Hyundai, Kia Upgrade U.S. Sales Target

Hyundai Motor Group (consisting of Hyundai and Kia) said yesterday that it aims to raise its U.S. auto sales in 2011 to 1.06 million units or by 18.2 percent. That figure is up from its previous target of 1.01 million vehicles. Chairman Chung Mong-koo made the announcement during his visit to the United States.

Hyundai is now targeting sales of 624,000 units in the U.S., while Kia is targeting 433,000. In 2010, both companies sold 894,496 units in the United States last year.

Hyundai and Kia are one of the fastest-growing automakers in the U.S. market. They have a combined market share of 10.1 percent as of May, up from 7.7 percent in 2010.

Hyundai will launch a new Veloster while Kia will launch its new Rio to keep the sales momentum going.

[Source: Reuters]

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Hyundai, Kia Combined for Largest Share in Mid-Size Class for May

Long considered the bread and butter of the United States new car industry, the midsize segment was until recently forbidden fruit for Korean automakers. Sure, Hyundai and Kia offered midsize cars, but it wasn’t until their latest models that either brand was taken seriously enough to sell in big numbers.

The tides have changed, with last month marking the biggest milestone yet: The platform-mate Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima combined for 30,155 units, enough to take home the largest slice of the midsize segment. That’s 22,754 Sonatas and 7,401 Optimas. Together, the Korean twins captured the largest share of the midsize sedan segment in March. And it’s likely that this trend will continue through the summer as inventory levels for Japanese-branded cars like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry continue to be low.

Last month’s best-selling midsize sedan was the Chevrolet Malibu, but with the discontinuation of the Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura, the Malibu is the only GM product to still ride on the automaker’s Epsilon architecture. Second in line was the Nissan Altima, but it too doesn’t share a platform with any other North American-market midsize sedan. That leaves the Optima and Sonata, both of which share powertrains, suspensions and platforms.

Certainly, it takes some number twisting to consider the Sonata and the Optima as the combined market share leaders for the midsize sedan segment. But that’s not stopping Korean media from jumping all over the story.

“The ranking signifies that U.S. consumers no long consider Hyundai and Kia to be low-end car brands,” an unnamed Hyundai spokesperson told the Yonhap wire service earlier today.

[Source: Yonhap News Agency]

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Hyundai Veloster 4-Door Coming in the Future?

The new 2012 Hyundai Veloster, which will go on sale in the United States later this year, is an interesting looking hatchback with its one long door on the driver’s side and two shorter doors on the passenger side.

According to a Hyundai executives, the Korean automaker is considering producing a 4-door version of the Veloster for global markets.

Hyundai’s Manager for the Overseas Product Planning Team Eunjoo Shin, says that the company is working on the development of a Veloster embodying a conventional 4-door hatchback.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

[Source: CarAdvice]

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Hyundai Elantra Wins Compact Car Shootout by Cars.com

Hyundai’s 2011 Elantra is generating buzz after coming out on top in yet another comparison of compact cars. The latest contest was the Under 20/Over 35 Shootout conducted by automotive consumer site Cars.com.

The Elantra was up against four other compacts that have made big impressions in the past few months; the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Kia Forte. The cars all have room for five people, travel at least 35 miles per gallon and have a price less than $20,000.

The 2011 Hyundai Elantra came out on top during the editor’s evaluations of ride comfort and exterior and interior design. To find the winner, graders from Cars.com. USA Today and members of a Chicago-area family evaluated the cars’ performance and features over three days.

[Source: Cars.com]

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Spied: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

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Hyundai-Kia Remains Top Asian Carmaker in Europe for Fourth Month

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group cemented its reputation as the top-selling Asian carmaker in Europe for the fourth consecutive month in May.

The Korean automaker sold 58,585 units to 28 countries from the EU and the European Free Trade Association last month to claim a 4.7-percent share of the market and rank 9th overall on the continent, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said on Monday. Toyota sold 41,626 units to control 3.3 percent of the market, while Hyundai shifted 34,508 vehicles and Kia moved 24,077.

