Posted on February 12th, 2008 by Auto News
Hyundai is going on a green offensive for the upcoming Geneva Motor. In addition to a face lifted Matrix MPV, the company will unveil a fuel-efficient concept based on the i30 and a range of cleaner cars.
and a range of cleaner cars. Hyundai is making way for a specially badged range of cleaner cars that will wear the ???Eco-Dynamic??? moniker. Rather than utilising such fancy (and expensive) technology as stop-start systems and hybrid powerplants, Hyundai is taking a more basic approach to lowering fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Production i10 and i30 models will go on show with lower rolling resistance tyres, new aero tweaks, and higher gear ratios. Hyundai claims this will cut C02 emissions by up to 29 percent, so expect both cars to produce less than 100g/km.
Hyundai has partnered with Recaro, LG and Bayer to create the HED-5 concept. So you can expect some nifty innovations in seating, infotainment and??¦pharmaceuticals? Well, not pharmaceuticals actually ??“ rather a lightweight body shell made from polycarbonate alloys that will help the HED-5 meet the aforementioned fuel-efficient motoring proviso.
The concept is a six-seater MPV-esque offering that, according to Hyundai, will showcase ???a new level of versatility combined with exceptional fuel economy???. it will sit on the same platform used by the company??™s i30 hatchback and utilise a number of its engines. The seating layout is believed to be a 3+3 configuration similar to that of the Honda FR-V and Fiat Multipla. Hyundai reckons a production version of the HED-5 will be on the roads within the next two years.
A facelifted version of the Matrix MPV will also grace Hyundai??™s Geneva stand -expect a number of stylistic tweaks and new colour schemes for the exterior and the use of better quality materials in the cabin.
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Filed under: Hot News, Hyundai
Posted on January 29th, 2008 by Auto News
The 2008 Hyundai Accent is a well balanced blend of car at an affordable price. Not the smallest, not the sportiest, not the most luxurious nor the most economical-but the one of the most well rounded compact cars available today that offers one of the best warranties in the industry and a truly affordable sticker price.
The Accent is available in GS and SE trims as a 2 door coupe or 3 door hatchback, in addition to the GLS 4 door sedan. The base model GS model is one of the least expensive new cars sold in America, but it achieves this status by providing fewer features than the competition. The GS includes 14-inch steel wheels, an eight-way adjustable driver seat and a 60/40-split rear seatback to increase cargo space when the need for more than a passenger or two is required. Options for this model include air-conditioning, power mirrors and windows, keyless entry and a CD/MP3 audio system with satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack. The SE version includes most features found in the GS and adds 16 inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Backseat passengers will enjoy the rear center armrest complete with cup holders and a sunroof is optional. The GLS comes standard with air conditioning and CD/MP3 stereo system with performance oriented accessories available for optional purchase from the dealer.
All models are front wheel drive and equipped with a 1.6 liter, 4 cylinder engine that produces 110 horsepower. A 5 speed manual transmission is standard, with a 4 speed automatic optional. EPA estimates report gas mileage as a thrifty 27 MPG city and 32 MPG on the highway when equipped with the manual transmission and 24 MPG city and 33 MPG highway when equipped with the automatic transmission. Performance and fuel economy are competitive with similarly equipped rivals, with 2008 EPA estimates ranging from 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with the five-speed manual to 24/33 mpg with the optional automatic transmission.
The affordable price tag found on the 2008 Hyundai Accent includes an outstanding 100,000 mile warranty and a responsive engine that performs well. It’s impressive handling, simple design and quiet, comfortable ride make the Accent a very likeable and capable choice for a small car.
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Filed under: Hyundai
Posted on January 10th, 2008 by Auto News
The 2008 Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan is already on sale in Korea, complete with a new winged logo to mark the automaker??™s foray into a new segment, as well as a choice of Hyundai??™s 3.3-liter or 3.8-liter V-6 Lambda engines.
But when the export model goes on sale in the U.S., the Genesis sedan will come with a choice of the 268-hp 3.3, the 290-hp 3.8 with variable valve timing, or Hyundai??™s all-new 368-hp, 4.6-liter Tau V-8 paired with a ZF six-speed automatic transmission. The sedan, on display at the Detroit auto show, goes on sale in North America this summer as a 2009 model at a starting price of less than $30,000. All-wheel drive will be optional.
