Now this is an interesting development to say the least. Several news sources are reporting that Hyundai will be adding a separate performance sub-brand in the next year or so.
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Hyundai, the South Korean automaker has finally entered the World Rally Championship (WRC). On the back of i20 hatchback, the company entered the WRC and will compete against the likes of the Ford Fiesta and the Peugeot 208s. The performance-oriented i20 model is also under development, and the WRC-spec i20 could offer the platform for this hatch. The high performance hatch will be introduced alongside the next-generation i20 model.
The South Korean automaker will use its return to WRC in 2014 to promote its new performance division.
The company's initial focus will be on the European market, where WRC is more common, but it has plans to introduce the go-fast Hyundais under the performance sub-brand in US as well.
The performance oriented i20 is expected to come with a turbocharged engine and an all-wheel drive. More models would also join the league, and Veloster Turbo and Genesis Coupe are the probables. It is also speculated that Hyundai is also considering a sporty Elantra GT Turbo. The next-generation Hyundai i20 has been spotted several times during its test rounds across the world, and is expected to be launched in the Indian car market by the next year.
The performance oriented i20 is expected to debut in 2015, and its modified version will also be used for the development of Hyundai's 2015 WRC entrant. It is also speculated that the company could also produce more cars from its line up with performance parts.
Hyundai Motor America is established in Garden Grove, California with 227 employees
Hyundai American Technical Center, Inc. is established in Chino, California with four employees
1986
Hyundai exports the Excel to the U.S. market
1988
Hyundai opens a $21 million, 300,000 square-foot parts distribution center in Ontario, California to facilitate parts deliveries to our budding network of dealership
Hyundai opens a $16.6 million, 342,000 square-foot office complex and parts distribution center in Aurora, Illinois with 21 employees
1989
Hyundai Motor Finance Company is established in Fountain Valley, California with an initial capital investment of $15 million and 22 employees
1990
Hyundai Motor America opens our North American headquarters with 400 employees on an18-acre site in Fountain Valley, California for an investment of $18 million
Hyundai opens a $12.2 million port facility in Portland, Oregon, featuring a large dock area, a 45,000 square-foot processing building, a holding lot for incoming cars, and an area for rail car and vehicle transport
1991
Hyundai is the first automaker to provide buyers with regularly scheduled maintenance on top of a standard warranty at no additional cost
1994
Hyundai introduces the Hyundai Protection Plan to protect customers against the cost of repair after a vehicle’s standard warranty expires
In the J.D. Power Dealer Satisfaction Index, Hyundai rises from 19th to 11th place and shows the highest rate of improvement among all automobile manufacturers in the J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Survey
1996
Hyundai rises 49 points over the prior year in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey
1998
Hyundai launches the innovative Hyundai Advantage, America’s Best Warranty, with all new vehicles, including 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain protection, 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage and 5-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance
Hyundai picks up 28 points in the J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index survey, the largest point gain of any automaker in the survey
1999
Hyundai enjoys an 82 percent sales increase over the prior year, the industry’s largest jump
2000
Hyundai passes Mazda to become the number 5 selling Asian brand in the country
In a product clinic conducted by Allison-Fisher, the Elantra is picked number 1 by consumers over the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Dodge Neon
Strategic Vision’s new car buyer survey ranks Hyundai’s Sonata sedan fifth among 16 cars in the compact segment and the Elantra sedan seventh among 20 competitors in the small-car segment
2001
Hyundai Motor America receives the J.D. Power Chairman Award for our commitment to quality improvements
2002
Hyundai breaks ground in Montgomery, Alabama for our first U.S. automobile assembly plant, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, valued at an initial $1.1 billion investment
The Sonota is ranked first by J.D. Power in performance, driving experience and design research
2003
The $30 million Hyundai Design and Research Center opens in Irvine, California with 100 auto designers, engineers, model makers and technicians, and is fitted with the world’s most advanced visualization, graphics and clay-modeling technologies
2005
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama celebrates our grand opening and begins to produce vehicles, employing an initial 2,300 team members
Hyundai creates 2,000 jobs in opening an $11 million vehicle testing facility in California City, California, covering 4,300 acres with eight different driving courses, including a 2.75-mile winding track, a 3.3-mile hill road, and a durability loop with a range of special surfaces, from cobblestones to potholes
Hyundai American Technical Center, Inc. moves to a new $117 million, 190,000 square-foot headquarters in Superior Township, Michigan with 140 employees
2006
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is recognized by the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey as a Top Ten Automotive OEM Plant in North and South America – after just one year of operation
2007
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency as the Atlanta Regional Minority Business Advocate of the Year
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama receives ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification, the highest automotive quality standard in the world
2008
Hyundai invests $270 million in the construction of a second engine plant to produce 2.4-liter 4-cylinder Theta engines at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, ultimately adding more than 200 jobs to the plant
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama receives ISO 14001 certification for our environmental management systems
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is recognized as Member Corporation of the Year by the South Region Minority Business Council and Alabama Emerging Manufacturer of the Year by the Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Technology Network
2009
Hyundai spins off our parts division to form Mobis Parts America, which is responsible for the development and distribution of parts and accessories for Hyundai in the U.S.
