Hyundai Elantra New Design

The Hyundai Group is now pointing its arrows to the world’s biggest auto market with the unveiling of two new models for China at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, the Elantra Yuedong compact sedan and the mid-size Azera, which is badged as Grandeur in some markets.

If the Elantra Yuedong looks familiar, that’s because it is a facelifted version of the fourth generation model sold in the States until 2010. The most prominent change on the outside concerns the revised front that draws on the Azera’s styling.

According to Hyundai, the interior has also been upgraded with higher quality materials and new convenience and safety features such as a smart key / button start, front side airbag, Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS), Navigation, USB2.0 port and eco-driving guide system.

The 2011 Elantra Yuedong will be offered in China with two four-cylinder engines in China sporting a displacement of 1.6-liters and 1.8-liters. The compact sedan will compete in China’s biggest segment, which surged from 2.11 million units in 2008 to 3.24 million in 2009 and 3.95 million in 2010, and is expected to reach an astonishing 6 million units by 2013, according to industry forecasts.

As for the Azera, the South Korean maker’s saloon will be marketed in China as an affordable alternative to premium models in the mid-size segment. The 4,910mm-long sedan comes with a choice of two gasoline engines, a 250HP 3.0-liter V6 and a 180HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder unit, both of which are matted to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Azera and new Elantra Yuedong are scheduled to hit showrooms in China within the next few months.

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA YUEDONG

2011 HYUNDAI AZERA

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2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Facelift

As Hyundai continues its ascent to the top, the South Korean automaker-that-could is getting bolder every day. This time the company entered new grounds at the Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling facelifted Genesis sedan that gets a new sporty variant for the for the 2012 model year.  

The new model sports the R-Spec moniker and comes with a new 5.0-liter direct injection V8 engine pushing out 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 lb. ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm, which makes it the company's most powerful series production model ever. The V8 is mated to Hyundai's all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. While the Koreans did not release acceleration figures, Hyundai did say the car's fuel economy is estimated at 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Genesis R-Spec also boasts a more aggressive chassis tuning with larger stabilizer bars, suspension tweaks, larger brakes and a different steering calibration, plus 19-inch wheels that can be fitted optionally with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 summer performance tires.
The sportiest member of the Genesis family receives some very subtle styling cues such as the unique headlights with dark chrome inserts, specific alloy wheel designs and the black R-Spec embroidered floor mats. The Genesis R-Spec will be offered only in three exterior colors: Black Noir, Titanium Gray, and Platinum Metallic, each with Black leather interior and an all-black leather steering wheel.
As for the rest of the Genesis range, the big news for the 2012 model year is the updated 3.8-liter V6 engine that receives direct injection (GDI) technology and several other upgrades boosting output by 15 percent, from 290 to 333 horsepower, and peak torque from 264 lb.-ft. to 291 lb.-ft. According to Hyundai, fuel economy increases over seven percent from 27 mpg to 29 mpg on the highway.
Both the 3.8-liter V6 and the 4.6-liter Tau V8 with 385HP will be offered with Hyundai's new eight-speed automatic transmission, which helps increase the V8's fuel economy over seven percent from 25 mpg to 26 mpg on the highway.
Other changes for the 2012 Genesis sedan include refinements to the 3.8 and 4.6 model suspension damping calibrations, and the fitment of larger brakes, plus some modest styling revisions to the headlamps that gain LED accents and daytime running lights, front grille, bumpers, tail lamps, and exhaust tips.

 photos

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Hyundai Equus 2011

New For 2011

Hyundai surprised the automotive world when displayed the 2010 Hyundai Equus at the 2009 New York Auto Show.  A super-luxury sedan boasting a price tag near six figures and the sort of luxury amenities expected of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Equus has been sold in Asian markets for several years. But the company now has plans to sell it in the U.S.
The success of the Hyundai Genesis sedan, however, has the Korean automaker thinking big.  If Americans will embrace the Genesis as a Hyundai luxury car with a price tag as high as $40,000, some ask, what's to stop them from embracing a more luxurious model a step up the food chain wearing a Hyundai badge.

