Rides : BMWs Cheaper Than Hyundais in Korea as Tariffs Crumble

Lee Tack Young says Hyundai Motor Co. (005380)’s luxury vehicles are oversized, overpriced gas guzzlers. So he opted for a more modest alternative: a BMW 528i.
Foreign brands have seen their share of South Korea’s market for premium vehicles surge to 41 percent from 28 percent in the past two years, according to Korean industry groups, as lower tariffs make their cars cheaper and local buyers abandon a decades-long preference for domestic brands.

 

“I was looking for a quality car that wasn’t too big,” said Lee, president of Cosmetic Engineering, a packaging-machinery maker near Seoul. The 65-year-old’s last seven cars were all Korean, starting with a Hyundai Excel in the 1980s.

This time, he chose his 71 million won ($64,000) BMW over an 85 million won K9 from Hyundai affiliate Kia Motors Corp. (000270) “Unless Hyundai and Kia change and offer me more variety and better quality, I don’t see any reason to go back,” Lee said.
The shift has made South Korea a growth market for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Daimler AG (DAI)’s Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Audi. Their gains are coming at the expense of Seoul-based Hyundai and Kia, which count on sales of luxury vehicles in their home market for much of their earnings.
“It’s definitely something Hyundai and Kia are worried about, and they should be worried,” said Lee Sang Hyun, an auto analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. (016420) “This trend will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on Hyundai’s profits.”
Duties on European imports have fallen to 3.2 percent from 8 percent since a trade pact was implemented in 2011, and next year they will be eliminated for most cars. A U.S. deal has halved tariffs for passenger vehicles to 4 percent and will eliminate them by 2016.

Boy’s Dream

BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz -- the world’s largest luxury automakers -- all saw Korean sales rise by at least 25 percent in the first quarter, faster growth than in China. Hyundai’s high-end sales fell 4.7 percent in the period as the country’s overall auto market shrank 2.2 percent. The three German companies sold 18,114 vehicles costing more than 40 million won in Korea in the quarter, versus 31,444 for Hyundai.
“Sure, it’s every boy’s dream to have a German car, but that wasn’t the most important reason,” said Park Jun Bum, 28, who traded his Kia Forte sedan for an Audi A4 a few weeks back. “Audi offered better design, engine, safety -- better quality overall.”
Sticker prices for the Hyundai Equus -- the company’s most luxurious model -- range from 68 million won to 151 million won. BMW’s 5-series runs 61 million won to 113 million won, though the Equus is closer in size to the BMW 7-series, which starts at 124 million won.

Test Track

Hyundai’s profit fell 15 percent last quarter, squeezed by Japanese competitors boosted by the weakening yen. This year, Hyundai says its sales will likely rise at the slowest pace since 2007.
Investors have taken notice. Hyundai’s stock this year has underperformed all major automakers. Its Seoul-traded shares have fallen 12 percent, versus a 12 percent gain for Daimler and a 24 percent increase for the Bloomberg Industries global auto index. Hyundai fell 0.3 percent in Seoul trading today.
BMW is planning a range of new models and investing 70 billion won constructing a track in the Korean city of Incheon where customers can test drive its cars at high speeds, its first such facility in Asia. Mercedes-Benz says it will add A-Class hatchbacks in the second half of the year in a bid to lure customers in their 20s to 30s.
To fight back, Hyundai this month cut the price of mid-sized sedans by as much as 1.5 million won. The automaker is developing diesel engines, which have become popular in the imported brands. And it’s remodeling some dealerships and service centers to better compete with the upscale digs offered by the Germans.

