Honda CEO Impressed by Hyundai

It’s Hyundai’s time and every other automaker should be shitting their pants. The Korean company’s set to be the next Asian giant in the automaking world and poses a serious threat to Japanese car makers. Honda chief Takanobu Ito thinks likewise.

Hyundai has shown that it can beat almost everyone when it comes to marketing especially with what it has accomplished in the United States despite the auto sales crash. Its brilliant use of anxiety marketing is one case study for the marketing books.

While not everyone (including myself) is convinced that Hyundai (including sister company Kia) cars have reached the quality of most of the Japanese automakers, Hyundai is surely getting there.

“Hyundai is awesome,” said Takanobu. “They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving.”

Source: Autocar

2011 Hyundai Sonata Launched

Hyundai made a real killing with the Cash for Clunkers run and one of their top sellers is the Hyundai Sonata. Now, the company is proud to unveil the new 2011 version in a less conspicuous venue in Korea rather than slugging it out in Frankfurt.

Since cars are marketed based on area, there are several versions of the car. The Korean-spec will be powered by a 2.0L four banger dishing out 165 hp and getting 30 mpg.

The one of North America will get larger engines. Choices include a 2.4L engine dishing out a not-at-all shabby 200 horses and a larger 3.5L V6 that would deliver 250 hp. The US-spec models are expected to be showcased either in LA or Detroit.

I hate to say it but, Hyundai seems to be really in a quest to rival the giants. The new styling makes it look more interesting. Too bad, the grille looks like it’s a knock-off of the Honda City/ Fit Aria.

Source: Leftlane

Frankfurt 2009: Hyundai ix-Metro Concept

Here’s another green car from Hyundai which will be featured in the coming Frankfurt motor show. Aside from the new Tucson and the all-electric i10, Hyundai will be showcasing the ix-Metro Concept.

The car is powered by a wee 1.0L 3-cylinder engine but it’s turbocharged to give it a little more oomph. This gas engine is paired with a 5kw electric motor. The powertrain dishes out a decent 123bhp and 116 lb-ft of max torque. The engine’s mated to a six-speed dual clutch transmission.

On the outside, the ix-Metro sports quite a futuristic design language compared to Hyundai’s current fleet. It features an aggressive fascia. The car also rides high on 20-inch alloy wheels.

The ix-Metro basically their take on a 2+2 hybrid that might be the basis for their sub B-segment sized car under development to be marketed as their CUV. Hyundai seems keen on developing the car.

Hyundai ix35 Unveiled

Hyundai must be feeling good after being a really dominant player despite the financial crisis even overtaking Ford as the fourth largest automaker in the world.

Hyundai is keen on diversifying its fleet and this here’s the new ix35 that will replace the Tucson. The car was first seen as the ix-onic concept earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. This production version is set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

Powering the car is a roster of engines. The concept was powered by a 1.6L turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine that churns out 168 bhp – a pretty decent power output for the engine’s size. And since this is Hyundai, its 149 g/km CO2 emissions would qualify for a tax break. A 2.0L diesel is also reported to be an option.

The car is poised to take on rivals such as the Ford Kuga and the Nissan Qashqai. Pretty much like their strategy with the Hyundai Genesis, the company intends to sell the ix35 cheaper and better equipped than its rivals and given the prices and luxuries found in the Kuga and Qashqai, the ix35 would probably offer quite the value.

Source: Autocar

Hyundai to Take on Prius and Volt in 2012

All this ecomentality craze has swept the car industry. Sure governments are mandating that automakers improve their fleet’s fuel efficiency and emissions ratings but are hybrids really the thing of the future. If there’s any green car that looks promising, it’s the Honda FCX Clarity. If only hydrogen storage can be perfected.

Hyundai, however, is really to take on the plug-in hybrid market come 2012. Hyundai R&D head Yan Woong-chul announced that the hybrid will be unlike the soon-to-be phased out Sonata. Instead, it will be designed to take on the Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt.

“We’re going after Prius and the Volt with the plug-in,” he told Automotive News.

The hybrid will most likely be based on the Blue-Will concept which features a 1.6L gasoline engine paired with a 100kW electric motor to generate a combined 152 ponies. The hybrid powerhouses will be mated to a standard CVT. Efficiency is estimated to be at 50-55 mpg.

Source: Leftlane

Korean Automakers Get the Better of Detroit Three

The US auto industry needs all the help it can get. With GM bankrupt, Chrysler taken over by the Italians, and Ford still reporting sales drop, the industry needs every help it can get. The government poured in billions to help keep the industry alive through the TARP and the cash-for-clunkers program is set to roll out soon.

However, while the Big Three struggle to get back on track, their shares of the market are slowly being eaten away by smaller and more agile automakers – primarily those from Korea like Hyundai and Kia. Both brands are owned by Hyundai which now hold 7.3% of the US market. That figure places them neck-and-neck with Nissan.

Their gains appear to be a replay of what occurred four decades ago, when upstart automakers from Japan started selling cars in the United States. At the time, American carmakers dismissed them, but today they control nearly 40 percent of the American car market.

The cash-for-clunkers program might just help boost car sales, but given the price off the new car, the best buck per bang can be had purchasing small Korean cars. The same possibility has been observed by Top Gear with UK’s cash-for-clunkers program. The government should definitely factor this into their efforts to save the US auto industry.

Source: NY Times