Hyundai Genesis Coupe wins Coupe of the year award

Hyundai's first-ever rear-wheel-drive coupe, the Genesis Coupe has won the Coup of the year award in the Middle East. It has happened for the very first time, that a Korean car has won the prestigious award.


The Genesis Coupe has been selected as the best vehicle in the coupe segment by a number of automotive experts and from the region. It was one of the 10 cars that received the title, each in its own category.

Some other vehicles that also won this year's Car Middle East Awards were the Lamborghini LP670-4SV, which was named the supercar of the year. Range Rover Sport was named the SUV of the year, while Nissan GT-R received the overall Car of the year victory.

Congrats to Hyundai!

Hyundai sales in Eastern Europe slows down

According to KAMA, Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, South Korean automakers experienced slower sales in Eastern Europe in the first eleven months of 2009.

Their sales performance has been affected by economic slump in the region. Overall auto sales in Russia fell from 2.69 million units in 2008 to 1.34 million units in 2009.

Reportedly, Hyundai Motor Company and other South Korean automakers including Kia and GM Daewoo have sold a total of 88.547 new cars in Russia and some Eastern European markets in the first 11 months, while a year earlier they sold 378.395 new cars.


The report also mentioned that on the other hand, Hyundai achieved some good results in the US market. Its manufacturing plant, which produces Santa Fe SUV and Sonata sedan rolled out a millionth car last month after only four and a hlf years since opening!

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe beats competitors in terms of fuel consumption

The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV equipped with 2.2L four-cylinder diesel engine has been recognised as the most fuel efficient mid-size Sport Utility Vehicle in Australia.

During the week long Global Green Challenge, which crosses the continent from Darwin to Adelaide, the Santa Fe achieved an outstanding fuel consumption of 5.1L/100km and beat all of its rivals, including Kia's new Sorento crossover.

According to hyundai Australia, after seven days of intense competition, the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE consumed a total of just 160L of diesel and leaved only 137 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe is equipped with Hyundai's latest diesel engine, which produces 197 horsepower and achieves EURO5 emission standards. It is mated to the all-new six-speed automatic gearbox, which helps the vehicle to achieve such impressive fuel consumption ratings as mentioned above.

But, this is not the very first "green competition" win for Hyundai brand in Australia. At the World Solar Challenge event two years ago, Hyundai also beat its competition with its brandnew i30 hatch and an astonishing 3.2L per 100 kilometers consumption. Under the hood, the i30 featured a 1.6L diesel engine from Hyundai, which is recognized as one of the best diesel engines in the segment.

Hyundai Alabama produces 1 millionth car

Hyundai Alabama celebrates 1 millionth car milestone!

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) President and CEO H.I. Kim, announced HMMA’s 1,000,000 vehicle last week. A white, 2010 Sonata sedan, which was the millionth car built by the venture, was driven off the assembly line with Mayor Todd Strange, Hyo-Seung Kim, CEO and President of Sejong and HMMA Team Member Angela Collins.

Hyundai reached the 1.000.000 vehicle milestone in a span of little more than four and one-half years announced HMMA CEO during his speech at the celebration.

Hyundai's Alabama manufacturing plant produced two different vehicles since 2006, the mid-size Sonata sedan and Santa Fe SUV. In the past four year and a half, a total of 655.496 Sonatas and 344.504 Santa Fe SUVs were built to reach this achievement in the plant’s short history.

Hyundai Sonata, which will soon undergo a major redesign, has been the company's best-selling vehicle in the US market. The Korean carmaker expects it to remain the top-selling vehicle in Hyundai's US vehicle line-up in the coming years.

"Our guests of honor today are without a doubt the team members wearing the Hyundai logo on their chest," H.I. Kim proudly exclaimed to the crowd gathered for the ceremony. "We've over came many challenges since production began in 2005 and through it all our Team Members never turned away from those challenges. It is because of you that we were able to accomplish this tremendous milestone."

Go Hyundai!

November 2009 car sales in Korea

Korean newspaper Koreaherald reported yesterday that Korea's five automakers increased their sales by 25,1% from a year earlier to 555.246 units. Domestic market sales increased by 93% to 136.607 units, while overseas market sales gained 22% to 418.639 units.

Among all five automakers, Hyundai saw its sales rising 33 percent in November from a year ago to 308.873 units, while its parent firm, Kia Motors experienced a 25 percent sales gain - Kia sold 166.614 new vehicles in November 2009.

According to the sales report, GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co sold 54.501 new vehicles last month, while Renault Samsung, the local unit of Renault SA, announced its sales gained 81 percent in November from a year ago to 20.562 units. Even Ssangyong Motor, which has been under bankruptcy protection since the beginning of the year, reported it sales rose to 4.696 units (+22 percent compared to last year).

The best selling vehicle in Korea last month was Hyundai Sonata sedan with sales once again topping 19.000 units.

2010 Renault-Samsung SM5

Korean fourth largest carmaker, Renault-Samsung, has released the very first official images of the SM5 sedan ahead of its official South Korean debut, scheduled for the first quarter of 2010.

The all-new SM5 sports more sophisticated exterior design and more modern interior lay-out than its predecessor. Based on the same platform as Renault Laguna, the 2010 SM5 features Nissan's powertrain technology, including a 2.0L gasoline engine and six speed automatic transmission. The model is also available with a fuel-sipping 2.0L diesel powerplant that gets even better gas mileage than its gasoline counterpart.

