Hyundai i20: The car is the next level of class and comfort
The Hyundai i20 looks fresh and inviting. It comes with fresh style, fresh look in the interiors and with class leading safety with great driver dynamics. This new sparkling car is now riding high with its popularity and now is the most preferred car on the Indian roads. If you are aspiring for the affordable luxury than Hyundai i20 is the perfect choice for you and Hyundai i20 price doesn't make any extra load to your pocket. The Hyundai i20 comes with dynamic styling and therefore it is only right that the car rides on a new platform that can deliver an athletic and responsive driving experience.
Hyundai India to invest Rs 1,500 crore
The South Korean auto giant Hyundai has projected a fresh investment of Rs 1,500 crore in the state of Tamil Nadu. A senior official of the group confirmed on Friday that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will soon be signed with the state government. It would be the third expansion plan for Hyundai in the state. Speaking to the media persons, Rajeev Ranjan, principal secretary of industries department, said, Hyundai India has submitted a proposal to invest Rs 1,500 crore for setting up plants to make diesel engines and automobile components. We are looking into it and soon a MoU to this result will be signed by the government with Hyundai." At present, the group has two automobile plants at Irrungattukottai near Chennai with a joint yearly manufacture ability of 600,000 units. Meanwhile, the automobile producer is also mulling to create a diesel engine manufacturing element in the Indian market with an investment of Rs 500 crore. The new diesel engine plant will enable the company to enhance the localization point in its diesel run automobile models like Hyundai i20 and Verna Transform. Currently, the company imports diesel engine for these cars from its bottom plant in South Korea
Hyundai America to Setup Second Production Plant
At the Detroit vehicle show, Hyundai Motor America head of the company John Krafcik revealed that Hyundai was going to make a decision on it based on the performance in 2011. Currently, Hyundai’s assembly plant is located in Alabama, Montgomery and it has been involved in producing the Sonata and the redesigned Elantra car. The demand for both these cars in the marketplace is quite strong. Hyundai’s sales head, Dave Zuchowski declared that Hyundai was afraid that it might not have sufficient products to meet the demand next year.
While another plant is in the planning, no concrete plans have been drawn up for a second assembly plant in the United State. He suggested that it might be considered in the near future as Hyundai Motors has always invested in production when the sales are up. With a rise of 24 percent from 2009, Hyundai was able to sell a grand sum of 540,000 vehicles in the United States alone in 2010. Of this grand total, a massive 200,000 cars included new Sonatas.
Hyundai HA mini car uses 814cc engine
As we all know, Hyundai’s Korean engineers are working closely with their Indian counterpart on the HA small car, predictable to debut at or before the Auto Expo next year. Hyundai could look at producing up to 70,000 HA’s in the first year and LPG fuel option might be on the menu previous than expected. Hyundai’s HA will share components with the Santro and should be smaller than the car it is based on. Styling should be along the lines of the new i10 and the upcoming Verna RB.
Autocar India reports a 814cc three-cylinder engine will power the HA. This is a scaled down Epsilon engine that the Santro uses. It will generate 48bhp and transport high fuel economy. The HA will give the company extensive volumes as it is going to fight in the Alto segment. Certain higher variants of the Tata Nano are also among its competitors. Hyundai could look at positioning the base variant at 2 lakh rupees.
Hyundai to boost capacity at Chennai
Hyundai Motors India Limited. (HMIL), a subsidiary of South Korean auto giant Hyundai, has announced that it will invest Rupees 1,500 crores in its Chennai manufacturing unit, in a bid to improve the industrialized capability of this facility. The immense capacity growth has been planned-up in the wake of skyrocketing demand for cars in the Indian market. Last month, the company had announced to set-up a diesel engine manufacturing plant in the nation with an annual capability of 1.5 lakh units. In a declaration given to media at that time, Hyundai India president HW Park had said, "This plant should be ready by the 2nd half of 2013 and will churn out 1.1L, 1.4L and 1.6L engines respectively. The diesel market in India is growing quickly and we hope to strap these engines on our various models as production starts," Moreover, the corporation is developing a new 800cc small auto that will be rolled-out in the Indian market anytime around early next year or by the end of this year. The car is expected to be shelved in the price section of sub Rs 2 lakh where it will be taking on with the likes of Tata Nano and Maruti Alto. Hyundai is presently the biggest car exporter and the second leading passenger automobile manufacturer in the Indian market.