Soft Side

Hyundai has considered creating a separate luxury brand, like Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus or Honda Motor Co.’s Acura. For now, the company has ruled out the idea in favor of selling its higher-end models under the Hyundai nameplate.
“We will continue our efforts to enhance brand value and increase premium car sales,” Chief Financial Officer Lee Won Hee said in April.
Kim Pil Soo, a professor of automotive engineering at Daelim College in South Korea and an adviser to the government, said Hyundai must promote its extensive dealership network and comparatively cheaper maintenance costs to win back domestic buyers.
“They should focus on the soft side,” Kim said.
Still, the recent change in the Korean auto market won’t be reversed easily, especially since both younger and older buyers are considering imports rather than domestic brands. And with more than 45 percent of the market, Hyundai still has plenty of share to lose.
“Customers who were loyal to the brand for over 20 years are breaking away,” Kim said. “It shows that imported brands are now perceived as something accessible.”

Credit : Bloomberg

Rides : Hyundai shows us two more Super Bowl commercials

Hyundai is gearing up to show five commercials during this year's Super Bowl, and you've probably already seen one of them called Don't Tell that's been airing on television for weeks now. The Korean automaker has released two of the other four ads, though it looks like it might keep the headlining ad for the three-row Santa Fe, called Epic PlayDate, under wraps until the big game.

Of the two ads published on YouTube, we like Stuck the most, which features the Sonata Turbo. It presents all of the horrid things you could be stuck behind on the highway as reason enough for buying a boosted Sonata with its ample passing power.

 

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Gangnam Style and Swagger Wagon influence makes it to local Hyundai dealer ads

It used to be that a wild car dealership commercial meant a screaming frontman in a hideous suit making terrible puns and begging for you to help him out of some terrible predicament having to do with surplus inventory. No more – as production values have increased so has the number of commercials to so unusual that you spend the first few seconds trying to believe what you're seeing.

Parkway Motors and Parkway Hyundai of Wilmington, North Carolina have added to the pile of commercials that make us say, "Hey, now that's interesting...." The Parkway Motors video joins a genre that blew up with the Swagger Wagon ad for the Toyota Sienna from almost three years ago, the recent Fiat 500L ad "The Motherhood" also part of the same club. The second, for Hyundai, "borrows" from Psy's "Gangnam Style" to move the kind of metal for "when you want to look cool, cruising in style."

 

 

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Check Out the Hyundai Veloster Street Concept

 

Hyundai has pulled the wraps off the Veloster Street Concept at this edition of the 2012 Australian Motor Show in Sydney.

After unveiling the Veloster Race Concept just a few hours ago during the 2012 Australian Motor Show in Sydney, the South Korean based automaker has presented a new concept car based on the same model, the so-called Veloster Street. According to the carmaker, the Hyundai Veloster Street Concept has been modified in conjunction with a local aftermarket company named Concord Customs and the model is getting a matt grey finish with orange accents on the side skirts, front spoiler and rear diffuser, along with the Tenso R V1 18-inch alloy rims wrapped in 215/40 tires.
The Hyundai Veloster Street Concept is also getting features like the matt black roof spoiler, the illuminated front, rear side and rear splitters, the turbo back twin exhausts, the leather appointments in the cabin, the LED ambient lighting, the high-end audio system with integrated subwoofers and amplifiers which is providing 8,650 watts and much more. The engine of the Veloster Street has also been modified and even if the carmaker isn’t saying anything about its power, we know that the model now has a sports air filter, a Monza dual-port blow off valve, a custom aluminum intercooler, a new exhaust system and more.

Rides : Hyundai, Broadcom to equip vehicles with built-in ethernet

Hyundai is the second manufacturer after BMW – having put its Flexray ethernet system into the X5 – to pledge to install Ethernet technology in its cars. This isn't a ploy to give you yet another place to work on those regional sales spreadsheets, it's about reducing vehicle complexity while making the cars and their systems more efficient. The Korean manufacturer will be doing so in conjunction with Broadcom, the U.S. firm having created the "one pair Ethernet" (OPEN) special interest group that now counts 81 members.

Various in-vehicle electronics use a variety of protocols, primary among them being control area network (CAN), local area network (LAN) and low voltage differential signaling (LVDS). Broadcom wants to integrate those incompatible and highly specialized systems into one Ethernet system – the same plug-and-play one your computer can use all over the world – and in doing so make Ethernet "the backbone of the car."

