2009: 새해 복 많이 받으세요! & Happy New Year Everyone!

Sydney Harbour, Australia @ New Year's Celebration 2009Puzzled at the post title? Well, Korean wishes for a Happy New Year are inevitable in a Korean car news blog run by a Korean guy, right? It's just past midnight here in Toronto, Canada, and I would like to wish everyone of my readers from all over the globe a Happy New Year! Let's make sure that...

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TheCarBlogger Privacy Policy

What information do we collect? We collect information from you when you visit our website. As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as Comcast or Rogers Cable), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on your site....

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Sounds Official: 2010 Kia Soul to start at $13,995

This one definitely sounds official. A memo from Kia to a dealership concerning the upcoming 2010 Soul's official U.S. price and specifications has recently been leaked, stating that it will have an astonishing base price of $13,995 including destination. What's more surprising is that the base model ain't no bare-bones stripper. Powered by a 122 hp...

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Hyundai to debut Genesis Coupe in Super Bowl ads

Hyundai will debut its 2010 Genesis Coupe in the U.S. during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, next year. The carmaker will use a pair of 30 second television commercials designed to highlight the 306 hp Genesis Coupe's performance strength.In the first spot, scheduled to air in the first half of the game, championship winning driver Rhys Millen,...

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Hyundai releases i20 in India

Hyundai Motors India Limited has officially launched the Hyundai i20 in India today. The company calls it “Uber Cool” car that is available in three variants and sports a fuel-efficient Kappa engine. The i20 replaces the Getz hatchback.The i20 is powered by a 80 ps 1.2L Kappa engine that is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It packs a plethora...

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Priced: Hyundai Elantra Touring to start at $18,495

Due to arrive in American showrooms by spring 2009, the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring will be officially priced from $18,495, which includes a $695 destination charge. The Elantra Touring is powered by a 141 horsepower 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that yields 23 MPG city and 31 MPG highway driving fuel economy (EPA figures/Manual model).The base price tag...

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From the TV: Next-gen Hyundai Sonata (YF) spied, i30 F/L?

A few days ago, KBS - a renowned South Korean TV channel giant - aired a program that showed what goes behind the walls of Hyundai's R&D facility in Namyang, Korea. Similar to Bob Lutz's TV-only sneak peeks of the Pontiac G8 and Cadillac CTS in the past, the Korean program gave the audience a glimpse of the next-generation Hyundai Sonata (YF) in...

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From the Spies: 2010 Kia Cee'd Plus w/ Interior

Model: 2010 Kia Cee'd PlusPredecessor: N/ARelease date: Autoshow debut for pre-production model at 2009 Paris Motor Show in October 2009Competitors: Volkswagen Golf Plus, Ford C-MAX[Source: WorldCarFa...

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Hyundai Genesis selected finalist for 2009 North American Car of the Year

History is in the making as the 2009 Hyundai Genesis has been selected as the first Korean finalist for the prestigious 2009 North American Car of the Year award. The Genesis beat out a very competitive batch of semi-finalists, such as the Nissan GT-R, Pontiac G8, and Honda Fit. The two other finalists in the running for this year's title are the Ford...

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OFFICIAL: Hyundai keeps "Equus" name for VI

Hyundai has announced that it will retain the 'Equus' nomenclature for the automaker's anticipated large rear-wheel drive luxury car, code-named 'VI'. In the Korean market, the name is instantly recognized for luxury and Hyundai is very well cognizant of that fact. The 'New Equus', as it is officially going to be dubbed, will be rear-wheel drive for...

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Hyundai wins a spot in Ward's 10 Best Engines

Ward's Auto has released its renowned annual list of 10 Best Engines for 2009. Let's say that this year's list isn't quite what everyone (and the respective automakers) expected.First, Nissan's highly coveted VQ-series engine - one that has boasted its presence in the list consecutively ever since 1995 - is out of the list for the first time. On the...

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Los Angeles: Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode Concept bows in America

Hyundai unveiled the HED-5 “i-Mode” concept at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show today, featuring an all-new, eco-friendly powertrain making its first-ever appearance for Hyundai. The six-passenger family crossover, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, combines visionary styling with future technologies and advanced eco-dynamics.For...

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Los Angeles: Kia debuts Borrego FCEV

Kia premiered its next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) system fitted on the new Borrego at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. A number of improvements have allowed the system to develop an additional 47HP compared to the previous FCEV powertrains bumping peak output to 154HP.With a 202-liter hydrogen storage tank located underneath...

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From the Spies: 2010 Hyundai "VI"

Model: 2010 Hyundai "VI" (code-name)Predecessor: Hyundai Equus/CentennialSpeculated engines: 290 hp 3.8L Lambda V6 & 375 hp 4.6L Tau V8 & 5.0L V8 (est. 400+ hp)Release date: February 2009 (No plans for U.S./Europe)Continue reading to view more ima...

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Mitsubishi begins taking orders for Eclipse in Korea

Mitsubishi Motors South Korea has commenced taking orders today for the Eclipse Coupe, 8 days before its planned launch.The Eclipse will be available in a slew of colors such as Sunset Pearl and Rave Red. Mitsubishi announced that the Korean-spec model will pack the features of a fully-loaded American-spec 3.8 GT Premium Package Eclipse, but be powered...

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First Drive: 2010 Kia Soul (Edmunds Inside Line)

A Splash of Color in a Sea of Gray: James RiswickTo fully understand the 2010 Kia Soul, it helps to know a little something about its native land. See, South Korea is a car guy's nightmare. It's not that the cars on its oft-congested roads are crap; it's just that they collectively have all the variety and character of a Joe Lieberman Comedy Hour.Everywhere...

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Hyundai opens first European plant in Czech Republic

Hyundai officially began production at its highly anticipated, EUR1.1 billion assembly line in Nosovice, Czech Republic. The new factory is Hyundai's first European venture. The Hyundai plant will be the third largest car factory in the Czech Republic, a country heavily dependent on car production, after Volkswagen's unit Skoda Auto and TPCA, a joint...

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Nissan officially enters South Korea

Nissan Korea officially marked its beginning in the South Korean market today at its launching event in Seoul. The initial line-up consists of the Murano and Rogue crossovers. Greg Phillips, the head of Nissan Korea, announced that other models, such as Altima and GT-R, will reach Korean shores by next year.Simultaneously with the launch of the brand,...

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Lincoln releases MKS in Korea

Ford Korea has released the 2009 Lincoln MKS to the South Korean market today. The MKS is the flagship model of the Lincoln Korea line-up, which also consists of the MKX crossover and MKZ sedan. The MKS packs a plethora of premium features such as Adaptive Cruise Control, SecuriCode™ keyless entry, Adaptive HID Headlamps, Easy Fuel™ Capless Fuel-Filler...

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From the Spies: 2010 Hyundai "VI"

Model: 2010 Hyundai "VI" (code-name)Predecessor: Hyundai Equus/CentennialSpeculated engines: 290 hp 3.8L Lambda V6 & 375 hp 4.6L Tau V8 & 5.0L V8 (est. 400+ hp)Release date: February 2009 (No plans for U.S./Europe)Continue reading to view more imag...

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EXCLUSIVE: Official Images of USDM Kia Soul

Yet to appear on Kia's Media website, we have the first official images of the American-spec 2010 Kia Soul. Due to go on sale in April 2009, Kia is pitting its stylish box against the Honda Element, Scion xB, and the upcoming Nissan Cube. As well, Kia is expected to price the Soul very competitively.Penned by Peter Schreyer - the renowned car designer...

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