The Genesis is awarded “Car of the Year” in North America by a panel of 50 automotive journalists and places first in J.D. Power’s “Vehicle Launch Index”
2010
The Sonata receives the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Pick” and the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency’s five-star safety rating
The Genesis and Elantra are recognized as “Best Car for the Money” by U.S. News & World Report
The Accent places first among small cars in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
For the third consecutive year, Ward’s Auto World picks Hyundai’s Tau engine as one of the industry’s “10 Best Engines”
2011
Hyundai invests $150 million in the construction of a new North American headquarters in Fountain Valley, California
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama earns the state’s Large Manufacturer of the Year recognition by the Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Technology Network
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama donates $1.5 million to the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund in response to the Alabama tornadoes
The Sonata receives the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Pick” and is runner-up for North American “Car of the Year”
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama invests $173 million to expand an engine shop, adding 214 new jobs
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama builds its one-millionth Sonata
Six Hyundai 2012 models earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” honors
The Veloster is named the “Best Economy Car” by Bloomberg in its “Best Drives of 2011” report
Hyundai’s 1.6-liter Gamma engine is named one of the “10 Best Engines” by WardsAuto World
The Elantra earns a “Residual Value Award” from ALG, the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data
The Tucson is featured in the Kelley Blue Book’s “Best Resale Value Award” top 10 list
The Hyundai brand achieves the biggest long-term gain in ALG’s Fall 2011 Perceived Quality Study, moving up nine spots to No. 9 over the past three years
Hyundai maintains its No.1 spot for brand loyalty in Kelly Blue Book reporting
The Equus is named the most appealing large premium car in the J.D. Power and Associates’ Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study
The Sonata leads the mid-size car segment in Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index
2012
Hyundai Motor America is named number one in fuel economy and CO2 emissions in America by topping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy rankings for the 2010 model year
Hyundai America Technical Center invests $15 million in world-class weather dynamometer test facility, adding 50 new jobs over next three years
Hyundai offers a Lifetime Battery Replacement Guarantee for the Sonata Hybrid
The Elantra is named 2012 North American Car of the Year
This upcoming new mid-size will be a Hyundai China exclusive.
Hyundai says that the car will be positioned between the Elantra and Sonata, which explains the concept version’s size: at 185.4 inches long, 71.7 inches wide, and 57.9 inches tall, the Mistra is marginally smaller than the Sonata (189.8 inches long, 72.2 inches wide, 57.9 inches high), and with a 0.9-inch-shorter wheelbase (109.1 inches versus 110.0). It’s easily a step up in size, however, from the Elantra, which rings in at 178.3 inches long, 69.9 inches wide, and 56.5 inches tall.
Hyundai reveals unique concepts for single-person future mobility, designed for use in congested cities across the globe. Prototypes have been created by engineers working at the company's research and development (R&D) centre in Korea for an internal contest called the 'IDEA festival'.
Korean auto giant Hyundai and its corporate cousin Kia, which said Wednesday that they would jointly recall over 1.8 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix a faulty brake-light switch, now say they will expand the recall globally. It's a necessary move: Any failure involving brake lights could obviously lead to accidents. But the recall, which is Hyundai's largest ever in the U.S., has raised concerns that the company's quality may have been sacrificed for quantity during the company's rapid global expansion.
Did Hyundai expand too rapidly?
A Reuters report on Thursday cited a number of well-placed sources calling Hyundai's quality control into question. They aren't the only ones: While Consumer Reports still rates the company's bread-and-butter Elantra and Sonata models as average or better for reliability, the company fell to 18th (from 11th) in a key J.D. Power quality survey last year.It wasn't that long ago that Hyundai's quality was seen as being roughly on par with the Japanese leaders. So what happened? A J.D. Power official told Reuters that part of the problem may have been Hyundai's rapid expansion into new product segments – some of its newer models haven't performed as well as mainstays like the Sonata, he said. That's a theme we've heard before from other companies – including the company often seen as the global paragon of new-car quality, Toyota.
Remember Toyota's troubles? I bet Hyundai does.