The all-new Renault-Samsung SM5 has been developed at the company's Korean R&D headquarters. It took the engineers 36 months to develop the model from scratch, while the development process cost company a whopping 400 million won.

Renault-Samsung executive chief officer, Jean-Marie Hurtiger, is confident that the 2010 SM5 is good enough to boost image of the brand in both, the South Korean and International markets, as well as boost the overall brand's sales.

According to the company, the all-new SM5 will be equipped with some high-tech features such as adaptive xenon headlights and massage front seats. It is expected to be priced attractively, which means it will probably cost less than its main rivals from Hyundai or Kia Motors.

Check also the designer sketch of the new SM5, which has been released a few days ago, as well as some general information on the Renault-Samsung brand.

Renault-Samsung SM5 images:

Hyundai pulls out of Japanese market

World's fastest rising carmaker, Hyundai Motor Company, announced a surprising news about pulling out of the Japanese car market, last Friday. The Korean carmaker decided to stop selling passanger vehicles in Japan due to low sales volumes.

Since 2001 when Hyundai entered the Japanese automarket, the automaker managed to sell only 15.000 new cars. Hyundai sold Grandeur XG, Sonata sedan and Getz subcompact car in Japan. Initial sales were encouraging, but later on, Hyundai experienced falling of new car sales
therefore the decision was made to suspend passenger vehicle sales in the country.

Despite slugish sales in Japan, Hyundai contimue to outperform major car-makers, including Toyota on international markets. According to the statement of Hyundai spokesperson, the company has sold 41 percent more cars in the third quarter of the year compared to a year earlier.

This is a temporary decisison said Hyundai spokesperson and if the Japanese passenger car market improves, Hyundai could resume the sales there. Hyundai sells both, passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Japan and while passenger car sales has been suspended, Hyundai will continue to offer commercials vehicles. It will allocate its resources and focus on commercial vehicles sales.

Hopefully, Hyundai returns to the Japanese market with a better car-selling strategy. Once they return, they should try with a broader range of vehicles and instead of selling mid-sized and large-sized sedan, they should focus on selling compact and sub-compact cars or they could make a step further and offer a range of hybrid cars to tech-savy Japanese consumers.

US-market Fiesta likely to steal sales from Hyundai

New US-market Ford Fiesta looks great. But is this enough to steal sales from Hyundai?

Apparently, the all-new, US-market, Ford Fiesta sedan has made it unofficial US debut just moments ago, with the very first and exclusive images surfacing to the web. Scheduled to make its official US debut at the up-coming L.A. Auto Show next week, the all-new Fiesta sedan features a bit different front fascia design than its European five-door sibling model.

The most evident difference between the two is the front bumper design, which features massive air intake and large chrome intakes for the fog-lights. The US-market Fiesta also sports a redesigned front grille with nicely incorporated grille-bars. There are no pics of the rear-end at the moment, so its quite difficult to talk about the rear design, but we expect to see some traditional design DNA elements from latest Ford cars at the rear-end of Fiesta.

The all-new Fiesta will compete head to head against Hyundai's sub-compact Accent. The ageing Hyundai Accent, with not so appealing design will probably have some hard times competing against a brand-new Ford model with striking design and more modern powertrain technology, so question is how will the new Fiesta affect Hyundai Accent's 2010 sales? If priced reasonably, the Accent could loose several thousand units of sales next year.


Thankfully, Hyundai has an all-new Accent in the works, which should hit the market in late 2010 or early 2011. The very first spy shots reveal its going to look as hot as Fiesta four-door so you can expect the battle for the sub-compact car customers to intensify once Hyundai launches its new product in the US market.

Hyundai and Ford are currently in the "battle" for the fourth largest automaker in the world. According to figures released by the Automotive News, Hyundai's 2.153.000 units sold are 8.000 more than the US auto giant. Great Fiesta sales could catapult Ford past Hyundai to recap the fourth spot again, but be sure the roaring Korean auto maker will fight back and make FoMoCo hard time to sleep.

Update: We added some more pics including the one revealing the rear-end design, which is not as appealing as the striking front-end. But all-in-all, the forth-coming Fiesta is a great looking car (perhaps the best looking one in its segment) and should do really well for Ford Motor Company in the US market. Enjoy the images.

New Samsung SM5 designer sketch surfaces to the web

Renault-Samsung released a designer sketch of its all-new mid-size sedan called SM5, which is expected to arrive to the market in 2010.

The designer sketch you see above shows a redesigned Samsung SM5 and is a follow-up model to the current SM5 model, which has been on sale in the Korean market since 2005. The current SM5 sedan is built on Nissans Teana platform, while the up-coming SM5 will, reportedly, be based on the same platform as the current generation Renault Laguna.

Therefore, the all-new SM5 will features similar engines, as well as powertrain technology with its European sibling model. It will also feature a breakthrough exterior design, which will be sportier and much more eye-pleasing than that of the current model. Plus, the model will also adopt advanced safety technology and many other convenience features already found on the current Renault Laguna sedan.

The forth-coming Renault-Samsung SM5 will first go on sale in the South Korean market in the first half of 2010 where it will compete head-to-head with the all-new Hyundai Sonata sedan and Kia Lotze (known as Optima in the US market), while later in the year, the carmaker will begin exporting the model to several other Asian markets.