What the Auto Press Says

 

When Hyundai first announced it would build the entry-level luxury Genesis, most in the automotive press assumed the automaker was preparing to spin off a separate luxury brand, much as Toyota did with its Lexus nameplate.  Many were skeptical when the car appeared at Hyundai dealerships.
Several months, thousands of successful sales and one North American Car of the Year award later, the gamble seems to have paid off.  The Genesis offers some equipment found only on $50,000 luxury cars in a $32,000 to $40,000 price range.  American are buying it despite the lack of a luxury badge. The Genesis appears to be convincing skeptical auto writers and skeptical car shoppers that Hyundai can build a bargain luxury car.
The Equus strikes many in the press as another big gamble.  In Asian markets, this car is sold as an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS - a super-luxury car with a sticker price approaching six figures.  Would Americans accept a six-figure Hyundai?
Perhaps we won't be asked to.  Rumors say Hyundai may try to bring the Equus stateside in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.
That would make the Equus the next logical step after the Genesis. The Genesis succeeds by offering a BMW 5-Series-like experience for the price of a 3-series.  Might the Equus pull of the same trick a step down, bringing 7-Series size and luxury into the 5-Series price range.

Key Details

 

The Korean-market Equus is offered with a version of the 4.6-liter Tau V8 that has impressed reviewers in the top-of-the-line Genesis, as well as a version of the Lambda 3.8-liter V6 found in the less-expensive Genesis model.  Most auto writers believe the V8 will come stateside, but many doubt the V6 will. Instead, a larger 5.0-liter V8 is reportedly in development.
All engines will use an electronically-controlled 8-speed automatic transmission that can be manually shifted.
The Equus, like the Genesis, is not yet offered in all-wheel-drive.  If it hopes to compete for BMW and Lexus buyers, that may be a deficiency Hyundai needs to address.
Inside, the car is designed to look and feel like a six-figure super luxury sedan, even though it may ultimately carry a pricetag barely more than half that amount.  It features soft-grain leather throughout (the same as that found on upgrade packages for the Genesis), the same 17-speaker Lexicon sound system, massaging seats at all four seating positions, polished walnut trim and even an iDrive-like driver interface to control climate and entertainment functions.

photos and video

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New Hyundai i45

The Australian market version of Hyundai’s Sonata mid-size sedan, called i45, has received a smaller displacement engine that becomes the new entry point for the range. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivers a maximum output of 121kW (162HP) at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 198Nm at 4,600 rpm, and is mated to either 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions.

Hyundai says the i45 2.0L returns a combined fuel consumption of 7.6lt/100km (equal to 30.9 mpg US) when fitted with an automatic transmission. The 2.4-liter engine, which produces 148 kW (198HP) of power and 250 Nm of torque, is rated at 7.9lt/100km (equal to 29.8 mpg US) when combined with the 6sp auto.

At the same time, the South Korean automaker said that the manual transmission is deleted from the range of the 2.4L model.

Local prices for the i45 2.0L start at AU$26,990 for the manual version and at AU$28,590 for the automatic.

GALLERY

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Hyundai i40 Mid-Size Model

Hyundai today gave us a new sneak peek of its upcoming i40 mid-size model with the release of the first real life image of the car, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon on the 1st of March. The new i40 will replace the older generation Sonata in Europe competing in the D-Segment with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. At Geneva, we'll see the estate version of the model (probably named i40 CW) with the four-door sedan variant to follow before the end of the year.

 Up until now, South Korea's largest automaker had only released a set of illustrations of the i40 CW (CrossWagon). The new photo shows off the interior of the i40, and in particular the dashboard with its sculpted shapes.
There's a big screen display mounted high up on the middle of the dash flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.
The company claims that new i40 "will move the company towards a ‘modern premium’ positioning that will bring high-end features and vehicle quality to Hyundai customers at accessible prices."
Hyundai has not released any details on the engine line-up, but it is believed that at launch, the i40 will be offered with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

photos

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