In terms of aggregate sales from January to May, Hyundai-Kia (283,506 sold) maintained a healthy lead over Japan's Toyota (256,935) to keep Hyundai Motor Europe Vice President Allan Rushforth in good humor. Rushforth said in a recent interview that the company aims to claim 5th spot in Europe by 2013 based on overall sales of 500,000 units a year.

Volkswagen currently claims pride of place in Europe, having sold 299,841 vehicles there last month for a 23.9-percent share. It was followed by PSA Group of Peugeot-Citroen, which sold just over half as many cars for a 13.5-percent share. Renault Group was third (8.9 percent) and GM fourth (8.8 percent).

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Hyundai 800cc Small Car for India Coming November

Hyundai Motors India Ltd. (HMIL), the Indian unit of the leading South Korean car maker Hyundai, is all set to launch its most awaited 800 cc small car in the Indian market in November 2011. The all new Hyundai small car will be priced below the Santro Xing model where it will be taking on India’s highest selling car – Maruti Alto. The new small car is currently in the final stage of development, where the company has been taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the Indian buyers. The car has been codenamed as H800 in the Indian market.

The car will be manufactured at the company’s Chennai facility. Considering the high demand of this segment, the new H800 model is expected to drive volume sales for the company, enhancing its market share as well as presence in the country. The new Hyundai small car is expected to be priced in the segment of Sub Rs 2 lakh.

In a recent statement, HMIL sales & marketing director Arvind Saxena said, “The car will be in the same segment as Alto and is expected to be a major volume player. It has been developed in Korea and will be manufactured at our Chennai plant.”

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2012 Hyundai Genesis Prada Limited Edition Goes on Sale in Asia

Hyundai has introduced the production version of its Genesis Prada in Korea, two years after a special edition was unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show. The limited edition variant is based on the 2012 Genesis sedan, equipped with a 430 PS Tau 5.0 GDi engine.

The company says the the joint project is the result of both companies’ approach to create a highly unique version of the Genesis model, addressed to the most sophisticated clientele.

The edition comes in three special colours, these being Black Nero, Blue Baltico and Brown Moro, and these are applied with a three-layer coat technology with stereoscopic gold pearl.

Dark chrome accents, in a nod to the unique palladium-coated buckles on Prada’s bags, are to be found, with the radiator grille, emblem and door handles wearing the material. The innovations introduced by Prada include also 19-inch alloy wheels and an outer, wedge shaped antenna.

Inside, there’s definitely no shortage of leather – the dashboard and the upholstery in the Genesis Prada get the artisan-crafted treatment in the form of “saffiano” leather, which is Prada’s signature top quality leather. Genesis Prada badging and a GP500 emblem round off things with this one.

Hyundai says the car will be produced by customised personal orders, and that it will work together with Prada to carry out exclusive VIP marketing activities on the vehicle, of which there will only be 1,200 units available for the Korean market. There are plans to offer the car to a limited number of Middle Eastern and Asian countries, including China, at a later point.



[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Unveils Europe-Only i40 Saloon in Barcelona

Hyundai officially pulled the covers off the latest version of the D-segment i40 at the 2011 Barcelona Motor Show this week.

Full article and more images after the jump!

The debut of the i40 saloon follows the global reveal of the i40 tourer at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, "The i40 saloon shares the same qualities found in the tourer.

"We have ambitious but achievable targets for the i40 range, expecting to sell 60,000 units in a full year and building on the momentum Hyundai has gained in Europe in recent years.

"The launch of i40 will help us reach 3% market share by the end of 2011," Allan Rushforth concluded.

The all-new i40 will be available with a choice of four Euro V-compliant engines: two petrol and two diesel.

These units cover a power spread of 115 ps to 177 ps, with torque delivery extended across a wide engine-speed range.

Manual and automatic transmissions will also be offered.

In a segment where diesel models represent over 75% of total sales in Europe, Hyundai is anticipating that the 1.7-litre diesel unit developing 136 ps will be the most popular engine among both private and fleet buyers.

Overall, Hyundai is expecting a 65/35% spread between diesel and petrol-powered i40 sales.