Hyundai Unveils Three-door Veloster in Detroit
Hyundai today introduced its cutting-edge Veloster 3 door coupe in a world debut at the North American International Auto Show. The 2012 Veloster delivers innovation to the compact coupe segment with a unique 3rd door for easy back seat access, Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, Pandora internet radio with seven-inch touch-screen display, and a new 1600cc direct-injected 4 cylinder engine mated to Hyundai’s 1st double-clutch transmission.
Highlights For 2012 Veloster
• All-new three-door coupe design
- Coupe design with the functionality of a hatch and a passenger-side forward-hinged rear door
• All-new 1.6-liter GDI Gamma engine paired with proprietary Hyundai six-speed manual transmission and Hyundai’s first dual-clutch transmission
o Up to 40 mpg highway (estimated)
o Better highway fuel efficiency than Honda CR-Z Hybrid
• Standard multi-function seven-inch touch-screen display
o Pandora® internet radio capability
o Gracenote® display technology with voice recognition
o Virtual CD downloading
o AVI and mpeg video playback via USB
o Video game console connectivity with 115-volt power outlet
o Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with voice recognition
• Standard Blue Link telematics platform
• Blue Link Assurance provides a free introductory period of complementary core safety services including Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) and Assistance, SOS Emergency Assistance, and Enhanced Roadside Assistance.
• Blue Link Essentials provides Voice Text Messaging, Remote Door Unlock / Lock, Remote Horn & Lights, Panic Notification, Remote Vehicle Start, Alarm Notification, Quick Tips, Location Sharing, Automated Diagnostic Trouble Code Notification, Maintenance Alert, Monthly Vehicle Report, Recall Advisor, Web Vehicle Diagnostics, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, Vehicle Immobilization, Valet Alert, Geofence, Speed Alert, Curfew
• Blue Link Guidance provides Turn-by-Turn Navigation, POI Search by advanced voice recognition system, POI Web Search & Download, Daily Route Guidance with Traffic Condition, Traffic, Gas Station Locations & Gas Prices, Eco-Coach, Restaurant Ratings, Weather
Veloster is the sixth vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven new models in 24 months), on the heels of the all-new Hyundai Tucson, Sonata, Equus, Elantra and the soon-to-be released all-new Accent.
Hyundai i30 sales milestone
Before we move to Detroit, where Hyundai will take the wraps off its all-new Veloster Coupe, we should look at another sales milestone Hyundai has achieved recently. The South Korean carmaker announced it has rolled off the line already the 300,000th automobile at its industrialized plant located in Czech Republic, Europe.
According to Hyundai, the 300.000th vehicle was white 2011 Hyundai i30 CW, which is the station wagon version of the European market i30 compact hatch. The plant in Czech Republic, which cost Hyundai $1.49 billion, began working in November 2008. It currently produces Hyundai i30 hatchback and wagon models, as well as Hyundai ix20 and Kia Venga mini-MPVs. Due to high demand for Hyundai and Kia vehicles in Europe, the plant increased production by 70 percent to more than 200.000 units last year. In 2010, the plant produced 130.598 Hyundai i30 and i30 CW models, 48.866 Kia Vengas and 20.651 units of Hyundai ix20 MPV. The viewpoint for the brand is bright. Hyundai recently unveiled the ix20 MPV and it will soon launch its i40 sedan and i40 wagon, which will become Hyundai’s flagship models in Europe. The long-awaited Veloster coupe will also punch the dealerships this year, therefore we are expecting Hyundai’s European sales to soar in 2011.
