Hyundai To Roll Out Matrix-Fighting 2009 Elantra Touring

Automotive News

In one of the few bits of true product news to come out of this week's Center of Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars here, Hyundai announced that its Elantra variant, a tall wagon dubbed "Elantra Touring," will make its debut in spring 2008 as a 2009 model. The five-door Elantra Touring will be a sister vehicle to the Elantra sedan. The Elantra Touring is expected to be priced under $15,000; the 2007 Elantra GLS starts at $13,995, including a $600 destination charge. The previous-generation Elantra included a five-door model.

Hyundai said the Elantra Touring will use the same 2.0-liter inline-4 found in the Elantra sedan. The engine makes 138 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque. It is linked to a standard five-speed manual transmission. The Korean automaker said the Elantra Touring will be tweaked with a "unique sport suspension and steering tuned for greater response and handling." It will also offer the company's first USB port, along with a standard auxiliary jack and standard XM Satellite Radio.

The key competitors will include the Dodge Caliber, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix

Automotive News : B&B Audi R8

Automotive News

B&B Automobiltechnik has tuned any number of Volkswagen Group products over the years. But can you improve on the Audi R8 supercar?

The folks at B&B think they know best. Starting from the ground up, they've fitted 20-inch rims with 235/30R20 tires in front and 305/25R20s in the rear.

New performance springs lower ride height by 0.8 inch in front and 0.4 inch in the rear. B&B says it is working on additional height-adjustable suspension settings.

The tuner also provides two stages of engine upgrades, with the top upgrade boosting output of the midmounted 4.2-liter V8 from 414 to 450 horsepower while trimming 0-60-mph acceleration times by 0.3 second.

Review and compare Hyundai Entourage SE GLS

Review and compare Hyundai Entourage SE GLS

2007 Entourage is a 4-door, 7-passenger mini van, be available in 3 trim, ranges from GLS to Limited.

For recognition, the two trim haves the character of equiped with a 38-liter which standard, V6, 250-horsepower machine that reaching 18-mpg in the town and 25-mpg in roadway. An automatic transmission that 5-speed by means of … speed adder is directive.

2007 Entourage is all has just during 2007.
Review and compare Hyundai Entourage SE GLS 2007 2008

Hyundai Surpasses Porsche and Lexus in New Global Brands Study

Hyundai ranked eighth in the new 2007 Best Global Brands survey, racing ahead of such mighty competitors as Porsche, Lexus and Nissan. The study is conducted by Interbrand and Business Week.

Toyota, not surprisingly, was named the number-one automotive brand in the world, followed by Mercedes-Benz. BMW took the number-three spot, followed by Honda, Ford, Volkswagen and Audi. Porsche came in at number nine, followed by Lexus and Nissan.

Toyota's brand value is estimated at $32.1 billion, while Hyundai's brand value is pegged at $4.5 billion.

Preview and Compare New Hyundai Tiburon

Many would consider Hyundai to be a novice in the sports car segment and rightly so- they are new to this field. The brand can’t be expected to deliver the best and be in competition with the high players for another couple of years. May be in the next decade, they will be one of the decent competitors.

Most would think the above things and would be wrong because it sure looks like Hyundai did their homework and only then came up with the 2007 Hyundai Tiburon. This sports car coupe base model comes in less than $17,000. Surprised? So were we. An unbelievable price for a sports car. But what is more unbelievable is that it actually is not a bad model at all and delivers more than it promises. The Tiburon is very new and is also a very big threat to the big boys. They better buckle up.

The car looks like a typical sports car- just what the market wants. The body is nice and rounded and gives an impression of being really smooth- which it is. The side lines are rakish in style- not so structured and it adds to the appeal of the sports car.

Next up, let’s talk about the engine. It has a regular V6 engine and gives about 172 HP. Not bad at all. The suspension is really remarkable and the handling so smooth and easy, it beats the competition big time.

The interiors are also done up in style. The indicators are all in a stylish blue light and the rear view makes you feel like you are in a sports car.

All in all, a super buy and an excellent choice.

Hyundai/Kia Roll Out $58-Million Green Research Center

The Hyundai Kia Automotive Group has opened a $58 million environmental technology research and development center here that is designed to "accelerate the commercialization of fuel-cell electric vehicles."

The green center's facilities include a hydrogen filling station, a fuel-cell endurance tester, an emissions lab, dynamometers and other high-tech equipment for testing electric propulsion systems. Hyundai Kia said it also included a "pilot plant for automated vehicle dismantling focusing on improving the material recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles."

The center will be home to 200 researchers and includes state-of-the-art green processes, including "vacuum toilet systems," which save 1,500 tons of water annually.


The lofty goal of the center is to make the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group "the world leader in environmental technology," the company said in a statement.

Hyundai Accent

Car Specification:
A two-door hatchback, in base GS or sporty SE trim, has been added to the Hyundai Accent lineup for 2007. Antilock brakes, standard last year, have moved to the options list.
Hyundai's smallest model earned a substantial redesign for 2006. Now in its third generation, the compact Accent comes in sedan form in addition to the new hatchback style.
Larger in every dimension, the Accent is 3 inches taller and its driver's seat is 2 inches higher than versions before the 2006 redesign. Hyundai says the third generation Accent has the most interior volume of any sedan in its class. Six airbags are standard.

A 1.6-liter four-cylinder with continuously variable valve timing produces 110 horsepower. Power rack-and-pinion steering is standard. Robert F. Cosmai, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America, unveiled the Accent at the 2005 New York Auto Show and said the Accent's interior features an upscale two-tone color scheme.
Sister company Kia sells the Rio, a car that shares many components with the Accent. Both models include a 10-year, 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty, one of the industry's longest.