"We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization," said Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda in 2010 to the U.S. House of Representatives about his company's recall scandals. They've faded a bit in the rearview mirror now, but in late 2009 and 2010, Toyota was wracked by a series of massive recalls – recalls that the company initially handled quite badly. After months of denials, executive hubris, and generally unsympathetic corporate behavior, CEO Toyoda took charge, made appropriately contrite statements, and promised to set things straight. And he followed through. Toyota has since recovered nicely. It was the largest-selling automaker in the world last year, and one of the most profitable.
Obviously, Hyundai's problems at the moment aren't anything like Toyota's – it's just a recall, albeit a big, eyebrow-raising one.And the company is saying the right things. An unnamed Hyundai executive told Reuters that last year's decline in quality rankings got the company's attention, and its internal problems have been addressed. Let's hope that's true. Because Hyundai's story has been a pretty good one so far.
Peter Schreyer is a big player in the auto industry. He was a top design guy at Audi/VW (he designed the Audi TT and new Beetle among other things) that defected to KIA a few years ago and became the head Kia design guy. The Forte and Soul and Optima started to change people's view of KIA and he's the one behind those cars. Hyundai corporate in Korea saw him as a rising star and made him president of the Hyunda Kia Group a few months ago. Not only is he a key decision maker but he will now oversee the design of all future Hyundai and Kia products. He also will change the brand identities. ------------------------
Schreyer has the confidence and backing of Hyundai’s ruling family. That allows him to make waves. Chung Euisun, son of Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo, lured Schreyer away from VW. The younger Chung, now vice chairman, has kept his recruit on the fast track ever since. In December, Schreyer was appointed president at Kia, the first non-Korean president at either Kia or Hyundai. Less than month later he was promoted again, this time to president and chief design officer for the whole motor group. Until his appointment there had never been a single design boss for the group’s brands, as there is at VW, GM and Ford Motor Co. Chung and Schreyer decided it was time to create the new post. Schreyer says he is starting from a solid base.
Both brands have distinct looks. And both brands have made huge strides in styling. Hyundai’s sales surge in recent years has been attributed partly to the curvy design language, which the company calls “Fluidic Sculpture,” that is employed in the Sonata and Elantra sedans. But Schreyer sees room for improvement. “My new role is to try to find an even more defined direction in design,” he says. Still, Schreyer sees his role as enhancing, not fixing, Hyundai. Oh Suk-geun, design boss for the Hyundai brand, will stay on in that role and report to Schreyer. Kia has yet to name a replacement for Schreyer as its design head. “This had nothing to do with weakness” in Hyundai designs, Schreyer says of his promotion. “Hyundai did quite a good job. It’s something that needs to be developed further.”
Schreyer points to the HND-9 luxury sports car concept, shown at last month’s Seoul Motor Show, as a future direction for Hyundai. He says it has a cleaner, more organized design than the current Fluidic Sculpture look but still maintains some of the sleek, flowing elements of the current lineup. Details are still fuzzy. But Schreyer wants lineups and segments at Hyundai and Kia to interlock more and overlap less. “If you see the cars on the street, you can tell the difference between the two,” he says. “Where I would like to see more distinction is in the type of cars the companies are doing.” He points to his old stamping grounds at Volkswagen and Audi as the model. Both brands are part of the larger Volkswagen AG auto group. Yet neither overlaps with or cannibalizes the other. “Let’s look at the Golf and the Audi A3,” Schreyer says, referring to two VW corporate stable mates that share the same platform.
“They are the same size, the same segment, but completely different types of cars. A customer who buys a Golf would never buy an A3, and the other way around,” he says. “This way we can address more and different kinds of customers.” The difference with Audi, however, is that Hyundai has to remain a volume brand, Schreyer notes. That means there is limited room to trim the lineup to avoid overlap with Kia, he says.
He doesn’t yet have a clear plan for translating these goals into reality. “We just started this whole thing,” Schreyer says. “I’ve only had this job for two months now, so you have to give me a bit of time to think about it myself.” But the basic DNA is there, he says. Kia is younger and sportier. Hyundai is more premium and performance oriented. The spunky Kia Cub concept, also unveiled in Seoul, may point to the fresh, energetic feel he envisions for Kia.
The Hyundai Genesis family, especially as foreshadowed by the edgy HND-9 Concept with its butterfly doors, underscores the more sophisticated, technology-oriented direction of Hyundai. Keeping Genesis and the top-line Equus sedan within the Hyundai family is key to strengthening the brand, Schreyer says. He downplayed the persistent speculation that Hyundai may use those nameplates to create a premium subbrand. “Genesis is almost a brand by itself,” he says. “But I think it is a better idea not to separate it, not to found a new brand. I think it makes Hyundai stronger if they stay within the brand.”
This thing is slooowww!!! Presenting the all-new Hyundai E4U. The E4U’s current top speed is 18.6 miles per hour.