About the Renault Samsung company:

Those of you not familiar with the fourth-largest Korean car brand read this: Renault Samsung Motors was first established as Samsung Motors back in 1994. Hit by the Asian financial crisis in 1998, the carmaker has been sold to Renault which acquired a 70 percent stake in the company for $512 million.

The fourth-largest Korean carmaker produces four different models and has a production capacity of 130.000 units. With new models planed to be released in the near future, the brand plans an expansion of its production to around 250.000 new vehicles by the end of 2010.

Existing Renault-Samsung vehicle line-up consists of compact SM3 sedan, midsize SM5 and near-luxury sedan called SM7. The company also sells the QM5 crossover, which is also sold in overseas markets as a Renault Koleos.

India vs China car sales

Hyundai Motor India will likely become the largest contributor to its parent company, Hyundai Motor Corporation (HMC) of Korea, in terms of sales and could soon overtake Hyundai's China subsidiary.



To date, Hyundai Motor India sold 405.689 new cars, while Hyundai's cumulative sales in China, the world's largest car market, topped 412.399 units. That is a difference of mere 6.710 units.

"India contributes 15-17% to the total sales and revenues of HMC and the growing demand for small cars will help us increase our profits further in 2010," said Mr. HW Park, who has been just recently appointed as a managing director and CEO of Hyundai Motor India.

According to Hyundai, demand for small cars have gone up after the scrappage incentives have been doled out by variousEuropean countries.

"Despite a strong demand for smaller vehicles in the domestic market, where the small car segment constitutes nearly 78% to the total car sales, there has been an increase in exports from India to Europe and this will help us increase our sales and profit in 2010" said Hyundai representative.

However, while sales in China is entirely to the domestic market, HMC's Indian subsidiary is currently exporting nearly half of its new car production to the West after the company decided to develop India as a hub for small cars. This year Hyundai expects to sell 560.000 units, which would be a growth of 13-14%.

2.4L GDI engine to propel Sonata

- Hyundai's gasoline direct injection engine lowers CO2 emissions and improves vehicle's fuel economy!

- The engine churns out a class-leading 201 horsepower!

- First installed in the all-new Hyundai Sonata sedan

According to Hyundai, the 2.4L GDI engine was developed with a budget of $146 million over a 46 month-long research and development period. The engine will make its inaugural debut in the first half of 2010 in the all-new Sonata sedan.

The GDI technology will gradually be expanded to other Hyundai engines and will include majority of gasoline engines applied in other Hyundai cars.

The 2.4L GDI's engine's benefits include improved gas mileage and performance. Compared to engine without GDI technology, tjaall-new 2.4L GDI unit achieves 7 percent more torque at low revolutions and 12 percent more torque at the high-end revs.

It also achievs around 10% better gas-mileage than the engine without GDI technology.

As we already mentioned, the all-new 2.4L Theta II gasoline engine will make its debut in te 2011 Sonata sedan, which will make its premiere at the 2010 NAIAS in January. The all-new Sonata will be unveiled just a few months after the 2010 Tucson crossover, which has been scheduled to make its official US debut at the upcoming L.A. Auto Show in November this year.

Stay tuned for more information!

Sales of Santa Fe SUV tops 2 million units

Korean largest carmaker Hyundai reported that Santa Fe -midsize SUV, just recently reached cumulative sales of 2 million units worldwide.

The two million units landmark is a major success for the brand and testifies the high-quality and leading style of the Santa Fe SUV. According to Hyundai, 1.500.000 units of the Santa Fe SUV were sold in the international markets, while 500.000 units were sold in the Korean marke

If you line up all the Santa Fes that have been sold to date, the length is equivalent to eleven round trips between Seoul and Korea's second-largest city, Busan (distance between two cities is 428 km). When the cars are piled up (overall height 1,725mm), the two million units are 390 times the height of the Mount Everest (8,848m).

The Santa Fe SUV was launched in the summer of 2000 and immediatelly became a major success for the brand. The Santa Fe, which combes the comfort of a car and safety of a SUV vehicle, has just recently received a facelift.

The all-new, 2010 model benefits from exterior styling tweaks, as well as interior improvements. It also boasts a wider engine range (in Korean market), which includes a brand new LPI engine, as well as a choice of gasoline and diesel engines.

Positioned one slot above the forth-coming Hyundai ix35, the facelifted Santa Fe SUV will go on sale by the end of this year.

Hyundai sales soar in October

Hyundai announces October sales...

Korean largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor Company, announced today that it has increased its new vehicle sales by 6,9% last month. October sales were higher on behalf of soaring domestic sales, as well as increasing overseas demand.

Hyundai reported October sales totaled 288.618 units last month. Sales in domestic market grew more than 25% to 66.458 units, while overseas sales rose 2,3% to 222.160 units. Hyundai told that domestic sales were boosted by the introduction of new Tucson ix crossover and Sonata YF, which has been on sale in Korea since mid-September.

In addition to October sales numbers, Hyundai also announced it has finally signed a final contract to set up a US$33.8 million joint venture to produce lithium-ion car batteries with LG Chem Ltd.

The Korean car-maker will begin production of lithium-ion car batteries in the second half of 2010. The venture is expected to help Hyundai to speed up its efforts to increase the presence in the rapidly growing market of low-polluting vehicles. Hyundai has already revealed it plans to release new fuel-efficient models, including a variety of hybrid cars, as well as electric cars within next three years.