Exterior
Hyundai says the Accent's crisp modern lines, distinctive halogen headlights, and larger wheels and tires make this version more elegant than its predecessor. A roof-mounted rod-type radio antenna and body-colored door handles, bodyside moldings, mirrors and rear tailgate garnish are installed.
Measuring 1.8 inches longer overall than the prior Accent, the new sedan has a wheelbase that's been stretched by 2.3 inches. The car is also an inch wider and 3 inches taller. Standard steel wheels hold 14-inch tires, but 15-inch tires on alloy wheels are optional.
GS and SE hatchbacks sport a fairly typical wedge shape, though telltale Hyundai curves are apparent. SE models ride on 16-inch alloy wheels and a sportier suspension.
Interior
Up to five occupants can fit inside the Accent, which has 1.5 inches more rear legroom than before. Front headroom is 0.7 inches greater as well. Moving the driver's seating position up 2 inches should make entry and exit easier. Cargo space totals 12.4 cubic feet in the sedan and 15.9 cubic feet in the hatchback. Every door panel contains a bottle holder and storage pockets.
Standard equipment includes a tilt steering wheel and an eight-way driver's seat with an adjustable armrest. The front seatbacks contain pockets; both front occupants get vanity mirrors; and the 60/40-split, folding rear seat has a folding center armrest with dual cupholders. Air conditioning is included on all but the GS hatchback. An available Convenience Package adds power windows, power door locks with keyless entry and heated power mirrors, items that are standard in the SE hatchback.

Under the Hood
The Accent's 110-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder features continuously variable valve timing and develops 107 pounds-feet of torque. Either a five-speed manual transmission or an optional four-speed automatic can be installed.

Safety
Seat-mounted side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags are standard across all trim levels. Front seat belt pretensioners and load limiters are installed, and all seating positions have adjustable head restraints. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard on the SE hatchback. ABS is optional for the GLS sedan and unavailable in the GS hatchback.

Hyundai Sonata

Specification:
The 2008 Sonata is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 6 trims, ranging from the GLS to the Limited V6

Upon introduction, the GLS is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 162-horsepower engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 31-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Limited V6 is equipped with a standard 3.3-liter, V6, 234-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the cit

Hyundai Tucson

Product discription:
The 2007 Tucson is a 4-door, 5-passenger sport-utility, available in 6 trims, ranging from the GLS 2.0 2WD to the Limited 2.7 4WD.

Upon introduction, the GLS 2.0 2WD is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 140-horsepower engine that achieves 23-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Limited 2.7 4WD is equipped with a standard 2.7-liter, V6, 173-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

Restyled Hyundai Sonata Caught Testing

Spy photographers captured a restyled Hyundai Sonata during hot-weather testing earlier this week.

While this prototype maintains the current Sonata's styling between the A- and C-pillars, the front and rear fascias have been modified. Redesigned headlights flank a new grille with horizontal chrome bars, and the front bumper has a larger, trapezoidal-shaped lower intake that widens at the bottom for a more stout expression. The new grille brings the styling more in line with the upcoming Genesis luxury car.

Heavily camouflaged, changes to the Sonata's rear are less obvious, but it appears that restyled taillamps with prominent white strips are part of the plan. Judging from the quick drive-by shot of the interior, the Sonata will receive a revised center console and redesigned stereo akin to the Hyundai Veracruz.

Hyundai Exec Confirms Genesis Coupe

John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product planning and strategy in the U.S., confirmed to Edmunds' Auto Observer that the South Korean automaker indeed will produce a coupe version of its upcoming Genesis luxury car.

The coupe will be rear-wheel drive and only be offered with a V6 engine, not a V8. Krafcik wouldn't provide timing for its introduction except to say it will be after the sedan is introduced.

The production version of the Genesis sedan, he confirmed, will make its debut at the Detroit auto show in January. The concept was unveiled at this spring's New York auto show. Both V6 and V8 engines will be available from the start when the rear-drive sedan goes on sale in early 2008 as a 2009 model, he said.

Krafcik said Hyundai likely will offer a diesel engine in its Santa Fe or Veracruz SUVs as it currently does in Europe. But that will be another three years or so. He noted the diesel versions of both, particularly the Santa Fe, are doing extremely well in Europe.

At the Los Angeles auto show in November, Hyundai will unveil an as-yet-unnamed new model — the Elantra something. That blank is to be filled in later this summer. Krafcik describes the Elantra whatever as being in the category of the Mazda 3 and Scion hatchbacks. The sporty, 2.0-liter hatchback is built in Korea and will be added to Hyundai's plant in the Czech Republic. It goes on sale in the first quarter of 2008 with volumes eventually expected in the 20,000 to 30,000 a year range.

2009 Hyundai Genesis

Hyundai has begun testing redesigned prototypes of its future luxury car that are similar in appearance to the Genesis concept car that debuted earlier this year at the 2007 New York Auto Show.

The latest prototype's grille is trapezoidal, instead of the former prototype's round-cornered rectangle, and the grille slats are no longer vertical, but horizontal like the original concept.

The new car's headlights are more pointed, and they stretch back along the fenders, again mimicking the shape of the Genesis showcar's lights. The prototype's front bumper has been toned down, with more conventional foglamps integrated with a rounded lower air intake.

Although the sedan's profile hasn't been altered since the first prototype, the latest version shows a shark-fin antenna mounted on the roof. Nine-spoke wheels are nearly identical to those used on the showcar.