrysler, should DCX decide to cut loose its American vessel, and Hyundai is the latest one to grab headlines. The main value in purchasing Chrysler, which is suffering from crippling pension and healthcare costs, geriatric factories and indifferent product, is the dealer network.

Hyundai is making an aggressive effort in the US. The oldest thing in their fleet is the Tiburon (though it is newly-facelifted), and quality is way up. Hyundai and Kia vehicles represent good value for the money, and the instant sales organization they’d gain from a potential purchase of Chrysler would give Hyundai a further toe-hold. We’re not sure how the brand change might play in Peoria, but we very seriously doubt that the rest of the Chrysler brand would be discarded just to acquire the sales organization.

There’s a lot of value in Auburn Hills besides sales mooks. The Caravan and Voyager vans have been redone and are back in the game, and the LX cars still carry cachet, if not sales volume. Were the arranged marriage to occur, there would be some redundant products - such as the aforementioned vans. We’re not sure how that would shake out. We bet that it costs Chrysler more to build a car than Hyundai spends, but we’d hope that the better car would win out in the corporate joust. A Sonata wearing a Chrysler badge (with some restyling, of course) wouldn’t be such a terrible thing, would it?

Thanks to tipster Avinash!

[Source: timesonline]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Hyundai

Click above image to view two-high res renderings of the Hyundai Concept Genesis

We’ve collected quite an archive of posts showing you spy shots of a large V8-powered, rear-wheel drive prototype sedan from Hyundai called the Equus, for lack of an official name. Things are getting more official ahead of the New York Auto Show in early April where this car, the Concept Genesis, is slated to debut. We’ve just received these concept renderings of the Concept Genesis that preview what we believe will become the production large, rear-wheel drive sedan from Hyundai everyone is expecting.

The Concept Genesis is clearly a large car, bigger than Hyundai’s current range-topping sedan, the front-wheel drive Azera. Overall the design is fairly simple, elegant even, with a Camry-like grille flanked by a pair of headlights the quickly retreat up the car’s hood. The rear continues the classy theme with what looks like a single strip of chrome that bisects and connects the two taillights. The New York state license plate is a nice touch, too.

We know nothing more about the Concept Genesis except what we can glean from these renderings, but will be sure to bring you the full scoop from the show floor of the New York Auto Show in a few weeks.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Hyundai

Click above image to view two-high res renderings of the Hyundai Concept Genesis

We’ve collected quite an archive of posts showing you spy shots of a large V8-powered, rear-wheel drive prototype sedan from Hyundai called the Equus, for lack of an official name. Things are getting more official ahead of the New York Auto Show in early April where this car, the Concept Genesis, is slated to debut. We’ve just received these concept renderings of the Concept Genesis that preview what we believe will become the production large, rear-wheel drive sedan from Hyundai everyone is expecting.

The Concept Genesis is clearly a large car, bigger than Hyundai’s current range-topping sedan, the front-wheel drive Azera. Overall the design is fairly simple, elegant even, with a Camry-like grille flanked by a pair of headlights the quickly retreat up the car’s hood. The rear continues the classy theme with what looks like a single strip of chrome that bisects and connects the two taillights. The New York state license plate is a nice touch, too.

We know nothing more about the Concept Genesis except what we can glean from these renderings, but will be sure to bring you the full scoop from the show floor of the New York Auto Show in a few weeks.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Hyundai

Hyundai’s working on a rear-wheel-drive successor to its home-market Equus luxury sedan. The car’s expected to debut at the New York Auto Show in April, and these most recent spy shots show it with less camouflage than we’ve seen it wearing in the past. You can’t see the front end, but you get a really good look at the clean flanks. The roofline pays homage to the Euro iron Hyundai undoubtedly has in its sights; not to mention the high-end Japanese makes like Infiniti and Lexus. The kink in the lower portion of the C-pillar is a nod directly to BMW - though Infiniti copied it first. Power will be provided by the Azera’s 3.8 liter V6 at the bottom end, while there’s a 4.6 liter V8 reportedly generating over 300 horsepower for the top-of-the-line car. This looks like a large vehicle, and we car nuts welcome more RWD platforms with available V8s - they’re a hoot to be irresponsible in. Rumors have the entry price in the $30,000 range, which is a mighty deal if it continues with Hyundai’s recent formula. Expect to find styling that’s pleasant in an inoffensive, non-polarizing way when the wraps come off, and we’re sure that equipment levels will be high and suspension calibrations will tend toward the softer side. How soft it goes will determine whether it’s a spiritual successor to the Crown Victoria, or if it plays in more rarified air occupied by the aforementioned lux-marques.

[Source: The Car Blogger via GM Inside News]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Hyundai

Yup. You read that right. According to the folks at Edmunds, Hyundai made a statement yesterday that a pickup truck might be in the cards, but it won’t be available for a long time.

The announcement by the Korean automaker comes the same day as a trade pact between the U.S. and Hyundai was announced. The pact, which we covered earlier, will lift tariffs on certain models, depending on engine displacement, over the course of the next few months and years.

Reuters quoted a Hyundai spokesperson as saying that, “We will conduct a feasibility study [on a pickup truck] as a long-term project.” Again, such a project will be dependent on the elimination of financial restrictions, and considering that a tariff on models sporting three-liter or larger engines won’t go away for another 10 years, you can expect to wait at least that long until you see one at your local Home Depot.

[Source: Edmunds]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Hyundai, Kia

South Korean automakers received a pretty big shot in the arm as a trade agreement was reached with the United States. The trade pact, which lasts for 15 years, took nine months to negotiate. With the new agreement, tariffs will be immediately lifted on cars with engine displacements of 3-liters or less. Cars with displacements greater than 3.0L will have to wait three years, and trucks will have to wait 10 years before the tariff is lifted. As expected, Hyundai stock shot up 3.3% on the news, and Kia saw an increase of 5.5%.

For their part, in three years the South Korean government is levying a flat tax of five-percent on all vehicles, domestic or imported. Automotive News cites experts who believe the trade agreement won’t help US automakers much, since demand for their products isn’t as high as that of luxury automakers like Lexus or Audi.

Within the past few years, Hyundai and Kia have gone from makers of cheap, unattractive junkers with great warranties, to companies with good quality, improved designs, and great warranties. Losing the import tariffs will help Korean automakers deliver good products at an even better value. With new products on the horizon like the RWD, V8-powered Hyundai Genesis concept, we think the domestics and Japan had better take notice of the South Korean automakers, or risk getting left in the dust.

[Source: Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

While comparisons to the Accord and Camry may be more apt, Hyundai has their sights set on more upscale targets. The Korean company has been looking upmarket for vehicles to benchmark when developing their cars, and that philosophy will extend to marketing. One of the new spots touts the Sonata’s horsepower advantage over the BMW 525i, while another concedes that even though the Azera can’t self-park (a dubious feature, at best), it offers a well-equipped luxury sedan for less than half of an LS460’s price, allowing you to pay someone to park your Azera.

It would seem that Hyundai makes a regular practice of looking over the heads of direct competitors, shooting for a segment above their actual market slot. Indeed, the Mercedes ML ‘ute was a target when the new Santa Fe was being worked up, and at the Concept Genesis’s recent debut during the New York Auto Show, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes were heard, while the existence of Honda or Toyota wasn’t even acknowledged. The last Hyundai campaign we can even recall is the “Hyundai, Yes, Hyundai” effort of the early 1990s, when Hyundai’s hottest offering was the Scoupe. They’ve come a long way from building Mitsubishi cast-offs, and Hyundai is now a force to be reckoned with.

[Source: Automotive News (Sub req’d)]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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