According to Hyundai, the E4U’s strange name stems from the four Es found in the vehicle: evolution, electricity, eco-friendliness and, of course, egg. The E4U is designed to take advantage of tight, congested urban roads. Its small size, with the help of foldable rear legs, also aid the vehicle in navigating into parking spots on crowded city streets. Rather than wheels, the E4U relies on a base hemisphere that runs on a 24 volt, 500-watt battery. Two rear wheels help give the vehicle balance, while also providing the vehicle a distinct tripod shape. For those still adjusting to the gyroscopic steering of a Segway, the E4U will demand a whole new skill set. The driver controls the vehicle’s speed and direction with the turn of their body and the tilt of the hemisphere, leaving hands completely free. As possibly the E4U’s most clever feature, the vehicle’s removable top doubles as a visor-like helmet.
Hyundai plans to launch a pickup in the US and currently studying what truck size would be the best for this market.
“We do not have a pickup truck. Other than that, we cover almost every segment,” said Lee In-cheol, vice president in charge of international sales. “We are studying that one very hard — what kind of pickup truck we should produce, if we have to. Is it a big-size pickup truck like in the United States or a small kind of pickup truck?”
Although Hyundai has no plans to manufacture a pickup, dealers in the US and other markets are asking for one. The automaker offered no timeline for a decision and said it doesn’t know which market will be the first one to get a Hyundai pickup.
Over the years Hyundai has managed to change its reputation from that of a cheap, low-quality brand into a global automaker known for its smart design and quality products. Even if the automaker has extended into new segments such as crossover, it still does not have a pickup.
“We are doing a good job in recent years without a pickup truck,” Lee said of Hyundai’s sales. “A pickup truck is important, but it’s not a big priority for our company. But we have to consider how to respond. It is under study.”
by Ana Cezara Savin (my Google+) - Monday, April 1st, 2013 - filed under Hyundai, News. Image credit: .
Korean auto giant Hyundai is still surging, but conflict at home could curb its growth. By Doron Levin
FORTUNE -- The remarkable rise in popularity of Hyundai and sister brand Kia with U.S. car buyers has largely unfolded over the past few years against a backdrop of calm on the Korean peninsula. As tensions rise in the manufacturer's homeland, some are asking how unrest might affect Hyundai's surging global business.
The prospect of armed conflict between North and South Korea threatens manufacturing in the south, where Hyundai Motor Group is located. Japan, China, and the U.S. almost certainly would be drawn into any regional conflict that jeopardized sea lanes and air traffic. Hyundai Motor, in its bid for top-tier global status, has spread operations worldwide, constructing two U.S. vehicle assembly plants in the past decade, in Alabama and Georgia. The plants rely mostly on parts suppliers that also operate locally. About 57% of Hyundai's production capacity resides outside South Korea.
Chris Hosford, a spokesman for Hyundai Motor in the U.S., noted that Hyundai's three top-selling vehicle models in the U.S. -- Sonata, Elantra, and Santa Fe -- are built locally. Presumably, Hyundai and Kia's U.S. operations wouldn't bear the full brunt of any potential disruption in South Korea.
Through March of this year, Hyundai's three top sellers accounted for 69,977 of 96,024 vehicles sold in the U.S. Hyundai unit sales are up 2.3% for the year. Don Southerton, an expert on Korean business and culture who consults for Hyundai and other Korean companies, said "South Koreans, other than those scarred by the conflict of the early 1950s, tend to play down current tensions with the north." Of course, many Israelis, including government officials, never believed that Syria and Egypt would dare attack in 1973 -- until the day it happened.
The 2011 tsunami that disrupted Japanese industry, including the country's major automakers, did have a profound effect on Korean planners, Southerton said. Following the disaster several big South Korean corporations, including Hyundai, decided to set up emergency offshore centers that could serve as headquarters if needed. Southerton thinks tensions could continue until South Korea finds a way to allow North Korea to back down gracefully from its aggressive stance. It's "a tactic South Korea has followed in the past to ease tension on the peninsula," he said.
The latest sign of tension came this week as North Korea blocked the entry of hundreds of South Korean workers into a joint industrial zone that had been a symbol of economic cooperation. Previously North Korea threatened a preemptive strike against the U.S., prompting a flyover of the south by U.S. military aircraft. The U.S., meanwhile, is moving missile defense systems into the region.
For some, military conflict on the Korean peninsula remains improbable, if not unthinkable. But improbable events can arrive like black swans, that is to say, unexpectedly. Last year China and Japan suddenly were at odds over sovereignty of several small islands, creating a diplomatic furor. Car buyers in China immediately began boycotting Toyota (TM) and other Japanese brands, which translated into lower earnings. The tension has since calmed, though sales of Japanese brands in China have not totally recovered.