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Hyundai Hires Former GM Exec Shannon as U.S. Marketing Boss

Hyundai has tapped a General Motors veteran as its new U.S. marketing chief, filling a spot that has sat empty for more than seven months.

Steve Shannon was named vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America on Wednesday and will officially take his position on April 18, Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford said.

Shannon, 52, spent more than 25 years at GM and was most recently executive director of marketing for Cadillac. He held that position from 2008 until March 2010 when he was cut in one of several executive shakeups under former CEO Ed Whitacre.

Shannon takes over a marketing department that has overseen memorable campaigns recently, including the Hyundai Assurance campaign that let Hyundai buyers get their money back if they lost their job and the "Hyundai: Uncensored" campaign that captured reactions of consumers impressed by the quality of Hyundai vehicles during test drives.

Hyundai marketers also signed Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges to do voice-overs for all of Hyundai's television ads.

Clever marketing has helped Hyundai boost sales from about 401,000 units in 2008 to more than 538,000 last year and increase U.S. market share from 3 percent to 4.6 percent in the same period.

Shannon's hiring comes after GM nabbed Hyundai's two previous marketing chiefs last year.

First to go was Joel Ewanick, the high-energy marketing executive and brainchild behind the Hyundai Assurance campaign. Ewanick left Hyundai for a brief stint at Nissan last March before being tapped to head GM's U.S. marking department in May. Ewanick's successor at Hyundai, Chris Perry, was then hired by Ewanick last August to lead Chevrolet's marketing department.

Shannon's resume includes leadership roles in marketing with Saturn, followed by senior posts at Oldsmobile, Buick, Saab, Hummer and most recently Cadillac.

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik said in a statement that he's "delighted" to have Shannon on board.

"He's a marketing innovator with strong convictions about serving the customer," Krafcik said in the statement. "At the same time, he's personable, enthusiastic and professional -- a perfect fit for us at Hyundai."

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Hyundai Equus Nabs Five Percent of U.S. Luxury Car Market Share

For all the skepticism surrounding the Hyundai Equus, the Korean luxury sedan appears to be doing well, even exceeding Hyundai’s own expectations.

Hyundai’s Midwestern PR head Dean Bedore gave us some insight into the success of the Equus, noting that it currently has a 5 percent market share of the luxury car segment, while Hyundai itself has the same overall market share. Bedore noted that the only thing stopping Hyundai from selling more of them was a lack of supply.

Equus sales are currently outpacing brands like Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley, along with sports cars like the BMW Z4, Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R. We are well aware of the apples vs. oranges nature of these kinds of comparisons, but we still found it neat that a $58,000 Hyundai is succeeding when even 5 years ago, such a notion would have been unthinkable.

Examples of luxury marques and vehicles that the Equus has outsold include:

· Bentley
· Maybach
· Rolls Royce
· Acura RL
· Audi TT
· BMW Z4
· Mercedes SLK
· Porsche Boxster
· Porsche Cayman
· BMW 6-Series
· Jaguar XK
· Mercedes CLS
· Nissan GT-R
· Audi R8
· Ferrari
· Lamborghini
· Maserati
· Mercedes CL
· Mercedes SL
· Mercedes SLS
· Lexus HS
· Saab 9-5
· Toyota Land Cruiser
· Land Rover LR2
· Acura ZDX
· Mercedes R-Class
· Mercedes G-Class

[Image Source: Autoblog]

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Hyundai Unveils Blue2 Concept in Seoul

Hyundai has pulled the sheets off its Blue2 FCEV Concept at this week's Seoul Motor Show, offering a preview of its plans in the hydrogen-powered alternative fuel race.

Aimed at getting an early foothold in the FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) market, the Blue2 is named to represent Hyundai's Blue-Drive eco brand and the chemical symbol for hydrogen gas, H2.

Power for the Blue2 is provided by a 90kW electric motor and, according to Hyundai, it will return the equivalent of 2.8 l/100km when compared to a regular petrol engine with the same output.

To help it achieve those figures, the Blue2 is also fitted with low rolling-resistance tyres and alloy wheels designed to improve aerodynamic performance.

On the styling front, the Blue2's "Intersected Flow" design represents a significant departure from Hyundai's current "fluidic sculpture" look.

