Hyundai Elantra

Elantra exemplifies Hyundai’s emotional “Fluidic Sculpture” design principles. “Fluidic Sculpture” considers the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion. Hyundai Elantra is an evolution of the design qualities found in Sonata.

The center stack is dominated by a massive seven-inch touch-screen that hosts controls for navigation, audio and iPod integration. Thanks to XM NavTraffic and NavWeather, buyers can check the status of everything from traffic congestion to stock prices, weather advisories and sports scores. A rear-view camera is also available, though the sedan’s visibility hardly warrants the tech. The Limited trim also brings along a 360-watt, six-speaker stereo system with an external amp should you decide to rock your passengers’ socks straight off their body.

Seating surfaces, both front and rear, are swaddled in a perforated hide with a unique wave pattern, and for the first time in this segment, both front and rear passengers get the joy of heated seats. The thrones are double stitched, though Hyundai skipped the typically eye-catching contrasting thread in favor of a color-matched material.

The 2011 Elantra comes with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque in ULEV guise. A PZEV variant is also available, but it sacrifices three horsepower and one lb-ft compared to its brethren. The engine is mated to either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

The Elantra is Hyundai’s most popular model, with sales of more than six million units worldwide since the car’s launch back in 1990.With the next-generation Honda Civic and 2012 Ford Focus on the horizon, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra will be facing some stout competition in the future, but right now, the little sedan has the bones to be king of the compact roost. Read More!

Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T

Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a rear-wheel drive sport coupe, now Hyundai is offering a stripped-down version of the  2011 Genesis Coupe 2.0t.

The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe is an exercise in balance: brains and brawn, technology and hardware, thoughtfulness and raw strength. What that balance provides to the driver is quick, agile, powerful performance on the road, complemented by a range of amenities usually found only in much more expensive sports cars.

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T includes a six-speed manual makes 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and turns the quarter-mile in 15.3 at 92 mph. The throttle calibrations were still rough during our brief drive, so Hyundai decided to withhold full testing until later. The turbo trails the V-6 into the market by a month. Eventually, it’s expected to represent half of coupe sales.

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe luxury sports car in a category of its own, though, may be its affordability Read More!

Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T is a mid-size sedan. It is alongside the Sonata Hybrid, this mode of thought arose as a challenge to the previously held belief that if you wanted to move four-doors in America.

Exterior, there is little difference from from its non-turbocharged siblings. The Passat starts at $27,945, including a $750 destination charge, while the Fusion Sport starts at $27,230, including a $725 destination charge.

Inside, Sonata has impressed the crew here at C/D HQ with its style, value, and refined driving manners, and this much grunt in a car that should weigh between 3300 and 3400 pounds will make for a wild ride one way or another—we figure on either massive torque steer or impressive acceleration (or both).

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T is powered by an all-new 2.0-liter turbo four, this vehicle will take top honors in its class in both highway fuel economy and power, including V-6 competitors, according to Hyundai’s estimates. Hyundai said the engine should return 34 mpg on the highway (and 22 mpg in the city) while generating an eye-raising 274 hp at 6000 rpm. Torque stands at an equally impressive 269 lb-ft, delivered between 1800 and 4500 rpm. Read More!

Hyundai i40 saloon

Hyundai i40 has a new lunch sedan at Barcelona Motor Show. Korean car maker unveiled a new model during the first day of press events, revealing a D-segment saloon which continues to be widely anticipated after the debut of Hyundai's i40 range of real models in March.

Following on from the i40 estate model unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, Hyundai i40 saloon designed and engineered at the company’s research and development headquarters in Germany, taken from a central theme of ‘fluidic sculpture’

According to Hyundai, The best-in-class dimensions for front head (1025mm), shoulder (1455mm), and leg (1170mm) room, giving the “most comfortable D-segment ride available”. When the i40 saloon hits the market in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The all-new i40 will be offered with a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, with power ranging from 115bhp in the entry-level 1.7-litre diesel up to a 175bhp 2-litre petrol. A 133bhp 1.6-litre petrol and 1.7-litre diesel producing 134bhp complete the engine line-up. The latter will be available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox as an option.