Hyundai to produce electric cars together with KEPCO

Hyundai to produce electric cars together with KEPCO!

Hyundai and the Korea Electric Power Corp. yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding on developing electric vehicles and recharging mechanisms.

As part of the agreement, the two companies will collaborate in developing electric vehicles and the charging mechanisms, as well as developing and standardizing recharging interfaces, while also commercializing the electric vehicles. KEPCO is currently developing recharging mechanisms with the target of completing the process by 2010.

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group's electric car plans aim to supply electric vehicles in limited volumes in August 2010 and to begin commercial production of such vehicles the following year.

Hyundai will soon reveal more detailed plans regarding its electric car program. Stay tuned!

Hyundai increases sales in Africa and Middle East

Although Hyundai posted the highest sales increase in China market, where sales have jumped more than 150 percent last month, the Korean largest automaker also increased its sales in Afric and Middle East and Africa.

According to the KAMA - Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, Hyundai shipped 17.528 vehicles to African countries last month, while at the same, it exported more than 46.000 units to the Middle East (plus 83.8% from a year ago).

The beginning of the year was tough for Hyundai as the automaker experienced slumping sales, but recently ( July-September period), Korean carmaker experienced a sharp turnaround! Year on year exports to the Middle East jumped 38 percent to 106.132 units, while shipments to Africa rose 25% to 44,253.

The outlook for the Hyundai brand is good. The automaker will introduce new models next year and it also plans to spend more money on marketing in the region (Africa and Middle East).

Next generation, 2011 Elantra spied

Here is the proof that Hyundai already begun testing a successor model to its current Elantra compact sedan. A prototype has just recently been caught while out in the wild. Covered with heavy camouflage, the prototype model provides us with the very first glimpse of how the 2011 Elantra sedan will look like.

Honestly, there's not much to see rather than Elantra's general body shape, but that seems to be very sporty. It's pretty evident that the 2011 Elantra will follow Hyundai's upcoming Sonata with its design language. The model will sport a modern design with sleek profile and coupe-like roofline. Compared to the current Elantra model, the new one will not only attract consumers by offering value, but also with its attractive exterior styling.

Although there are no available details on Elantra's powertrain options, the 2011 Elantra is expected to be available with a wide selection of four-cylinder powertrains. Hyundai will soon apply its latest gasoline direct injection technology to its 1.6L and 2.0L four-cylinder engines and those are expected to make their production debut in next Elantra.

According to some inside reports, Hyundai will also debut a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox in new Elantra, but that remains to be seen. The 2011 Elantra is expected to make its official debut late next year, possibly at the 2010 L.A. auto show. Sales will commence shortly after its official debut.

Make sure you copy and paste the following link to see more spy shots of the 2011 Elantra sedan... [Source: www.leftlanenews.com/hyundai-elantra-2011.html]

Hyundai posts record third quarter earnings

Hyundai Motor Company continues to post record profits through the year. Today, the Korean automaker announced it has achieved record third quarter earnings, thanks to stronger than expected new car demand.

Hyundai reported a net profit of $832 million (979.1 billion won) in the third quarter, really an impressive amount of money. This is more than three times the 264.8 billion won the company has earned in the same period of time a year ago. Third quarter profits also beat a 616.3 billion won forecast set by 11 analysts in a Reuters poll.

"These are amazing earnings. The figures reflect Hyundai's increased share in the Asian and North American markets." said Kazutaka Oshima, CEO at Rakuten Investment Management in Tokyo. "

Hyundai expects to continue improving its sales with launching new models such as next generation Hyundai Sonata sedan and completely revamped Tucson crossover, which has been one of the best selling Hyundai cars this year. Hyundai also plans to launch a facelifted i30 hatch in Europe soon.

The automaker also expects to see global demand for new cars growing by up to 5 percent in 2010. A Hyundai executive told that global economy will slowly recover and that means global new car sales would likely grow to 60 million vehicles next year.

Hyundai reports September 2009 sales

Hyundai Motor Company has issued its monthly sales report in which, the company has announced it has sold 307.181 new cars in September 2009, a 61% increase compared to the same month a year earlier.

Domestic sales have risen 118 percent to 68.570 units from last year's 31.449 units. Both, new Sonata sedan and new Tucson/ix35 have helped the automaker to record the best-ever overall September sales.

According to Hyundai, Sonata sedan has been the best selling vehicle in Korean market last month. With sales of 9.517 units, the all-new 2011 Sonata sedan finished a top of the Korean sales charts. The all-new Sonata also passed the old Sonata model, with 6.500 units. Combined, both Sonatas managed to attract record 16.299 new consumers! The old Sonata model will now be discontinued.

Sales from Hyundai's overseas manufacturing plants, located in the USA, China, Turkey, India and Czech Republic rose to 238.611 units, representing 50 percent increase compared to last year.

With new Hyundai ix35 and Tucson set to be officially launched in the international markets later this year or early in 2010, Hyundai is confident it can push its monthly sales further.

Reportedly, the Korean carmaker will focus on expanding its market share by introducing new cars and intensify its marketng activities around the world.

Interior of the 2011 Kia VG

Hyundai's sister company, Kia Motors, has a new premium sedan currently in development. Codenamed VG, the all-new Kia is scheduled to hit the Korean market in November this year, while international sales is expected to commence in the second half of 2010.