The sedan keeps the Genesis name that was given to the sedan and coupe concepts revealed on the 2007 auto-show circuit. Both stem from Hyundai??™s new rear-drive BH platform that took four years and $540 million to develop and will yield more products in the years to come. The V-8 family also will grow, with future variants promised with larger displacements, forced-induction options, and other enhancements.
The sedans that went on sale in the new year in Korea and China sport a Genesis emblem on the front grille and in the center of the wheels, described by the company as ???the Genesis logotype set in a black hexagonal shield framed by a pair of wings. The wings, executed in a hyper-metallic silver, symbolize the spirit of flight and soaring above it all.??? Genesis models for all other markets will forgo the Bentley-esque wings for the traditional Hyundai ???H??? logo.
The production sedan for the U.S. has a five-link front suspension and five-link independent rear. When the concept was unveiled at the 2007 New York auto show, executives told Car and Driver it would be offered in a single trim level: the sporty SE.
Hyundai reportedly expects to sell about 80,000 of the Korean-built sedans globally per year, including about 20,000 in the U.S. The Genesis was designed to appeal to buyers aged 30 to 40 and compete against such luxury nameplates as the BMW 5-series, Lexus GS, and Infiniti M.
Features telegraphing Hyundai??™s move upmarket include a high-tech infotainment system with navigation and HD radio, adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights, active headrests, and a start/stop button.
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Posted on January 5th, 2008 by Auto News
Hyundai is doing its part at this year??™s Frankfurt auto show to stay green and competitive with the i-Blue fuel-cell electric vehicle. In an effort to further cut emissions and use of fossil fuels, it is among many automakers looking to hydrogen, the most common element in the universe.
The two-plus-two crossover is Hyundai??™s first stab at a purpose-built hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle (FCV), as opposed to its two predecessors that used existing SUV platforms to test the technology.
The i-Blue will join the ranks of other environmentally friendly vehicles at Frankfurt??”a show with a ???See what??™s driving the future??? theme??”such as the Ford ECOnetic Focus and six Volkswagen BlueMotion diesels, including a version of the Golf.
Hyundai??™s FCV was developed at its Design and Technical Center in Chiba, Japan, part of a new i-Blue vehicle platform that will incorporate the automaker??™s third generation of fuel-cell powertrain technology being worked on at a research facility in Mabuk, South Korea.
Like other fuel cells, Hyundai??™s technology converts hydrogen, and the only exhaust coming from the tailpipe is water.
In addition to its sleek, car-based body, the i-Blue has rear-hinged suicide doors in the rear; a panoramic windshield/roof; and a set of cool LED headlights. Look for some of these features on future Hyundais??”like the headlights.
The i-Blue is the next step toward Hyundai??™s goal of reaching mass production of FCVs in the next decade. It is far from alone, as most automakers have works in progress and/or testing. For example, Mercedes-Benz has fuel-cell buses and other hydrogen-powered vehicles under real-world evaluation, and General Motors is determined to put an FCV on the market by 2011.
In a different approach to commercializing hydrogen, BMW has been testing its fleet of Hydrogen 7 sedans with a combustion engine that runs on gasoline as well as liquid hydrogen.
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Filed under: Hyundai
Posted on December 21st, 2007 by Auto News
We??™ll get right to the nitty-gritty. This rear-wheel-drive Hyundai sports sedan??”there are six words we??™ve never strung together before??”will arrive at dealerships in production guise sometime next year. In other words, think of the information below as a primer for what to expect when this concept becomes reality.
The Genesis uses an all-new, all-aluminum 32-valve 4.6-liter V-8 producing well over 300 horsepower and more than 300 pound-feet of torque, according to Hyundai, and mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. Hyundai estimates the duo will propel the car to 60 mph from a stop in well under six seconds, although the company hints at larger-displacement, forced-induction versions of the V-8 that would surely perform the 0-to-60 samba in even less time. (A blown Hyundai? From the factory? Seriously?) The Genesis rides on a five-link independent suspension at all four corners and offers the driver a choice of shock settings.
The concept??™s rear-wheel-drive architecture is a prototype of the final version, which will mark the first use of rear-drive for a U.S.-market Hyundai. Weight distribution is claimed at 53 percent front and 47 percent rear, figures that??™ll make Hyundai??™s sporty goals a lot easier to achieve than, say, the front-wheel-drive Azera??™s 62/38. Like all Hyundais, the 16.4-foot-long concept Genesis focuses strongly on safety and is crammed full of lifesaving technology, including eight airbags, stability control, adaptive cruise control, active headrests, and brake assist.