Hyundai is also offering the option of its Blue Drive technology, which features stop and start technology and low-resistance tyres, which lowers the lower-powered diesel’s CO2 emissions to 113g/km with average fuel consumption of 65.7mpg.

 Hyundai has been the star of the Barcelona event so far, an unusual situation even though the show is considered one of Europe’s smaller events. The Barcelona International Motor Show runs May 14-22 in Barcelona, Spain. Read More!

Hyundai Blue-Will Plug-In Hybrid

Hyundai showed its Blue-Will plug-in hybrid (PHEV) concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for its US debut. It is the first ever plug-in hybrid (PHEV) of Hyundai.

Blue-Will serves as a test bed of new ideas that range from roof-mounted solar cells to drive-by-wire steering, lithium polymer batteries and touch-screen controls, and foreshadows future hybrid production vehicles from Hyundai. Blue-Will promises an electric-only driving distance of up to 40 miles on a single charge and a fuel economy rating of up to 106 mpg US (2.2 L/100km). Codenamed HND-4, the Blue-Will is the fourth in a series of innovative concept vehicles to come out of the Namyang Design Center.

The Blue-Will concept is powered by an all-aluminum 152 hp (113 kW) Gasoline Direct Injected (GDI) 1.6-liter engine mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). A 100 kW electric motor is at the heart of Hyundai’s proprietary parallel hybrid drive architecture. The wheels are turned by power coming directly from the gasoline engine, the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand.

Fuel economy for the Blue-Will in charge sustaining mode (regular hybrid mode) is projected to be 50-55 mpg US (4.7-4.3 L/100km). Hyundai says that vehicle range is 652 miles (1,049 km).

This parallel hybrid drive architecture serves as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrids, starting with the 2011 BlueDrive Sonata hybrid coming later this year in the US. (Earlier post.). For maximum luggage space, the fuel tank is located under the rear seat where it is bundled alongside the lithium polymer battery (cells from LG Chem) that can be recharged using household current.

Hyundai was the first automaker in the world to apply lithium polymer batteries in a mass production vehicle this July, when the Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) went on sale in Korea. This battery technology will also power Hyundai’s 2011 Sonata BlueDrive hybrid.

The panoramic glass roof integrates dye-sensitized solar cells without impeding visibility. The solar cells provide a trickle charge that helps operate a cabin cooling fan, reducing interior temperatures while the car is parked in the sun.

Energy from hot exhaust gases is recaptured by a thermoelectric generator (TEG) which is fitted into the exhaust manifold. The TEG then converts the heat into electrical energy to help power auxiliary systems. Efficiencies are further improved by low-rolling resistance tires and low-drag brakes, where special attention has been paid to the engineering of the brake pads and calipers. Read More!

Hyundai Veloster

Korean cars are ready to try again with an all new entry-level sports coupe used 2012 Hyundai Veloster in the United States Veloster is a hard front, compact and sportyish, but the new car features several significant differences.

Hyundai draws inspiration from sportbikes for 2012 Hyundai Veloster's body. A fresh interpretation of the now familiar language of the Statue of Fluidic Hyundai design, sharp looking in person. While the exterior features more than a few curves are complex, containing pieces from the standard LED lights to carve bodyside walk under the door.

2012 Hyundai Veloster combines the style of a coupe and the functionality of a hatchback, while also incorporating an additional passenger-side door. In the past, some coupes have used smaller rear-hinged access doors. These coupes have always been compromised by having to open the driver-side door before the rear door could be opened, proving to be inconvenient for both the driver and passenger, and extremely difficult to operate in tight parking lot situations.

The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is equipped with a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine, which is expected to get up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Veloster comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. Hyundai said the dual-clutch automated transmission provides a 5-6 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over a traditional automatic and a 3-7 percent improvement in acceleration performance.

Exterior cues on the Veloster include black A-pillars “that give the glass a motorcycle helmet visor appearance,” said Hyundai in a statement. Options include a chrome grille surround, piano black highlights, foglights and a panoramic sunroof. The Veloster comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels; two types of 18-inch wheels are optional. Read More!