Hyundai (along with electronics titan Samsung) might be the one of the proudest and most visible symbols of South Korean industrial might. As such, the automotive brand could be a tempting target for a North Korean regime that often seems determined to self-destruct. Fortunately, Hyundai's global scale seems to afford it some protection.
COSTA MESA, Calif., April 2, 2013 – Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 68,306 units, down just two percent versus the best volume month Hyundai ever recorded last year, and up more than 30 percent over February levels. The first quarter of 2013 was the best in Hyundai’s history.
"March felt just great,” said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales. “We definitely benefitted from better inventories of Elantra thanks to the addition of the third shift at our Alabama plant, improved weather conditions in our important Northern markets and more robust retail activity reflecting a steady recovery in consumer confidence. Elantra led the pack with an all-time monthly sales record of 26,153 units, up 33 percent year-over-year. Sonata Hybrid also set a new all-time sales record with 2,006 sales, up 13 percent versus last year.”
Fleet mix was 17 percent for the month and stands at 16 percent for the year, among the lowest in the industry.
“This March was an incredibly strong month for us, the second best sales month in our history, just two percent below our all-time record from last March,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “While our plants continue to stretch to hit our demand levels, we still have one of the tightest inventory levels in the industry. This month, you could see the impact of improved Elantra availability, but our dealers remain constrained on Sonata, which continues as one of the fastest turning mid-size cars in the industry.”
According to data from Cars.com, the traditional five highest volume mid-size sedans (Accord, Camry, Altima, Fusion, and Malibu) have 72 percent more dealer stock than Sonata.
Sales in March of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles totaled 6,715, up eight percent for the first quarter. More than 80 percent of Hyundai’s dealers are now participating in the CPO program, which has been a key component in driving Hyundai residual values to record high levels. Hyundai Elantra, Azera, and Santa Fe Sport are all ALG Residual Value award winners for the 2013 model year.
The South Korean automaker is being sacrificed in a bid to reunite the fractious region.
Decades of animosity between North Korea and its neighbors to the south have left the Korean peninsula in a perpetual state of cold war. However new developments from the region could bring South Korea’s burgeoning auto industry into play in a bid to make peace between the countries. According to reports emerging from Seoul and Pyongyang, negotiations are currently under way to transfer Hyundai – which has emerged as one of the world’s largest automakers and industrial conglomerates – from South Korea to the North.
Although the fate of Hyundai’s Kia division remains uncertain – with the lower-cost brand speculated to remain in South Korean hands – proposals to hand the communist dictatorship control of SsangYong, GM’s Daewoo subsidiary or Renault’s Samsung joint venture reportedly failed to bring North Korea to the negotiating table. Should Pyongyang accept the Hyundai offer, however, the resulting peace accord would reportedly see both sides disarm the Demilitarized Zone that forms their border and North Korea begin dismantling its makeshift nuclear arsenal.
I think it's fair to say that the folks at South Point Hyundai in Austin aren't having a very good time at SXSW.
Earlier this morning, a car apparently careened off the Interstate 35 frontage road in South Austin and rolled over onto several Hyundais in the dealership parking lot. According to the Austin American-Statesman, about 18 cars were damaged in the crash, some of which had their hoods ripped off. At least one Hyundai lost its roof. KEYE-TV said damage was estimated at $700,000.
The person responsible for the crash hasn't been found, the newspaper reported. Police found a wrecked vehicle lying on its roof on top of a dealership car, and witnesses told police they saw someone running away from the crashed car.
Still, being the troopers that they are, the good folks at South Point Hyundai opened anyway this morning. I hear they're running some great deals right now on the Hyundai Sonata Convertible.
First production hydrogen fuel cell cars hit the market, from Hyundai By Bill Howard on March 7, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Hyundai ix35 FC hero
Mass-produced, hydrogen-powered cars were once called the wave of the distant future. Hyundai just advanced the timetable as the first production Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell crossovers rolled off the production line in Ulsan, Korea, earlier this year. It’s based on the small crossover called the Hyundai Tucson in the US. The ix35/Tucson Fuel Cell converts hydrogen to electricity to power electric motors, rather than burning hydrogen in place of gasoline as BMW has done with its internal combustion hydrogen cars. Either way, the only emission is water vapor.
Hyundai says it will produce http://www.hyundainews.com/us/en-us/Media/...-ix35-fuel-cell 1,000 ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles by 2015. Initial production will be for municipal fleets in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Skane, Sweden. Early hydrogen vehicle deployments are limited to locations with a refueling infrastucture. With a Hyundai-reported driving range of 370 miles (594 km), there would be no need to refuel until the vehicle returns to the main garage at night.