The all-new Kia VG will be based on the concept car which has been first showed at the 2009 Seoul Auto Show. It's exterior styling will not be far from attractive exterior design of the concept car. Kia's flagship model will feature Kia's latest design elements such as new "tiger nose" grille. It will also be equipped with LED technology in front and rear lights.

The VG sedan will be powered by a 275-horsepower 3.5L V6 Lambda engine. Other engine options will include a 2.4L Theta II engine and a 2.7L LPi engine (Korean market only). Powerful engines will be coupled to Kia's new six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia's VG sedan rides on a new front-wheel-drive platform that will also be used with next generation Hyundai Azera.

This is the very first shot of a completely undisguised interior photo of the all-new Kia VG. UPDATE: A few more spy shots of the VG prototype surfaced to the web...

Hyundai reports September sales gain

Hyundai reports September sales gain!

Hyundai Motor America announced its September sales of 31,511units, a 27 percent increase compared with September 2008. For the calendar year to-date, Hyundai sales are up 1.4 percent compared to last year. This also marks the ninth consecutive month of significant year-over-year gains in retail market share. Hyundai leads all automotive brands in market share growth this year as well.


"While consumer demand following the Cash-for-Clunkers program softened during the month of September, we are encouraged with our continued growth in retail share and overall sales through the first nine months of the year,” said Dave Zuchowski, vice president of sales.“With our solid product and marketing plans going into the fourth quarter, in addition to the upcoming launch of the all-new Tucson and Sonata, we are cautiously optimistic during these challenging times."

The compact Elantra had a significant increase of 104 percent versus 2008. Santa Fe delivered a substantial sales gain of 50 percent, while Genesis continued its strong growth trend with sales of 1,665 units. [Source: Hyundai Motor America]

2011 Nissan Micra

It's time to give a brief look at Hyundai's competition. More praticularly, we will review the forth-coming Nissan Micra, which is scheduled to make its official debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Micra is Nissan's most successful sub-compact car that has been on sale ever since 1982. The current model of Nissan Micra, which has been first displayed at 2002 Paris Auto Show, has sold in thousands of units each year and has proved to be a successful contender in the popular B-car segment. It was especially successful in Europe, where it has been the best selling Nissan vehicle for years - until the Qashqai crossover showed up.

Scheduled to go on sale early next year, Nissan will replace the current Micra with a completely redesigned model, which will incorprate Nissan's latest design DNA, new eco-friendly engines and advanced transmissions.

Latest reports suggest that Nissan Micra will be powered by Renault's 1.2L gasoline turbo engine that already propels Renault Twingo. It will also be available with a fuel-sipping diesel engine, while latest rumors also indicate that Nissan is preparing a hybrid version of new Micra.

While no test mules of next Micra have been spied so far, we have gotten our hand on two designe sketches that give us a sneak peak preview at what could the 2010 Micra look like.

Hyundai to build Kia Venga in Europe

Hyundai to build Kia's B-segment van called Venga at its European plant!

Hyundai has announced it will soon begin producing the Venga, a B-segment MPV, from Kia Motors at its Czech manufacturing plant located in a city called Nosovice. Kia has officially launched Venga at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week and will start selling it in December.

Kia Venga will be the third model to be built in the plant after the five-door i30 hatch and i30 wagon and will be marketed exclusively for the European market. In 2011, Kia Venga will be followed by another model, possibly a Venga clone that Hyundai plans to introduce in that year.

Hyundai's B-segment MPV model will be built on the same platform as Kia Venga and will share many of its powertrain components, such as diesel and gasoline engines, and transmissions. To differentiate it from Kia's Venga, Hyundai will incorporate its latest design language, which has been first seen on the 2010 ix35, to the newcomer. The model is expected to be the same size as its major rivals: Opel's upcoming Meriva, Nissan Note and Renault Modus.

When Hyundai adds the fourth model to production lines, the plant will churn out 300.000 vehicles per year.

Hyundai ix-Metro

Say hello to the latest Hyundai concept car, called ix-Metro. A few hours ahead of its official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show we are bringing you a close-up image, previewing the prototype car with two hot chicks standing by. All of them look hot, don't they!

About the ix-Metro

Hyundai designers describe the ix-Metro as a CUV ( City Utility Vehicle). The prototype is powered by Hyundai's new hybrid powertrain with 1.0-litre three-cylinder gasoline engine that uses continuously variable valve timing, direct injection and a turbo along with a torque boost from its battery. The engine delivers 123 horsepower and emits only 80g/km of CO2 emissions.
The engine of the Hyundai ix-Metro is coupled with the company's latest six-speed dual clutch transmission.

More news about the ix-Metro and other Hyundai hybrid cars will be published later today! Stay tuned...

Hyundai wants hydrogen infrastructure to be built by 2015

Hyundai Motor Co. has announced it has joined Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda Motor Co,, Ltd,, Renault, Toyota and Nissan to urge world's governments and especially energy companies to speed up development of easily accessible and affordable hydrogen infrastructure to ensure the successful introduction of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) into the marketplace.

World's leading automakers announced that they addressed a Letter of Understanding to all major oil and energy companies and government organizations to call on these organizations to propel the development of hydrogen refuelling stations around the world.

