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 Sonata Sales Top 200.000 units in 2010
The year is not over just yet, but Hyundai has already sold more than 200.000 units of its all-new Sonata sedan, a new record for the model. According to Hyundai Motor America, sales of its popular mid-size sedan in the States reached 180.659 at the end of November and broke the 200.000 mark on previous Thursday.
Hyundai Motor America last broke the 200.000 units milestone with a single model in the U.S. market 22 years ago, when it sold 261.782 Excels in 1988. The Excel sold for around $5.000 at that time. John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO, admits that Sonata has delivered some pretty incredible results for the brand. It has also helped the brand to move its sales past 500.000 units in the 2010.
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has, so far, received a large number of awards from most renowned brands in the automobile industry. Those include the Top Safety Pick award by U.S. IIHS, “Ten Best Cars for 2011″ by Car and Driver, Number One Vehicle Under $50.000 by Thecarconnection.com and “Best Buy” from Consumers Digest Magazine. It was also named one of the three finalists for the 2011 North American Car of the Year!
Hyundai to set-up new diesel engine manufacturing plant in India
The Indian unit of Korean auto giant Hyundai Motors announced on Monday that it will set-up a new diesel engine manufacturing plant in the Indian market with an investment of over Rs 400 crore over the period of next three years. The new plant will be having an annual manufacturing capacity of 1.5 lakh units. The plant will go on stream by the end of year 2013. According to a declaration given by Hyundai India Managing Director and CEO Han Woo Park to PTI, "The feasibility study for the diesel engine plant has been finished and we will announce the location in the next few months. The plant is proposed to have an annual installed capacity of 1.5 lakh units." Hyundai India will produce three different types of engines at this prospective plant comprising of 1.1L, 1.4L and 1.6L engines.
All of these engines will be produced for domestic market only. At present, the company imports the diesel engines for its cars like Hyundai i20 and Verna from Korea. Moreover, the company is also planning to enhance its vehicle manufacturing capacity to 6.7 lakh units from existing capacity of 6.3 lakh units, by next year. It is also planning to launch three new cars in the country by next year with a new 800CC small car.
Hyundai-Kia to use dual-clutch gearbox, CVT from 2011
The dual-clutch gearbox, popularised by Volkswagen and adopted by the likes of Ford, Volvo, BMW and Porsche today, will discover its way into Hyundai-Kia vehicles from next year. First out with be a six-speed component followed by a seven speeder, supplied via Germany’s LUK and branded as Parallel Shift Gearbox (PSG). Like VW’s DSG, PSG has two processor operated clutches, one handling even gears and the other odd gears. Compared to a torque converter automatic, shift speed and efficiency are improved, but it’s the latter Hyundai is chasing after.
“To improve our fuel economy, we are forcefully trying to apply various technologies,” Dr Woong-chul Yang, president of Hyundai-Kia’s R&D division said. The “various tech” mentioned includes the continuously variable transmissions (CVT), which will be introduced in smaller models to increase mileage. In the US, Hyundai has announced plans to lift its corporate standard fuel economy rating to 50 mpg (17.7 km/l) by 2025. Four upcoming models including the new Elantra (Avante for us) will get at least 40 mpg or 14.2 km/l on the highway. Transmissions are input but other events include direct-injection engines, turbochargers and hybrid tech. Reports from Australia say that the recipients of the PSG will contain the ix35 and i45, which we know as the Tucson and Sonata respectively.