Hyundai describes the new design approach as sporty and futuristic, its exterior designing flowing into the interior, with an asymmetrical dashboard and seats that are designed to allow easier entry and exit - helped further by automatic doors.

Interestingly, Hyundai says the Blue2's styling is also "a blueprint for future sedans." Watch for future Hyundai models to begin showing hints of the Blue2 Concept.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai i40 CW, Elantra, Accent And Veloster Confirmed for Australia

Hyundai has capped off its part in the 2011 YouTube Symphony Orchestra in Sydney this weekend with the announcement of four all-new models for Australia, due later this year...

MORE HERE

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Hyundai Recalls Over 280K Elantra's Due to Airbag Issues

Hyundai has issued two separate recalls for its Elantra sedans over air-bag related problems. The first action covers approximately 95,783 Elantras from the 2007-2008MY manufactured from July 14, 2006, through August 29, 2007. In this case, the air bag control module may receive an unstable electrical signal from the seat track position sensor and cause the driver's airbag to deploy at a higher pressure than intended. To fix the problem, the South Korean firm’s dealers will reprogram the air bag control module free of charge.

The second Elantra recall affects around 188,697 cars from the 2007-2009MY built from July 14, 2006, through November 1, 2008. Hyundai said that the weight sensor that deactivates the right frontal airbag when occupants of certain weights occupy the seat may become contaminated and malfunction causing the airbag deploy in crashes in which it should not deploy. Hyundai said it will take care of this issue by installing a protective cover over the weight classification system connector to prevent contamination.

Both Elantra recalls are expected to begin during April 2011. Concerned owners of the affected models may contact Hyundai's customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.

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Hyundai ix35 in High Demand in UK

Here’s a novel way to keep your customers happy, especially if they’re waiting for their new ride to arrive and it’s taking way longer than expected. Over in the UK, Hyundai has come up with a rather interesting plan, one that sees customers waiting for their new ix35 (the Tucson over here) to arrive to get an ix35 in the meantime.

Confusing? Not, once the details become clear. Seems that demand for the ix35 has been unprecedented, not only across Europe but also worldwide, resulting in supply not being able to meet demand, especially so in the case of the 2.0 litre diesel derivative.

So, in what is a unique approach, the UK office has come up with this: 200 of its longest waiting customers who have booked the 2.0 diesel SUVs will be offered a 1.7 litre diesel ix35, of which there is ready stock of. They purchase the manual 1.7, use it until their original 2.0 order arrives, at which point they trade-in the two-wheel drive 1.7 for the same price they paid for it, paying only the difference in the price of the 1.7 and 2.0 diesel versions.

The no-cost implications offer, which runs till the end of the month, also sees Hyundai giving the customer £300 to cover the costs incurred for arranging finance and insurance on two cars instead of one. The company is currently looking at the feasibility of rolling out this offer to other customers.

It’s a great deal for the UK ix35 buyer, so guess that’s one for them then. Don’t expect to be seeing something like this happening here from any car company, certainly not on this scale, if ever.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Launches Veloster in S. Korea

As part of the company’s new brand, called ‘Premium Youth Lab,’ which targets the younger generation by offering "premium emotional values", Hyundai has launched the new Veloster in South Korea today.

The company has announced that it will limit production and sales of the Veloster in the Korean market to 18,000 units annually in order to optimize its premium value. Prices will start at KRW19.4 million ($17,200) and go up to KRW20.95 million ($18,640). Hyundai plans to start sales of the Veloster in the European market in the first half of this year, followed by the US and other general markets in the second half.

Hyundai introduced its cutting-edge Hyundai Veloster three-door coupe in a world debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. It delivers innovation to the compact coupe segment with a unique three-door configuration for easy rear-seat access, Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system, Pandora Internet radio with seven-inch touch-screen display, and a new 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine mated to Hyundai's first dual-clutch transmission.