How Hyundai’s fuel cell works (caution: blonde joke follows)
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell engine compartmentA hydrogen fuel cell works by converting hydrogen to electricity inside the cell, where an anode and cathode are separated by a membrane. At the anode the hydrogen is split into electrons and protons (hydrogen ions). The polymer membrane only allows protons to pass, while the electrons flow through a battery to the electric motor. At the cathode, the hydrogen electrons and protons are reunited and combine with oxygen (outside air) to form water (H2O).
We hear Hyundai may also market a model that converts the components into H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide, for Swedish motorists who are not naturally blonde and wish to fit in. Stay tuned.
The hydrogen is stored in a pair of heavily armored tanks that combine for a capacity of 12.4 pounds (5.6kg) of heavily compressed hydrogen, which is a lot considering hydrogen in its natural, uncompressed state is lighter than air. Locomotion for the ix35 Fuel Cell comes from a 136hp (100kW) electric motor that tops out at 100 mph (160 kph). The energy is buffered by a 24kW lithium-ion polymer battery developed by LG Chemical and Hyundai.
Want one of your own? Today, they’d cost in “the upper $100,000s per car,” Frank Ahrens, a Hyundai spokesman, told US News & World Report. By the time Hyundai shifts from fleet sales to individual buyers, around 2015, the price might fall to $50,000.
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell The cost of being green
While the only emission from the vehicle is water vapor, there are concerns about how hydrogen gets to be hydrogen in the tank. Right now, a common conversion process takes natural gas, applies energy, and leaves behind a carbon footprint worse than any environmentalist would hope for. You could fare better in the short run just going with a natural gas vehicle such as the Honda Civic Natural Gas. Researchers are working on extracting hydrogen from other sources, whether sea water or the sludge in a waste treatment plant. (See: The fuel cell that turns poop into power.)
This is the third generation hydrogen vehicle from Hyundai/Kia since 1999. Another hydrogen backer is BMW, which showed a series of hydrogen-powered BMW 7 Series vehicles as limited production prototypes. BMW used liquified hydrogen, which requires different equipment at a hydrogen refueling station. While the effort to liquefy is greater, there’s more energy stored in a smaller package (that still takes up more than a third of the big sedan’s trunk). Liquid hydrogen also boils away over a couple weeks if it’s just garaged. But BMW burns the hydrogen in an engine that also burns gasoline, so just like a plug-in hybrid that doesn’t strand you when the battery charge runs down, this one is suitable as a long-distance tourer.
Safer than you think
The Hyundai production start-up preceded by just a couple weeks the (possibly) final word on what brought down the Hindenburg in 1937: a jolt of static electricity when the tethering lines grounded themselves to the earth in Lakehurst, NJ. Despite the jokes, a hydrogen-powered vehicle may be safer than a gas-engine car. The fuel is in incredibly well-armored tanks. If they overheat, the hydrogen is vented directly to the atmosphere and shoots up, while gasoline pools on the ground.
Toronto - Hyundai’s efforts in setting out “to get it right” paid off with the Santa Fe being named best utility vehicle of 2013 by the Canadian Automotive Journalists Association (AJAC).
“When Hyundai decided to redesign (the Santa Fe), we really wanted to get it right,” said Hyundai Auto Canada president Steve Kelleher. “For us to win Canadian Utility of the Year is vindication for all the effort Hyundai designers and engineers invested into the project.”
The 2013 Santa Fe 2.0T became eligible to win the best utility vehicle category by winning the Best New SUV/CUV ($35,000-60,000) class at AJAC’s annual TestFest event, held in October in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Kelleher added that being named 2013’s Canadian Utility of the Year is a great honour.
“The Santa Fe competes in Canada’s growing crossover market, (and) Santa Fe is one of our most important vehicles in this market,” he said. “We couldn’t be more proud of the award AJAC has honoured us with today.”
The announcement was made at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS), in downtown Toronto on Feb 14, and also saw the Porsche 911 Carrera S rewarded for Best New Design and General Motors (GM) recognized for Best New Technology for its front centre airbag.
Porsche Cars North America photo 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S
The Best New Design award rewards vehicles that exemplify a balance of form and function. AJAC members felt the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S displayed the optimal combination of design reflecting the “sheer beauty of the design,” function and brand essence that conveys image, heritage and values of the specific brand.
“Although all-new, this latest generation of the iconic sports car is still very much recognizable by its unmistakable silhouette,” said Joe Lawrence, president of Porsche Cars Canada. “We are delighted that the 911 was recognized for its design.”
For the second consecutive year, GM was cited for Best New Technology for its front centre airbag. The company won the award last year for its Voltec Propulsion System.