"A hydrogen infrastructure network with sufficient density is required by 2015 and the network should be built-up from metropolitan areas via corridors into area-wide coverage." The companies "strongly support the idea of building-up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as starting point and at the same time developing similar concepts for the market penetration of hydrogen infrastructure in other regions of the world.

Fuel cell electric vehicles are part of Hyundai's "Blue Drive" strategy, which will bring to market a wide range of eco-friendly products and technologies designed to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

Hyundai's FCEV program has been gaining momentum with plans in place to start limited series production by 2012. Hyundai plans to expand its demo fleet of FCEV's to 200 units by 2010, including SUVs and city buses, then slowly ramp up production starting in 2012.

As a part of that ("Blue Drive") initiative, Hyundai will unveil four Blue Drive models at the forthcoming Frankfurt Auto Show, which starts tomorrow. [Source: Hyundai-Blog]

Hyundai plant in Canada?

After Hyundai announced it plans to build a manufacturing plant in China (already its third) rumors about the company considering to build one also in Canada surfaced to the web.

Chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor Canada said that Hyundai may soon need to take a hard look at building an assembly plant in Canada if it continues to increase sales in the following years.

Hyundai's Canadian sales are up 24 percent this year and are on pace to reach 90.000 vehicles.By 2012, Hyundai plans to sell 150.000 cars in Canada and that is a figure, according to Steve Kelleher, Hyundai Motor's Canadian chief executive officer that should prompt consideration about a plant in the country.

Hyundai operated an assembly plant in Canada in mid-1980s, but the company closed it only four years after openning as its sales collapsed in North America. Hyundai's assembly plant was located in Bromont, Quebec and produced second generation Sonata sedans. It had a capacity of 100.000 vehicles per year.

If Hyundai decides to build a plant in Canada, then this would be the company's third North American plant. Hyundai already operates a manufacturing plant in Alabama, while Hyundai's affiliate, Kia Motors, has a $1-billion plant currently under construction in Georgia.

Hyundai to build new plant in China

Hyundai already operates two manufacturing plants in China, the world's largest auto market, but recently we have heard of news that the fourth largest automaker in the world has been studying to build another one.

According to an executive that works for Hyundai's China venture, Hyundai decided to go ahead with its third plant so it can meet China's rapid new car sales growth. Hyundai will start building new plant early next year and although, the company didn't reveal what models it will build in its new plant, it did provide a capacity of the plant. The plant will be capable of producing 300.000 new vehicles when operating at "full speed".

Hyundai has been one of the fastest rising carmakers in China this year. Models, such as Elantra, Sonata and Tucson have experienced a huge increase, while sales have been up 200% in August, compared to the same month last year. According to one of the leading China car magazines, Hyundai recently raised its local sales target for 2009 to 500.000 new vehicles from 300.000 units.

This is a huge rise in sales, but Hyundai is confident that new models that will be launched shortly will help the company to achieve the projected sales target. Already this year, Hyundai will launch an i30 hatch in China, while a few months later, the i30 will be joined by i10 minicar, which is currently built only in India. Both models are expected to be produced in China.

Spied: Next generation Hyundai Elantra

Spies have caught a heavily camoflaged Hyundai prototype while undergoing hot-weather testing on the US soil. According to Leftlane, the website that published a series of spy shots, this is apparently, the next-generation Hyundai Elantra sedan.

Codenamed MD, the next-gen Elantra was expected to bow in 2013, but seems like Hyundai has not been satisfied with the overall sales results of the current Elantra model, so they decided to bring its successor to the market ahead of their initial plans.

Next Elantra will follow Hyundai's upcoming Sonata sedan with sleeker exterior styling that features a coupe-like roofline. It will also grow in size to offer even more for the driver and passengers. The 2011 Elantra is expected to be available with a range of fuel-sipping four-cyl. engines, mated to the all-new six-speed dual-clutch auto tranny.

According to some rumors floating around, Hyundai will also offer a hybrid Elantra variant within 20 months after its introduction. [Source: leftlanenews.com/hyundai-elantra-2011.html ]

Hyundai moving production of i20 hatch from India to Turkey

Hyundai has announced it will move production of the i20 hatchback from the current location in India to Turkey. Starting in May next year, 80.000 units of Hyundai i20 will be built at Hyundai Turkey plant in the city called Izmit and will be exported to European countries.

Hyundai plans to invest about $75 million additionally to rebuild the plant, which currently produces four door Hyundai Accent and B-segment Matrix MPV. Large scale Hyundai investment does not only mean more Hyundai cars but also new jobs in Turkey as Hyundai will have to hire additional 500 workers to produce the i20 hatch. According to Hyundai, current plant's capacity will be raised to 100.000 vehicles per year, with 80.000 units devoted to Hyundai i20.

Hyundai sells i20 and Getz hatch in Turkey where it has the leading market share among B-segment cars. In the first eight months, Hyundai sold 7.000 units of Getz, which makes it the number one selling car in the country. Hyundai i20 has only been on sale since May, and in the meantime the company already sold more than 1.500 units.