To date, equating driving excitement with Hyundai has been about as ridiculous an idea as expecting to find foie gras on the McDonald??™s Value Menu, but Hyundai truly believes the Genesis can change that??”and with big targets like the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class in its sights, Hyundai had better get it right. That means world-class fit and finish, the best materials, and driving dynamics that won??™t bring to mind a Toyota turned the other way around. One thing Hyundai has already nailed, though, is the price, which the company promises will begin well under $30,000 (for V-6 models) when the Genesis hits the streets. V-8 versions will likely start around $35,000.
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Filed under: Hyundai
Posted on November 22nd, 2007 by Auto News
Proof that the EU has officially caught the SUV bug can be found in the number of production or concept SUVs making their Geneva debut. Among the most interesting of them came right out of Hyundai Motor Europe??™s Design and Technical Center, in corroboration with General Electric: the QarmaQ crossover. The QarmaQ has just two doors and seriously high ground clearance. It’s almost completely recyclable, very light in weight, and rather good-looking. One could say their ???qarma??? is good.
Actually, the QarmaQ derives its name ???from traditional Inuit dwellings, constructed from earth, whalebone, and animal skins??? and was so named to reflect the use of unconventional materials for conventional objects. GE Plastic??™s involvement evidently allowed designers to create complex shapes inside and out that wouldn??™t have been possible with conventional materials such as metal and glass. For example, sheetmetal for the body panels was rejected in favor of plastic, and paint was eliminated in favor of color molded in.
Among GE Plastic??™s most interesting contributions is the ???glazing??? technology that replaces window and windshield glass with a polycarbonate resin, allowing a panoramic wrap-around greenhouse that reaches down into the door in a C-shape arrangement. To resist scratching, a thin layer of glass is actually integrated onto the element. The technology is said to cut weight in half compared with standard glass.
Hyundai also claims the plastics enabled engineers to creatively meet or in some cases exceed safety requirements. Among the QarmaQ??™s claims to fame is its ???Elastic Front??? design, utilizing advanced and strategically placed plastics to make the vehicle??™s front end as pedestrian-friendly as the front end of any car could be.
The QarmaQ is powered by Hyundai??™s 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder engine that meets strict EURO5 standards for emissions.
Inside the four-place interior, the driver sits in a pod-like structure. Many controls are activated by touch sensors or glowing, floating elements. LEDs, silicone-imbibed leather, and cool aluminum contribute equally to the QarmaQ??™s interior mystique.
Now, will they make such a thing? Well, Hyundai claims some 30 technologies developed for the QarmaQ will be phased in between next year and 2014.
As for the vehicle itself, Hyundai calls the QarmaQ a ???totally relevant concept??? that ???underlines the commitment of Hyundai to design innovation in this market sector.??? Still, we??™ve seen a lot of other automakers put their spin on this ???totally relevant concept,??? sometimes resulting in bland five-door cute utes but more often producing no results at all. Sure, we would love to see a cool crossover coupe finally make it to market, but we??™ll believe it when we see it.
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Filed under: Hyundai
Posted on November 22nd, 2007 by Auto News
Hyundai??™s fetching new C-segment hatchback, the i30, is yet another cool hatchback that we won??™t be getting here. But that??™s okay, we pretty much already have it in sedan form as the Elantra. Like its sister vehicle, the Kia Cee??™d, however, the i30 was designed in Europe for Europe??”and good for them, since it looks great and offers many more engine choices,? consisting of? three gasoline and three diesel variants. The i30 five-door hatchback will go on sale this summer.
The i30 was previewed last year in Paris with the tongue-twisting name Arnejs, but that name was dropped as Hyundai has adopted a new corporate alphanumeric name structure for all its European models. The letter ???i,??? which is used ubiquitously in the technology sector, attempts to convey Hyundai??™s focus on technology and will mark the first character in all Hyundai cars. The ???30??? refers to the vehicle??™s C-segment status. A-segment cars will be named i10, B-segment vehicles i20, and so on up to the E-segment, which will be named??”you guessed it??”i50. Certain model variants may carry a suffix, such as ???i30 CW??? (CW = ???cross wagon???), which Hyundai cited as an example. We suppose an i30 CW will appear soon.
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