Developed with BMW and Hyundai, Broadcom's BroadR-Reach standard uses two unshielded cables instead of four, which allows for light and inexpensive wiring that can be fit through a bodyshell's tight spots. Achieving the kind of consolidation ultimately envisioned would bring numerous and wide-ranging advantages like lowering the cost and complexity of electronics, at the same time allowing for greater electronics capabilities inside the car like 360-degree car camera security systems, using the same IP standard familiar around the world, allowing for speeds from 100 Mbps to 1 GBbps for faster and better communication between systems, just for starters. Lighter wiring – and there's a lot of it in a car – also means lighter cars.

That futuristic world is still in the future, though. Automakers are naturally keen to develop Ethernet applications in phases, such as focusing just on infotainment, to make sure it can stand up to the rigors of an automobile's daily life. Hyundai hasn't said which of its products will be the first in line or when that vehicle reach showrooms, but has cited infotainment, lane departure warning, park assist and telematics as the features likely to benefit.

 

Press Release

Broadcom and Hyundai Motor Power Next-Generation Connected Car
Joint Development Enables Advanced Infotainment and Safety Features in Hyundai Vehicles

- Advances wide-scale adoption of automotive Ethernet
- Extends infotainment and passenger safety features across price points
- Delivers 100Mbps connectivity for in-vehicle networks, with future scalability up to 1Gbps

DETROIT, Oct. 15, 2012 -- Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced a joint development agreement with Hyundai Motor to power the next-generation connected car. The collaboration will integrate infotainment, telematics and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features such as surround view parking and lane departure warning into Hyundai vehicles. Together, the companies aim to deliver robust features and faster connectivity to a broader number of drivers. Visit www.broadcom.com to learn more.

Based on Broadcom's BroadR-Reach® Ethernet technology, the single high-bandwidth in-vehicle network will deliver cost-effective, lightweight 100Mbps connectivity to advance integration of safety applications in the vehicle. Broadcom will showcase the technology at SAE Convergence in Detroit, October 16-17.

As members of the AVnu Alliance and OPEN Alliance (One-Pair Ether-Net) Special Interest Group (SIG), Broadcom and Hyundai Motor have partnered since 2011 to drive wide-scale adoption of Ethernet-based automotive connectivity. Ethernet enables an open, scalable network for powering in-vehicle infotainment and ADAS, while supporting faster implementation of next-generation technologies and multiple networks, improving the ability to share data from a common source to the entire network.

BroadR-Reach Ethernet also supports the IEEE 802.1 Audio Video Bridging (AVB) standard, a key technology for achieving high quality audio and video transmission in automotive by providing guaranteed quality of service (QoS), frame synchronization and timing necessary to stream professional-quality audio and video traffic.

For ongoing news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom, read the B-Connected Blog, or visit Facebook or Twitter. And to stay connected, subscribe to Broadcom's RSS Feed.

Quotes:
Dr. Ali Abaye, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Infrastructure and Networking Group
"Demand for advanced safety features, together with the need for higher bandwidth and faster connectivity within and between in-car networks, continues to grow at a rapid pace. Broadcom's Ethernet solutions, pervasive throughout cloud-scale data center, carrier and enterprise networks, are now making their way into the vehicle, enabling a more scalable and open architecture. Our collaboration with Hyundai Motor will make features previously only available in luxury models accessible to a broader number of drivers, ultimately improving automotive safety for the masses."

Dominique Bonte, Vice President and Practice Director, ABI Research
"As in-car connectivity transforms the automotive industry and driving experience, empowering consumers with passive and active safety along with infotainment and connected lifestyle services at cost-effective price points will be critical to making the connected car a viable experience for all. Ethernet has emerged as a cost-effective standard for powering automotive connectivity and counters age-old issues of scalability and cost-prohibitive technologies that stand in the way of the connected car experience."