In Turkey, Hyundai i20 is available with a choice of four different fuel-sipping engines: 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gasoline engines and 1.4-liter CRDi diesel engine. [Source: Hyundai]

Latest news: US Hyundai August 2009 sales

Hyundai Motor America announces Record August 2009 Sales

  CARLINE   AUGUST/2009 AUGUST/2008 CY/2009 CY/2008
 -------   ----------- ----------- ------- -------
 ACCENT         10,099       6,455  50,661  41,379
 ------         ------       -----  ------  ------
 SONATA         11,815      11,477  85,677  88,813
 ------         ------      ------  ------  ------
 ELANTRA        21,673      10,031  75,193  82,463
 -------        ------      ------  ------  ------
 TIBURON            45         984   8,542   7,053
 -------            --         ---   -----   -----
 SANTA FE       10,791       7,675  51,057  51,953
 --------       ------       -----  ------  ------
 AZERA             336         703   2,593  12,954
 -----             ---         ---   -----  ------
 TUCSON          2,531       1,685  11,189  14,953
 ------          -----       -----  ------  ------
 ENTOURAGE          20         391   3,395   3,905
 ---------          --         ---   -----   -----
 VERACRUZ          841         552   8,130   7,600
 --------          ---         ---   -----   -----
 GENESIS         2,316       1,177  14,269   1,826
 -------         -----       -----  ------   -----
 TOTAL          60,467      41,130 310,706 312,899
 -----          ------      ------ ------- -------

Hyundai sales report:

Hyundai Motor America announced August 2009 sales of 60,467 units, a 47 percent increase compared with August 2008 and a 33 percent increase over last month, marking an all-time monthly sales record. This also marks the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year retail share gains for Hyundai.

"The successful Cash for Clunkers program stimulated the auto industry in time for the summer selling season, and we will work to continue that momentum through the fall," said Dave Zuchowski, vice president of sales. "Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has returned to a five-day work week, our inventories are replenished and our dealers' lots are filled with a broad lineup of high-value, fuel-efficient vehicles."

"August was a shot-in-the-arm for the industry, and a great month for Hyundai and our dealers, with all-time sales records for the Hyundai brand, Elantra and Genesis," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

"U.S. car buyers responded in record numbers to high-quality, award-winning Hyundai products and our industry-leading Hyundai Assurance programs - the 10-year warranty, vehicle return program, and Gas Lock price protection. Elantra was well-positioned to take advantage of the CARS program with its fuel-efficiency and J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey award, while Genesis continues to attract smart consumers looking for outstanding value and quality in premium market segments."

These awards and this sales performance are examples of how Hyundai's quality and brand awareness continue to set new standards, thanks to a corporate-wide determination and focus on quality improvement. [Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai Mobis receives $2-billion parts deal from Chrysler

Hyundai Mobis, a subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company, reported today that it has won an order worth 2-bliion dollars from Chrysler. This is the largest automotive parts contract that the Mobis received from a foregin automaker.

In an official statement, issued today, Hyundai Mobis announced it will supply Chrysler with front and rear chassis modules. The company will start providing the modules in May 2010. Mobis also noted that it will not supply modules from South Korea, but rather than that, it is going to set up a new production line located near Chrysler's manufacturing plant in Michigan.

The supplied front and rear chassis modules will be used in several models including Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. But, this is not the first order that Mobis received from Chrysler. The company has been providing chassis modules for Jeep Wrangler since 2006 from its factory in Ohio.

"This is a major acknowledgement for Hyundai Mobis and its technological edge and will certainly help the company to win more contracts from other US carmakers. Mobis will also supply parts to Kia's manufacturing plant located in Georgia, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to start operating in november this year.

The $2-billion deal will help Mobis to increase sales to carmakers other than Hyundai and Kia to about 30 percent of its total revenue from the current 10 percent over the long-term as it seeks to diversify clients said company in the statement.

More news on Hyundai Mobis...

Hyundai i20

Hyundai, the second largest car producer and the biggest car exporter in India is readying to commence exporting its i20 hatch to 42 new non-European markets.

Hyundai i20 has been first introduced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and since then the company has exported it to approximately 47 countries, predominantly the European market.

In order to meet the growing demand for sub-compact vehicles worldwide, the Korean car maker has stepped up production of i20 at its Indian manufacturing plant, located near Chennai so that it can increase its penetration in countries of Central America, Middle East, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia-Pacific and South Africa.

Hyundai also announced it is considering to move about a third of its i20 car production from India to Europe by the middle of 2010. Hyundai plans to shift production of about 70,000 cars to Europe to get tax benefits.

Hyundai to debut new Santa Fe and ix35 crossover in Frankfurt

Hyundai announced it will unveil next generation Tucson crossover (to be called ix35 in Europe) and facelifted Santa Fe SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month to strengthen its position as one of the leading brands in the European SUV segment.

The all-new ix35 crossover is going to replace the very successful Tucson SUV, and will receive its world premiere at the Show on the 15th September. Alongside the ix35 will be a facelifted Santa Fe mid-size SUV, which benefits from a wide range of engineering and cosmetic changes to fine-tune the driving experience and make it even more competitive versus rival D-segment SUVs. Both models will reach Hyundai showrooms across the globe in the next six months.

New Hyundai ix35

The ix35 represents a major step forward for Hyundai in Europe. It is the first SUV to be conceived and engineered in Europe at the company’s Frankfurt-based design and technical centers. The newcomer embodies Hyundai’s new design language ‘fluidic sculpture’ and carries over much of the confident, sweeping styling of the ix-onic concept car, which starred at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

Its revolutionary features begin with the exterior styling which is based on the bold ix-onic concept shown at Geneva Motor Show in March. The power output, fuel-efficiency, comfort and safety features have been all upgraded. Known by the project name LM, it took 36 months and 280 billion won (approx. US$225 million) to develop.

