Category: Hyundai

Traditionally, the mid-size car class has had relatively bland styling. That changed with the launch of the 2011 Sonata in early 2010 where over half of the buyers indicated that exterior styling was extremely important in their selection of the car. Sonata's swoopy styling broke the mid-size car mold. The 2011 Kia Optima that followed the Sonata is strikingly handsome in its own EuroKorean way. Toyota stayed very conservative with its new 2012 entry and Honda is rumored to have continued its very conservative streak with the next generation Accord coming this fall. The 2013 Ford Fusion is another game changer in the mold of Sonata and Optima, but even with Fusion's advanced styling, Altima may have pushed the envelope the farthest.

The all new Elantra is the top ranked Compact Car in AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Research.  As the class winner, its owners indicate there is little they would change about the car with only a few notable exceptions.  About 30% of Elantra owners want improved visibility (somewhat compromised by the swoopy styling of the new body).  About 25% want more power and a softer ride.  About 20% want more infotainment technology.  Elantra owners most like the Elantra for its seat comfort, styling and exterior size.  Elantra outpoints the second place Volkswagen Golf by a wide margin.

The Azera is the top ranked Large Car in AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Research.  Its owners indicate there is little they would change about their new car with a few notable exceptions.  About 25% of the owners want more infotainment technology.  About 20% want the Azera to be easier to get into and out of.  About 30% would like a softer ride in their Azera.  They most like the Azera’s seat comfort, tires and wheels and exterior size.  The Azera wins its class by a wide margin over the second place Toyota Avalon.

The new V-Platform Nissan Versa is poised to be launched for the 2012 model year as the lowest price new car available in the USA. You wonder if a new car priced so low is a bad car? The answer is a resounding no.

The all new Hyundai Accent has just been introduced and it may be part three of Hyundai's grand slam in sedans.

First we had the Sonata and now we have the Elantra.  The Sonata was the direct hit to the gut but the Elantra is the uppercut that no one saw coming.  Gunning for the respect of Hyundai naysayers, the Elantra delivers the quality, fuel economy, and price tag that will change minds and make believers.

While other automakers have raised the price of their new c-segment vehicles to make them in America with a profit, Hyundai has changed the game again.  Hyundai seems to be bucking the trend these days of lofty price tags.  The Elantra is a stylish value package assembled in the good ol’ U.S. of A. that needs to be at the top of your test drive list.

Last summer during a discussion with senior Hyundai management in Seoul, I asked “When can we expect to see a third plant for Hyundai and or Kia in the United States?” The response was “A third plant will be necessary when Hyundai and Kia sell 900,000 per year in the USA.”

In 2010, Hyundai sold 538,228 cars and light trucks in the USA and Kia sold 356,496 cars and light trucks. That is a total of 874,496 cars and light trucks for these two fast-growing brands. That number is also close enough for us to hypothesize that an announcement for a third Hyundai or Kia plant in the USA should be forthcoming.

Two USA Plants Already at or Above Capacity: Clearly, Hyundai is pushing the capacity of their Montgomery, Alabama plant. With [...]

Over the years, most Americans have considered small cars penalty boxes they were forced to drive because they couldn’t drive anything bigger or better. The Big Three concurred with their small cars designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator driver, at the lowest cost and at the lowest price. No wonder the Pinto/Bobcat, Vega, Omni/Horizon, Escort/Lynx, Cavalier/Sunbird, Cobalt/G5 never resonated. They sold in relatively large numbers because they had to to help their manufacturers meet CAFE requirements, but rarely did a buyer purchase one out of desire or lust. The Japanese partially solved the small car equation offering Civic, Corolla, Mazda3, Lancer, Impreza and more recently the Kizashi. All were desirable small cars with great quality offered at affordable prices. With their latest offerings, the Koreans are fully engaged with the new Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra. So, the small car – C-Class – segment is now ready for more real competition this time [...]

If you have been watching sports on TV for the past couple of weeks you cannot have missed the Hyundai spot for Sonata winning AutoPacific's first-ever President's Award. Hyundai won the award going away with the highest score ever recorded.

If you have been watching sports on TV for the past couple of weeks you cannot have missed the Hyundai spot for Sonata winning AutoPacific's first-ever President's Award. Hyundai won the award going away with the highest score ever recorded.