SunJai Lee, Infortainment Design Division Leader, Hyundai Motor
"Hyundai is confident about the viability of Ethernet in the car and looks forward to closely collaborating with Broadcom to develop an Ethernet network for Hyundai vehicles. The in-vehicle Ethernet network will enable key features including infotainment, lane departure warning, park assist and telematics to deliver greater value to our customers. We chose to partner with Broadcom as they deliver superior Ethernet-based innovation to enrich the driver and passenger experience."

About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything®, the Connecting everything logo, and BroadR-Reach® are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. 

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Hyundai tops J.D. Power's Customer Retention Study

J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Customer Retention Study, and Hyundai ranks the highest among brands in retaining buyers. Hyundai's retention rate is up four percentage points to 64 percent in 2012, thanks largely to the Elantra and Sonata models. J.D. Power says that much of the manufacturer's retention rate can be traced to its growing vehicle offerings and positively changing perceptions about Hyundai quality and market appeal.

Ford and Honda tied for second place with a rate of 60 percent. The report notes that Jeep enjoyed the largest improvement over the previous year with a jump of 17 percentage points to 51 percent in 2012.

The study also evaluated which buyers were more likely to return to an automaker for their next purchase, and the data revealed women and younger buyers had a higher brand retention rate than older consumers and males. Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz were all found to be particularly adept at keeping their female customers, while Ford, Kia, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz did a better job of holding onto buyers from Gen X and Y.

 

Press Release

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: A Desire for Different Vehicle Attributes and Features Leads Many New-Vehicle Owners to Switch Brands

Hyundai Ranks Highest in Customer Retention among 33 Automotive Brands

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- One in three new-vehicle owners who switched brands say their previous brand didn't make the type of vehicle they wanted, indicating that striking the right combination of model offerings and vehicle appeal is critical to retaining customers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study(SM) released today.

Now in its ninth year, the study measures the rate at which automotive brands retain their existing customers and examines the reasons why customers remain loyal. Customer retention is critical to a brand's market success, particularly during the current period of market recovery, in which each new-vehicle sale is vital. In addition to customer retention, the study also measures the rate at which each automotive brand captures customers from its competitors, known as conquesting.

Among new-vehicle owners who switched vehicle brands for their latest purchase, 33 percent indicate that their previous brand didn't offer the type of vehicle they wanted. Although this is a primary reason for switching, other key reasons relate to dissatisfaction with the previous vehicle, including the vehicle costs too much to own or maintain; there are too many problems with the vehicle; and the vehicle didn't retain sufficient resale value.

"Many automotive brands are expanding their array of models in an attempt to capture more buyers, but this isn't enough in and of itself," said Raffi Festekjian, director of automotive product research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Manufacturers need to integrate specific attributes and features that delight vehicle owners to maximize their opportunity to both retain customers and conquest from other brands. Manufacturers also need to ensure owners are satisfied with the quality, residual values and ownership costs of their vehicles."

According to Festekjian, brands that strike the right combination of all of these aspects stand the best chance of being reconsidered by current vehicle owners for their next new-vehicle purchase.

Hyundai ranks highest among automotive brands in retaining customers when they buy a new vehicle, and improves its retention rate by four percentage points from 2010(1) to 64 percent in 2012. Hyundai's retention rate is primarily driven by the Elantra and Sonata models.

"Hyundai's increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand's quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade," said Festekjian.

Following Hyundai in the rankings are Ford and Honda, in a tie, each with a customer retention rate of 60 percent. Jeep posts the greatest improvement in customer retention rate from 2010, improving by 17 percentage points to 51 percent in 2012.

Overall customer retention has improved by one percentage point in 2012 to 49 percent, compared with 48 percent in 2010. In 2012, 19 of the 33 ranked brands have improved their customer retention rates from 2010, while 14 have declined.

The study also finds that women and younger vehicle owners (those in the Generation Y and Generation X demographics, between ages 23 and 47) are less likely to choose the same vehicle brand for their next purchase, compared with men and older owners.

"Women and younger vehicle owners are more likely to experience changes in their life circumstances, including growth in household size or changes in income levels, that would lead them to purchase vehicles that better accommodate their new lifestyle," said Festekjian.

Brands that perform particularly well in retaining women customers include Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz. Among vehicle owners in the Generation Y and Generation X demographics, Ford, Kia, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz perform particularly well in customer retention.

The 2012 Customer Retention Study is based on responses from 117,001 new-vehicle buyers and lessees, of which 73,733 replaced a vehicle that was previously acquired new. The study was fielded between February and May 2011 and August and September 2011.

(1) J.D. Power and Associates last issued the Customer Retention Study in December 2010. Comparisons between the 2010 and 2012 studies span a one-year period, rather than a two-year period. The study was not published in 2011.


2012 Brand Retention Rates
Hyundai 64%
Ford 60%
Honda 60%
BMW 59%
Kia 59%
Toyota 58%
Chevrolet 57%
Mercedes-Benz 57%
Lexus 54%
Cadillac 52%
Jeep 51%
Nissan 50%
MINI 49%
Ram 49%
Industry Average 49%
Subaru 48%
Land Rover 47%
Volkswagen 47%
GMC 46%
Infiniti 46%
Acura 45%
Audi 45%
Porsche 42%
Lincoln 40%
Buick 38%
Mazda 34%
Mitsubishi 33%
Jaguar 31%
Volvo 30%
Chrysler 26%
Scion 24%
Dodge 21%
Suzuki 20%
SAAB 7%





Base: Vehicle owners who previously purchased a new vehicle of a particular brand.
NOTE: smart is included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size.

Rides : 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets latest early reveal

Another embargo has fallen by the wayside, at least partially. We have a lot to tell you about the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, but much of it has to wait until the car is revealed tomorrow afternoon at the Detroit Auto Show.

What we can show and tell you, what's already out and about on the Internet, are these three images and the basic specs below.

Note that the standard Veloster's 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produces only 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque. The extra 63 horsepower afforded by the addition of a turbocharger, among other mechanical upgrades we'll talk about later, makes the Veloster instantly competitive with other sport compacts like the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic Si and Mini Cooper S.

Make sure to come back tomorrow afternoon when we call tell you all we know about the 2012 Veloster Turbo, as well as share live images from its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo

• 201 horsepower / 196 lb-ft of torque
• 6-Speed manual or automatic transmission
• 2,800 pounds (up from 2,584 pounds)
• 27 City / 38 Hwy

Rides : Hyundai releases surprisingly revealing 2013 Genesis Coupe teaser

With less than 72 hours until the debut of the refreshed 2013 Genesis Coupe, Hyundai has posted a new teaser video that shows off the car's new styling in gory detail. Well, most of it anyway. Although sworn to secrecy, we've seen the new car up close, so we know exactly where to look to catch all the new cosmetics in the teaser. But trust us when we say that if you're thinking the Genesis Coupe is just getting new looks alone for the new model year, you'd be very, very wrong.

 

Rides : 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

After the 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe has leaked several times and it was even caught by some curious cameras not so long ago, the South Korean based automaker is keeping us busy with the model once again by releasing some fresh images on its official website, announcing that the vehicle won’t debut at next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show and North American fans will be able to see it better at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

As you can see from the images, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is getting a new front end, with a hexagonal grille and some LED daytime running lights. The facelifted version of the Genesis Coupe is reminding us of its smaller brother, the Hyundai Veloster, from which the South Korean designers seem to have gotten their inspiration into drawing the aggressive design of the coupe.
Sadly we still don’t have any official details about the powerplants, performance figures, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions or standard features, but rumors say that we might find the 3.8 liter direct injection V6 engine under the hood which is developing a total output of 333 horsepower, but a smaller unit like the 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbocharged might also be in the books.
The 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will be officially presented at the next year’s Detroit Motor Show, between January 9 and 22, with a possible arrival into the dealerships later in the same year.