The all-new Gamma 1.6-liter four-pot is the smallest Hyundai engine to use Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI). "Gasoline-direct-injection technology allowed Hyundai engineers to create an engine that is powerful, fuel-efficient, and has fewer emissions," said Hyundai American Technical Center Inc. (HATCI) powertrain director, John Juriga. "Despite its small size, it generates some big numbers, with both impressive horsepower output and up to 40 mpg on the highway."

Peak output is rated at 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm, while maximum torque is 123 lb-ft at 4,850 rpm. The engine also features Continuously Variable Valve Timing, an electronic throttle control, a roller timing chain, variable induction and innovative anti-friction coatings such as CrN Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating and Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating.

[Source: Hyundai Motor Company]

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Hyundai Adds New GDI Engines to 2012 Equus in Korea

Hyundai launched the more powerful 2012 Equus for the company's home market of South Korea today. For 2012, the Equus is powered by either an all-new 3.8-liter V6 GDI (gasoline direct injection) engine that produces 334 horsepower or the new 429 horsepower 5.0-liter Tau V8 GDI powertrain. Both engines, also found in the recently unveiled 2012 Genesis, are mated to Hyundai's new in-house developed 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new 3.8-liter V6 engine achieves a claimed 9.7 km/L of fuel economy, which is approximately 22.8 US MPG. The 5.0-liter V8 does 8.8 km/L or around 20.7 US MPG. The 2012 Equus for the Korean market also adds new amenities both inside and out such as full LED headlamps, intelligent accelerator pedal (for crash avoidance) and new wheel designs.

Expect to see the new powertrains to be available in the 2012 Equus for the North American market as well when it arrives in showrooms later this year.

[Source: Hyundai]

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2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift Spied in Australia

Our Aussie friends at Car Advice have posted the latest spy shots of the upcoming Hyundai Genesis Coupe facelift today. A left-hand drive version (LHD) of the rear-wheel drive coupe was spotted testing in Victoria's mountain region. Though again, we don't see anything new with these pictures, the car's location poses a long-unanswered question of its possible arrival in the Australian market.

An editor of Car Advice contacted Hyundai’s Senior Manager, PR and Events, Ben Hershman, asking what the Genesis Coupe was doing in Australia. Hershman responded, “Hyundai Motor Company utilises Australia as a hot test region for global model development. This has been happening for a number of years.”

Car Advice, however, notes that it has been anything but hot in the Victoria region and raised the possibility of the company testing the waters for the coupe in the Australian market. Who knows?



[Source: Car Advice]

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New Spy Shots of the 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift

Here are the latest spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe facelift, snapped during the car's cold-weather testing stages in Germany. Not much to see here, but still worth a look we'd say. Follow the jump to view the rest of the shots! Also, check out our original post on the Genesis Coupe facelift in the link below.

EXCLUSIVE! Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift Spied for the First Time!





[Source: The Korean Car Blog]

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EXCLUSIVE! Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift Spied for the First Time!

It seems like only yesterday when Hyundai unveiled the Genesis Coupe at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. Since then, the rear-wheel drive sports coupe has amassed great popularity amongst the enthusiasts crowd and has been an important helping hand to the transformation of Hyundai.

Full article and one more image after the jump.

If anything though, Hyundai's new corporate slogan - "New thinking, new possibilities" - is a testament to the company's emphasis on keeping its product line-up fresh and updated, and the Genesis Coupe is up next to receive a timely refresh to remain competitive in its segment.

For the 2012 or 2013 model year (we're thinking the latter), Hyundai will roll out the refreshed Genesis Coupe, receiving both design and powertrain upgrades. As indicated by our spy shots, the new Genesis Coupe will feature a new front fascia that we suspect will resemble the Veloster's. Nonetheless, it's too early to guess beyond that, and we're certain we'll be seeing more spy shots of the facelifted Genesis Coupe in the months to come.

The big news for the refreshed Genesis Coupe, however, will be under the hood. With Hyundai's implementation of GDI (gasoline direct injection) technology across most of its line-up, it's almost certain that the new Genesis Coupe will also carry direct injection. As of now, even ballpark figures for specs are not procurable. Rest assured though, Hyundai will likely not disappoint.

For now, enjoy the first ever spy shots of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe facelift, brought to you exclusively by TheCarBlogger.

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