Some safety features that were not available in the first-generation Hyundai Tucson will now be vailable:

- Safety Rear-View Mirror: Shifting into reverse gear automatically turns on the rear-view camera which provides a wide-angle view of the rear on a 3.5-inch color LCD built into the rear-view mirror thus reducing the risk of accidents.

- Emergency Stop Signal: In the event of a panic stop, this feature automatically triggers the emergency hazard lights whose flashing alerts the driver behind thus reducing the risk of rear-end crashes.

- Downhill Brake Control and Hill-Start Assist Control: DBC allows the vehicle to maintain a safe speed on steep declines without having to use the brake while the hill-start assist helps a driver move up a steep or slippery hill without rolling backwards.

- Panoramic Sunroof

- Vehicle Dynamic Control: improves the safety of a vehicles stability by detecting and minimizing skids



The ix35 comes availablw with a 2L engine: either the all-new diesel R or gasoline Theta-II and is fitted with Hyundai’s all-new six-speed automatic transmission. The diesel engine meets the Euro-5 emissions standards and achieves 15.4 kilometers per liter fuel economy with maximum power output of 184 horsepower. The gasoline engine has a fuel economy of 11.7 kilometers per liter with a 166 horsepower. The diesel engine is offered in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive configurations, while gasoline engine is available only in front-wheel-drive.

Hyundai is aiming for sales of 16,000 units of the new Tucson ix this year in the Korean market and 40,000 units annually starting next year. From the year 2011, Hyundai predicts its sales to reach 300,000 units globally, with 260,000 units sold in the overseas market.

Hyundai Santa Fe facelift

Hyundai has announced it will bring a slightly revised Santa Fe SUV to the 2009 IAA Frankfurt. Updated Santa Fe will be displayed alongside the 2011 Tucson crossover, which will also make its world premiere in germany next month.

A pair of facelifted Santa Fe SUVs have been scooped just recently in the wild, wearing no camouflage,and clearly reveal a range of new exterior details. Up front, the facelifted Santa fe features a restyled three bar grille as well as slightly updated headlights. Some minor styling changes have also been made to front bumper, while at rear the Santa Fe gets a set of new taill-lights.

Under the hood of new Hyundai Santa Fe, there will be a new 2.2L R-diesel engine, currently running only in the 2010 Kia Sorento. The highly advanced diesel engine, which complies with Euro5 emission norms, is soon going to find its way to other mid-size Hyundai and Kia models.

The updated Hyundai Santa Fe SUV is expected to go on sale shortly after its European premiere in September. [Source: Autoexpress]

2011Hyundai Tucson revealed

Hyundai unveiled the all-new Tucson crossover in the South korean market yesterday!

After three years of development and $280 million spent, Hyundai has finally unveiled its long anticipated Tucson replacement. Codenamed LM, the all-new Hyundai Tucson has been completely redesigned inside out to offer the best performance, fuel economy and safety ratings.

Hyundai offers the 2011 Tucson with diesel and gasoline engine options in South Korea. Diesel power comes from the all-new 2.0L R-diesel engine that produces 184 horsepower and achieves 15,4 kilometers per liter fuel economy, while the 2.0L Theta gasoline engine achieves 11,7 kilometers per liter fuel economy and has a maximum output of 166 hp. The R-diesel engine already meets Euro 5 emission standards. Both engines are mated to the new 6-speed automatic gearbox.

With sales of more than 1 million units over the past few years, Hyundai Tucson has been the most popular vehicle in the Korean automaker's line-up. Hyundai hopes the new Tucson will continue to perform well in terms of sales. In Korea, the company aims to sell 16.000 units of Tucson already this year and 40.000 next year, while globally, Hyundai plans to sell 300.000 units a year.

Hyundai Tucson features the all-new exterior and interior styling and comes equipped with premium features such as vehicle dynamic control that improves safety of the vehicle, panoramic glass-roof, downhill brake control and hill-start assist control and emergency stop signal, which automatically triggers the emergency hazard lights.

The 2011 Hyundai Tucson is also available with a rear-view camera connected to a 3.5-inch LCD display built into rear-view mirror that automatically turns on when the driver shifts into reverse.

Hyundai has announced the official European premiere for the all-new Tucson has been scheduled for Frankfurt motor Show next month, while US premiere is planned for November's L.A. Auto Show.

Production ready Hyundai Tucson interior image

Spy photographers were recently able to capture the all-new 2011 Hyundai Tucson completely undisguised. Hyundai-Blog was the first to unleash some pretty detailed exterior images of the forth-coming next-generation Tucson.

Unfortunately, their images only revealed exterior design lay-out, while interior has been hidden to our eyes...until today. What you see here is definitely the very first interior image of the new Tucson.The model is scheduled to make its official premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show together with the facelifted 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.

It appears that interior of the new Tucson will stay pretty much the same as that of the ix-onic concept car that Hyundai launched earlier this year. The overall interior lay-out of the 2011 Hyundai Tucson looks modern and built from quality interior materials.

Following its Frankfurt reveal, the new Tucson will first go on sale in in the Korean market later this year.

Hyundai ix concept car interior image: