Detroit 2011: 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a Swiss Army Coupe
Hyundai’s funky, tech-packed Veloster has just debuted at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and at first blush, the unconventional three-door looks like it’ll go down a storm.
While Hyundai’s North American CEO John Krafcik freely admitted that the Veloster isn’t going to be the quickest car to 60 miles per hour or around a race track (that’s what the Genesis Coupe is for), the Korean nonetheless promises frisky performance from its 1.6-liter engine (138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 123 pound-feet of torque at 4,850) and available six-speed dual clutch gearbox. A six-speed manual will come as standard-fit, and Hyundai figures that the Veloster will be good for around 40 miles per gallon on the freeway.
Categories: Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Hatchback, Hyundai Tags:
First Drive: 2010 Hyundai Tucson a green machine with few compromises
Little more than ten years ago, the meat and potatoes of the automotive universe were C and D segment sedans. Think Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry; Focus, Ford Fusion and (old) Ford Taurus; Honda Civic and Honda Accord. But then, for better or for worse, something significant shifted in that old sales paradigm. Specifically, crossovers. Also known as CUVs, the overgrown wagons still ride around on C and D platforms, only a foot higher off the ground. Why? Blame the SUV craze and/or what automakers refer to as the “command seating position,” an odd euphemism for sitting up high.
A momentary flirtation with $4 per gallon gasoline has – for the most part – shut down the large SUV game. But for whatever reason, consumers still want and demand command seating, so much so that Hyundai believes the compact CUV segment will experience more growth than any other niche in the market. Hyundai knows this specialized segment well, as the outgoing Tucson – the Korean brand’s previous generation small CUV – has sold more than one million copies. However, the Tucson has been around since 2005, and to put it nicely, the old Tucson wasn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. And this is a gun fight. Knowing that, Hyundai has just rolled out its newest car, the 2010 Tucson. But is it a killer?
Categories: Crossovers/CUVs, Drive Experience, Hyundai Tags:
Hyundai previews ix20 subcompact ahead of Paris rollout
Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language may be doing wonders on North American-spec Sonatas and Tucsons, but this same design language will make its way across the automaker’s entire worldwide lineup over the next few years. We’ve seen it previewed in the next-generation Elantra and Accent, and now Hyundai has released some preview images of its new ix20 small MPV, set to debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show. At first glance, it looks like a teeny-tiny ground-bound Tucson. It’s cute, if a bit angry-looking.
We’ll have to wait until the Paris show opens up before we get the full details on the ix20. For now, Hyundai is only saying that its new MPV will offer class-leading fuel economy, low C02 emissions and the latest in active and passive safety technologies.
Categories: Auto Show, Hatchback, Hyundai, Paris Motor Show Tags: Hyundai
First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Equus
Yes, Hyundai is punching above its weight and public perception. And yes, it’s bringing a luxury sedan to the U.S. that’s enjoyed considerable success in its home market. But that’s where the similarities to the ill-received Phaeton end and where Volkswagen and Hyundai’s strategies part ways. Hyundai recognizes the Equus is a niche product that isn’t going to transform the brand. It’s a sales, pricing and service experiment. So before we get to the good stuff, let’s take a quick look at the automaker’s tactics.
On the retail front, Hyundai only expects to sell between 2,000 and 3,000 Equus sedans each year – about the same amount VW projected when the Phaeton was introduced in 2004. When the big V-Dub was yanked from the U.S. market two years later, a little over 2,000 Phaetons were sold in total.
The Phaeton’s failure in the U.S came down to a number of factors, but astronomical pricing (for a VW) sat at the top of that list. For those who need a refresher, the entry-level V8 Phaeton started at just under $65,000 in 2004, with the range-topping W12 nearly nudging into six digits with a $94,000 sticker.
Categories: Hyundai, Uncategorized Tags: Hyundai
2010 New York Auto Show Live:2011 Hyundai Equus arrives to take on the big guns
When the first Hyundai Excels rolled onto American roads in the late-1980s, it was hard to image the Korean automaker getting taken seriously as a builder of budget cars. Taking on the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW would have been an absurd thought. And yet later this year that is exactly what Hyundai is doing as the new Equus begins to arrive at American dealers.
Visually, the the Equus hasn’t changed much in its trip across the Pacific. For the U.S. market, the winged hood ornament had been discarded in favor of a flush mounted badge with the same logo that adorned the trunk lid of the Korean market model. The bars of the grille have been replaced with horizontal slats that make it look more like the Genesis sedan.
The Equus is equipped with all the techno-gimmickry one expects in a big luxury sedan today, including adaptive cruise control and navigation. The 4,376-pound is suspended on electronically controlled air springs and power comes from a 385 horsepower version of the 4.6-liter Tau V8 already seeing duty in the Genesis. The only thing the Equus lacks compared to a Lexus or Benz is an oversized sticker price. Hyundai says the Equus will be priced in the mid $50,000 range when it goes on sale later this year.
Categories: Auto Show, Hyundai, New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