Rides : New 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe image leaks out

We've already seen some pretty decent spy shots of Hyundai's facelifted Genesis Coupe, expected to arrive shortly carrying a 2013-model-year designation. But this low-res image from TheCarBlogger.net appears to be our first official look at the car, sitting low and mean on a racetrack.

The outgoing Genesis Coupe's front end was never exactly a model of simplicity, but this new one has a lot more going on, with an aggressive hexagonal grille and fascia opening that cribs from its new kid brother, the 2012 Veloster. There are headlamps and LED detailing on what looks like a higher-spec model, and a rather bizarre vented hood with an almost whaletail-like pattern.

We can't see too much of the bodyside, but it appears Hyundai has given the car new split five-spoke wheels. The model's plunging rear quarter window appears unchanged.

No official word yet on what's under the hood, but we're expecting both four- and six-cylinder power, as before, but we have reason to believe that a supercharged V6 is in the cards. Thanks to SEMA and Rhys Millen Racing, we now know that Hyundai's stonking 5.0-liter Tau V8 fits in the engine bay, but we'd be surprised if an eight-cylinder coupe shows up when the model is revealed at this January's Detroit Motor Show.

Rides : Hyundai Genesis Coupe V8 by Rhys Millen Racing at SEMA

The aftermarket specialists at Rhys Millen Racing have recently presented, at the SEMA Motor Show, an upgraded version of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, where the South Korean vehicle has been fitted with a large 5.0 liter V8 engine, able to generate 450 horsepower.

With its production-ready look and the large 5.0 liter V8 engine placed under its hood, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe features a custom stainless exhaust system and a full carbon body kit which includes a front grille, fog light ducts, front lip and spoiler, side skirts and a rear diffuser, while the car is now sitting on 19 inch HRE 793-RS alloy wheels, wrapped in Hankook Ventus R-S3 tires.

“From the moment I saw tha Tau V8 engine in the Genesis R-Spec sedan, I knew it would be a perfect fit for the Genesis Coupe, adding even more performance and power to the dynamic coupe. This sleek and practical exterior modifications would allow this Genesis Coupe to look good parked in your driveway or turning laps at the track”, said the Rhys Millen Racing owner, Rhys Millen.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe V8 made by Rhys Millen Racing has been presented to the public at this year’s SEMA Motor Show but there’s no word yet on the price for the upgrade or even if this will be turned into a “business”.

Rides : 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to receive a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 engine

Hyundai’s sports car, the 2013 Genesis Coupe, will have a Veloster-style nose, if the leaked images of this model are to be believed. The new images show that the model will be available with a supercharged V6, which offers power comparable to a big 5.0-liter but with lower weight and a more compact space. It had been rumored that the new coupe will be offered with an upgraded base 2.0T 4-cylinder that could deliver 274-hp, similar to the new Sonata. It was also reported that the V6 version will get direct injection, similar to the 2012 Genesis Sedan, which produces 333-hp. Some fans had hoped that the R-Spec’s 5.0-liter will be offered as well.

Rides : What can Hyundai do silently and inexpensively that Volkswagen and BMW can't?

Someone at the Frankfurt Motor Show caught Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn investigating a Hyundai i30 as if he was just like one would expect from an intrigued engineer at a rival company. It might be too much to infer that the Herr Doctor is impressed by what he finds, but there is no doubt that he's got some questions that will need answering when he leaves.

At about 1:45, while sitting in the cabin, he adjusts the steering wheel and begins to query his seconds on what he discovers. As far as our native German speaking helper could tell, Winterkorn wants to know how Hyundai managed to make an adjustment mechanism that doesn't make any noise, going so far as to say, "How do they do it? BMW can't do it, we can't do it... no clanging!" And then one of the gentlemen appears to answer, "We had a solution but it was too expensive..."