Hyundai Announces December 2010 Sales Figures
Hyundai Motor America today announced December 2010 sales soared 33% to 44,802 units. For the entire 2010 calendar year, Hyundai Motor America registered a sales growth of 24%, with 538,228 new Hyundai cars finding buyers in the USA. Leading Hyundai sales last month were the Alabama-built Hyundai Sonata sedan and 2011 Elantra compact sedan with more than 15,000 and 13,000 units sold, respectively. In its 1st month on the market, the all-new Elantra, which achieves 40 miles per gallon in every variant, found 4,724 new owners.
December was another strong month for the 2011 Genesis luxury sedan, which recorded already the 18th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. More than 2,300 units of Hyundai Genesis’ were sold last month, while year-to-date Genesis sales hit 29,122 units. According to John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, Genesis market share has now exceeded the company’s most optimistic early projections, and has set the stage well for continued growth in premium segments.
Since mid-December Hyundai has had another premium vehicle on sale in the States. The all-new Equus luxury sedan, which competes against premium cars such as Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series, has experienced some pretty high demand so far. December sales have hit 196 units, which is not bad at all, since the model has just started to arrive to Hyundai stores. Krafcik states Hyundai Equus sales should improve once more units hit the Hyundai dealerships!
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid gets driven
An all-new 2011 Sonata Hybrid finished a drive from the edge of the Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Coast of Georgia, covering 2,269 miles crossing over mountains, deserts and valleys, the Continental Divide and the Mississippi River, with only one stop for fuel, demonstrating the range and fuel efficiency of Hyundai new sonata hybrid sedan, which goes on sale this month. Professional driver Wayne Gerdes, the gentleman who coined the term “hypermiling” to explain techniques used by driving enthusiasts to maximize fuel efficiency in cars, began his trip in San Diego on December 26, 2010 and celebrated New Years Day in Georgia using only 38 gallons of fuel to cross the continent.
“As a fan of fuel-efficient vehicles, I enjoy the challenge of putting new technology to the test,” says Gerdes. “This demonstration shows how the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid can deliver extremely impressive fuel economy and range for drivers who value fuel savings. This is the first time I’ve driven a car that ‘does it right!’ Driving on the interstate at the posted speed limit (or 65 mph, whichever is slower), the Sonata Hybrid will exceed or equal its competition while offering a much larger, roomier, and comfortable car.” The 2011 Sonata Hybrid offers a best-ever 40-mpg highway ranking featuring industry-first lithium-polymer battery technology.
Hyundai Plans 4 Billion Rupee Diesel Plant in Gujarat
We all know that Gujarat is the emerging new ‘Motown’ of India. All manufacturers are making a beeline to set up shop in Gujarat. Amidst this enthusiasm, Hyundai India also has decided to construct a diesel plant in Gujarat with an installed capacity of 150,000 units per annum. The plant will manufacture 1.1L, 1.4L and 1.6L engines which will be used for domestic consumption. Hyundai will be investing 4 billion rupees over the next three years and the plant will be operational in 2013 or early 2014.
But IAB is no Economic Times so what does all this malarkey mean to you?
• Cars like Verna RB and i20 (whose powertrains are imported) are bound to get cheaper with local manufacturin.
• i10 could be the first beneficiary of the locally-produced diesel engines. The next generation i10 will certainly come with a diesel engine.
Hyundai HA low-cost car (to be priced under the Santro) that will hit the market by late next year or early 2012 could also be endowed with a diesel heart.
Hyundai, like Fiat, could source the engines to other manufacturers who are currently importing their diesel engines resulting again in a price drop. It looks like Hyundai is moving in for the kill with diesel powertrains. It’s cars will do exceedingly well if they can be priced a bit more aggressively. Hyundai must consider a MPV and a mini SUV for India once the diesel plant is operational.