General Motors photo
The front centre airbag wins Best New Technology at the 2013 Car of the Year awards.
The front centre airbag, a first for the auto industry, is an inflatable restraint designed to protect drivers and front passengers in side-impact crashes where the affected occupant is in the opposite side from where the vehicle was struck. The front centre airbag will be initially available on 2013 models of the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse.
Matt Crossley, GM’s director of Canadian engineering, stated the AJAC award says plenty about the company research and development. “Being recognized for our advanced technology innovations for two years consecutively is the best acknowledgement for our ongoing efforts to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles.”
The Canadian Car of the Year awards are the result of AJAC’s comprehensive TestFest. Each year, Canada’s leading automotive journalists gather to evaluate vehicles that are “all new” or “significantly new” for the model year. The intensive four days of back-to-back testing generates data that is used to reward vehicles in 11 individual categories.
The 40th edition of the Canadian International Auto Show runs until Feb. 24. Show hours are 10:30 am to 10 pm from Feb. 16 to 23, and 10:30 am to 6 pm on Feb. 24. Tickets can be purchased online through the CIAS website or at the door. Single adult tickets cost $22 at the door ($19.80 online) or $32 for a two-day pass ($28.80). Tickets for children 7-12 years of age cost $7 ($6.30), while a family pass for two adults and two children costs $44 ($39.60).
I found this article and I do not believe it is posted yet.
Yeah the Santa Fe won the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year award however if you look further down GM will be putting a center airbag in the 2013 models of the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse.
The question that I have is: How come no one ever thought of this in the past? Airbags have been around a long time now. They also been in the seat for awhile.
Also airbag overkill, safer or more dangerous?
Airbag overkill: Do we really need a center airbag? How much safer do you think it will be?
Safer or more dangerous? I believe this center airbag is more dangerous. If you arm is resting on the center console when that airbag goes off, I'm going to bet a) you may lose your arm or b) end up with a broken, messed up arm
Hyundai is standing tall going into the 2013 Chicago Show as they announced Feb. 5 that Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com had awarded three of their 2013 vehicles a 5-Year Cost to Own Award.
The 2013 Veloster won in the Compact Car Segment, the 2013 Veloster Turbo took first place in the Sporty Compact category, and the 2013 Sonata topped the Mid-Size Car segment.
The awards will be presented to Hyundai at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 7.
2013 Veloster Turbo wins lowest 5-Year Cost to Own Award Hyundai Kelley Blue Book's 5-Year Cost to Own Award reflects and accounts for nearly all expenses of car ownership, including depreciation, expected fuel costs, finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees for new models.
According to KBB.com, the awards exist to help shoppers make more informed new-car buying decisions by breaking down typical ownership cost details and naming the brands and models with the lower projected five-year total.
"The 5-Year Cost to Own Awards honor the vehicles and brands, both luxury and non-luxury, with the lowest projected ownership costs," said Dan Ingle, vice president of vehicle valuations for Kelley Blue Book. "Highly competitive pricing and lower depreciation costs provide Hyundai's vehicle line-up with a notable advantage. Coupled with impressive fuel economy and affordable insurance rates, it is no surprise that Hyundai is taking this honor in multiple vehicle segments."
Winning the Compact Segment was the 2013 Hyundai Veloster ?with a 5-Year Cost to Own of $30,902. The runners up were the 2013 Dodge Dart and the 2013 Toyota Corolla.
The 2013 Veloster Turbo? was the winner of the Sporty Compact Car segment with a 5-Year Cost to Own of $35,607. The runners up were the 2013 Ford Focus ST and the 2013 Mazda MAZDASPEED3.
The Mid-Size Segment winner was the 2013 Hyundai Sonata?. Its 5-Year Cost to Own is $38,232. Runners up to the Sonata were the 2013 Nissan Altima and the 2013 Honda Accord.
"Low cost of ownership is one area in which Hyundai strives to be industry-leading," said Scott Margason, director, Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America.
"Receiving these awards from KBB.com showcases our ability to cater to the varying dynamics of our customers. Regardless of which vehicle our customers choose - a trendy and ergonomic Veloster, a sport-focused Veloster Turbo, or a family-oriented and user-friendly Sonata - value for money and low cost to own are truly characteristic of the Hyundai ownership experience", Margason added.
The 5-Year Cost to Own awards are presented annually in conjunction with the Chicago Auto Show.
The 2013 KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own Awards will honor individual winners in 22 different market segments, plus two overall brand winners.
The comprehensive evaluation criteria used to determine the most deserving cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans include their Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price, projected depreciation, financing costs, insurance costs and state fees as well as the anticipated total cost of fuel, scheduled maintenance and repairs.
The KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own projections are calculated at a granular vehicle level (e.g. 2013 Toyota Camry LE Sedan w/ V-6). To obtain make-model level 5-Year Cost to Own projections, Kelley Blue Book averages the vehicle level ownership cost projections to the model level, using actual new-car sales figures.
The vehicles, across all segments, with the lowest 5-Year Cost to Own values were:
Let's be honest, many of us find more amusement in the Superbowl ads rather than the actual game. This Superbowl Sunday, get ready to see a lot of Hyundai ads and we can't complain about that
This is kind of funny because a lot of us find ourselves comparing numerous vehicles before actually making the purchase. Although these are not the "sedan" models, it is a nice write up about all of the cars.
And, if anyone else is like me, I enjoy reading the comments - but one in particular really made me mad!! It states: "I assume you have absolutely no interest in cars if you own a Hyundai Elantra." grrrr to you Mr. Salty Tude!
Although this is for euro vehicles, hopefully design and testing will bring us some goodies to the states.
Hyundai Building Test Center At Nürburgring Track.
Hyundai has announced its plans of building a vehicle test center at the Nürburgring track in Germany.
The construction is already in progress and requires an investment of 5.5M EUR (4.5M GBP). All tests done at this facility will be used by the company's R&D center in Rüsselsheim to help with the development of Hyundai's Euro-spec models. The vehicle test center facility consists of a 3,050m² building which has direct access to the circuit.
At its research and development center in Rüsselsheim, Hyundai has designed, engineered and tested some of its most popular models, including the i30, ix35 and i40. Last year 95 percent of the 440,000 cars sold in Europe were created there.
Kind of cool. I work the the MBTA. The MBTA wanted to renew the fleet of aging trains. Some as old as the 60's and 70's.
Quick facts - MBTA selected hyundai rotem on the stipulation they open a shop in the states. They did - in PA I believe.
We were suppose to have 84 'cars' by now. We've only got 4 currently. I believe the CEO offed himself because the issue. Least thats the rumor.
Anyways - when I get a chance to go to one of the repair facilities, I'll snap some pics. Might be a while, I've been stuck in the office for a while.
I think it's still cool I have a run in with hyundai stuff at my work place. -----------------------
Here's the story -
Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean company manufacturing rolling stock, defense products and plant equipment. It is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Its name was changed to the current one from Rotem on December 2007.[1]
Boston MBTA Hyundai Rotem was awarded a contract with Boston's MBTA in early 2008 for the construction of 75 cars. The contract entails the delivery of the first 4 cars by October 2010 while the remaining 71 cars were scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2012. However, due to chronic delays, shoddy workmanship, material shortage, and the death of Hyundai Rotem's chief executive, M.H. Lee, in November 2012, only four cars have been delivered by the end of 2012. On December 21, 2012, the MBTA sent a letter to Hyundai Rotem threatening to cancel the contract if a solution is not soon reached.[5]
Your Smartphone Will Replace Your Car Keys by 2015
Your smartphone has the potential to replace nearly everything else in your pockets, so why not your car keys? Hyundai is working to do just that, with an embedded NFC tag that allows you to open your car, start the engine and link up to the touchscreen with a simple swipe.
Hyundai outfitted its i30 compact hatch (aka the Elantra in the States) with NFC technology in its “Connectivity Concept” recently shown at its European headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. The idea is simple: Nix the key fob and let your smartphone handle it all.
According to the Korean automaker, the driver can swipe their phone across an embedded NFC chip to unlock the car, and once inside, the place the phone in the center console, allowing the car to start, while an inductive charging plate keeps the juice flowing without needing to plug in.
“With this technology, Hyundai is able to harness the all-in-one functionality of existing smartphone technology and integrate it into everyday driving in a seamless fashion,” says Allan Rushforth, senior vice president and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe.
But unlocking and starting the car is only part of a wider connectivity solution for Hyundai.
Because the system can recognize different smartphones, it can customize the in-car experience to suit each driver’s seat, mirror and infotainment settings.
Once the phone is in the console, it links up with the 7-inch touchscreen mounted in the dash, and Hyundai is employing the Car Connectivity Consortium’s MirrorLink standard to automatically import contacts, navigation destinations, streaming audio and apps.
Despite forging dozens of automaker partnerships, MirrorLink hasn’t caught on with many manufacturers yet. That’s mainly due to concerns about driver distraction and how certain apps would be ported to the integrated screen, modifying the user interface to suit a more driver-focused experience. But that’s about to change as MirrorLink begins gaining momentum.
Hyundai and its connectivity partners at Broadcom are working to get this NFC- and MirrorLink-driven technology to market in its next generation of products, with the automaker claiming to have many of these systems in place by 2015.
Hyundai News and Views
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