 

Winterkorn: "Bischoff, wo ist der Bischoff? {...} Da scheppert nichts! {...} Warum kann es der? BMW kann es nicht. Wir können es nicht... Kein Scheppern!"
Voice Off-camera: "Wir hatten ja mal eine Lösung gehabt, das war zu teuer {...}"

Translation
WINTERKORN: "Bischoff, where is Bischoff? {...} There is no clanging! Why can they do it? BMW can't do it, we can't do it... No clanging!"
Voice Off-camera: "We once had a solution, but it was too expansive then {...}"

Rides : 2013 Hyundai Genesis Gets a Facelift

Hyundai is preparing to reveal the facelifted 2013 Genesis Coupe, and we now have what is perhaps our best look yet at the updated car's Veloster-ified front fascia thanks to the folks over at Hyundai-Blog. We won't see the final design until closer to the car's 2012 Detroit Auto Show debut in January, but after plenty of camera phone shots and spy photos, we have no reason to believe that things will change much from what you see here.

As we've reported many times before, it's pretty safe to assume that the 2013 Genesis Coupe will use the updated, direct-injected 3.8-liter V6 that's available in the Genesis Sedan, producing 333 horsepower. We're confident that the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four will also carry over, and we can't help but cross our fingers that Hyundai found some way to shoehorn the big 5.0-liter, 429-hp V8 under the coupe's sleek hood, however unlikely that might be.

Rides : Hyundai Azera 2012 to debut at L.A. Show

The new generation of the Azera model from Hyundai will be officially presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Placed between the Sonata compact and the Genesis sedan, the new Azera will be powered by a 3.8 liter v6 engine which will develop 333 BHP and by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder supercharged engine of “only” 274 BHP.
“We are in the final stages of the ride / handling tuning for the 2012 Azera and its dialing in nicely. Look out for it at the L.A. Auto Show”, as it was written in a Hyundai USA press release.
The new Azera will be available with the Lambda II 3.0 liter GDI direct injection in Korea, with the engine producing 266 BHP and 310 Nm of torque, as well as the 2.4 liter GDI with 198 BHP and 250 Nm of torque.
The new Hyundai Azera is expected to hit the showrooms sometimes next year, however its starting price remains unknown.

Rides : Hyundai Gives 2012 Sonata a Facelift

Hyundai haves given its 2012 Sonata a facelift thanks to some minor changes. The new model now features a revised grille, restyled mirrors, LED taillights and new 18-inch alloy wheels. For the interior, Hyundai didn’t change very much, but did add a revised trim and cooled glovebox. They also switched up the quality of the interior so that it sports more high quality additions.

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Rides : Hyundai Motor Q1 profit up 47 per cent

Hyundai Motor on Thursday announced a sharp rise in first-quarter net profit amid brisk sales in overseas markets including China and the U.S.

The automaker posted a 47% jump in first-quarter net profit, giving the world’s fifth-largest automaker sales a strong start to a year that’s expected to see strong growth.
Thanks to a new addition in its range, with the introduction of the Grandeur premium sedan, as well as the Accent small car available on the Chinese market since the end of 2010, Hyundai increased its world sales by almost 9% last quarter, from the previous year the company said today.
Sales from overseas factories increased 14 percent, while sales in the domestic market were little changed. Shipments from Chinese plants climbed 13 percent and jumped 23 percent at the U.S. plant, the data showed.
Analysts see Hyundai and Kia, which are less reliant on Japanese parts than other global car makers such as General Motors , as among the biggest beneficiaries of a prolonged slump in Japanese output this year in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which savaged Japan’s auto sector supply chain and disrupted power supplies.

“Hyundai has been emerging as an alternative to Japanese cars, shaking off its image as a maker of cheap cars,” said Lee Dong-jin, a fund manager at KTB Asset Management. “It’s now seeing some benefits from increasing production at overseas plants while the world took a hit from the financial crisis.”

Rides - Transportation Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was delayed into 2011... by 'virtual engine sound' system

Remember how at the end of last year the US legislature decided to make it mandatory for EVs to churn out an audible noise while in motion? It was all in the name of saving pesky pedestrians from getting in the way of your gliding electro-car, but the new law itself has managed to create a bump in the road for at least one company. Hyundai's Sonata Hybrid was all set to launch in late 2010, equipped with a "virtual engine sound" system that the user could toggle on and off, however the government's request that it be kept permanently on required modifications to the vehicle's wiring harnesses, UI software and user manuals, delaying its debut into late January. These tweaks had to be done "amazingly late in the process," according to Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik, but the delay will at least ensure that all of Hyundai's Sonatas will sound the same. Which is something, we guess. 

 

 

Rides : Hyundai Sales End Year Up A Staggering 24% - December Sales Soar 33%

For the full year, Hyundai reported 538,228 sales, up 103,164 units from last year for a 24 percent gain and an all-time Hyundai sales and market share record for the year.

December retail sales were up 54 percent from last year due to improving product availability and a popular Hyundai Holiday marketing effort that helped increase traffic to Hyundai.com 120 percent over last year. Full year retail sales were up 35 percent. Fleet sales mix for the month of December was 7 percent, with fleet mix for the year at 16 percent.

"December was the capstone to a good year for Hyundai, with our total sales results actually understating the more important gains we made at retail, where we added a full point of market share," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "While we grew total volume 24 percent, retail volume through our 800-strong dealer network climbed 35 percent, or 115,786 units, with 90,349 of that retail gain coming from the game-changing 2011 Sonata."

"That marks the biggest retail sales increase of any car in the entire industry, and it shows how well consumers have responded to our high-tech 4-cylinder lineup, dynamic new design, and the mid-size segment's first 5-star 2011 NHTSA crash test result," Krafcik added. "Improving Sonata Turbo availability, and the lithium-polymer battery-powered Sonata Hybrid that arrives later this month, should help Sonata find a few more buyers in 2011."

Elantra, Sonata

, and Tucson sales for December increased 127 percent, 52 percent, and 348 percent, respectively. The all-new 2011 Elantra, which achieves 40 miles per gallon in every variant, not just low-volume, extra-charge "Eco" or "Special Fuel Economy" models, found 4,724 homes in its first full month of availability. Hyundai has targeted leadership in sales of 40 mile-per-gallon vehicles in 2011, and closes the books in 2010 with 4,916 sales in this category.

Genesis continued its impressive growth with the 18th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. For the year, Genesis sales increased 33 percent, to 29,122. "The continued growth in Genesis sales shows how much the Hyundai brand has grown over the last two years," said John Krafcik. "Genesis market share has now exceeded our most optimistic early projections, and has set the stage well for continued growth in premium segments." Hyundai's all-new flagship Equus, with higher residual value than Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, and Audi A8, began hitting showrooms in December to high demand and limited availability, resulting in 196 sales. Hyundai targets Equus sales volume of 2,000 to 3,000 in 2011.

The rich flock towards Buick and Hyundai for affordable luxury

2011 Buick LaCrosse

In tough times, even the richest people need to tighten the purse straps. In order to retain the feel of a luxury car without dishing out the cash, many are turning to cars like the Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Genesis, as they offer amenities without flamboyance.

Analysts are able to see what vehicles are traded in when new cars are purchased, and thus track the ‘substitution effect’ and how widespread it is. In 2007, 3.5% of new Hyundai and Kia buyers traded in luxury vehicles; that figure rose to 7% for the 2011 model year.

“You could argue that value for the money is the new black, people want to get a good amount of value for the money,” Edmunds senior analyst Karl Brauer said. “Buying a car to impress the neighbors isn’t in any more. Fewer and fewer people can justify spending an extra $5,000 just to have that luxury badge on the hood.”

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: CNN