Germany: Hyundai i30 White Edition

Hyundai has released a limited-production trim of the i30 compact hatchback in Germany today. Production will be limited to 300 units.

Dubbed the i30 White Edition, the model adds more than just unique white paintjob. The i30 White Edition also adds unique hyper-silver 17" alloy wheels and a radio CD system with USB and AUX inputs. The White Edition is powered by Hyundai's 1.4L 109 horsepower engine. It has a base price of 15 990 Euros and sales will be confined to Germany.

[Source: CARSCOOP]

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Hyundai Genesis Coupe @ Cars and Coffee

As the weekend wraps up, here are some photos of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe at Cars and Coffee. Cars and Coffee is a weekly gathering held at the Ford - Premier Auto Group - Mazda Campus in Irvine, California. Hundreds of car enthusiasts bring out their exotic cars to show to the public every Saturday morning.

This week, two Hyundai Genesis Coupe prototypes rolled onto the lot and it received much publicity. Despite the fact that some of its interior panels were unfinished (common in prototypes), it looks to have more presence in public than in auto shows or studios. Enough of the talk, we leave you with 10 stunning photos of the Genesis Coupe at the event after the jump.

[Source: Cars and Coffee]

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USA: Kia launches new ads touting fuel efficiency

Kia has launched a new advertising campaign that will focus on the Spectra and Sportage's noteworthy fuel efficiency. Via davidandgoliath, the automaker will introduce two commercials highlighting the aforementioned cars and its fuel consumption levels. Kia has just completed the running of the TV ads in which drivers pull up to the wrong side of fuel pumps, presumably because they fuel up their Kias so rarely.

The new campaign will commence Kia's spring sale. In addition to the TV spots, the automaker will showcase advertisements in radio channels, prominent websites, and 15 major daily newspapers. In one spot, it boasts the Spectra's 32MPG rating and touts that it is $2000 less than a Toyota Corolla. Another spot boasts the $6000 difference between the Kia Sportage and a Toyota RAV4 - an amount that is comparable to a whole year's worth of groceries.

"This latest effort is well timed considering the state of the economy," said Tim Chaney, director of marketing at Kia, Fountain Valley, Calif. "It's not all doom and gloom, in fact we believe the opposite," he said. "We are in a good position to leverage our natural equity, and that is quality, fuel economy and a good warranty. People are still shopping for cars, albeit less than before, and we are in a good spot."

Chaney stated that while other automakers are reducing their budgets reserved for media advertising, Kia will be increasing it by 30%. Kia also plans to launch a full-scale campaign on its newest model, Borrego. Slated to go on sale this summer, heavy marketing blitz surrounding the car including a ride-and-drive tour will begin this month.

[Source: Adweek]

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Korea: April 2008 Sales

The numbers have been released and yet again, Hyundai has claimed 51.7% of the sales this month in South Korea. The Hyundai Sonata topped the charts with 12 187 units sold - a 0.3% decrease.

Second and third positions went to the Hyundai Avante (Elantra) and Hyundai Grandeur (Azera) respectively. Despite dropping 25.4%, the Kia Morning (Picanto) slotted fourth. Eighth in the ranks went to the Hyundai Genesis, while the Kia Lotze (Optima) leaped 83%, landing at 9th. Other laudable mentions go to the Kia Carens (Rondo), which experienced a 53.4% jump in sales from last month.

On the other side of the scale, the Ssangyong Rodius was ranked 43rd with 151 units sold. Placing last was the GM Daewoo G2X - a rebadged Saturn Sky - in which only 5 units were sold this month.

Hit "Read more" to view the full sales chart.

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Busan 2008: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe (Korea)

Hyundai introduced the Genesis Coupe for the first time in South Korea at the 2008 Busan International Motor Show today. The rear-wheel drive coupe made its worldwide debut at the New York International Autoshow last March.

The Genesis Coupe is Hyundai's first offensive at the emerging premium sports coupe market. Hyundai boldly stated that the Genesis Coupe will rival the Infiniti G37 Coupe - for a lot less money. The automaker has announced that the Genesis Coupe will go on sale in Korea this September. Worldwide sales, including that of North America, will follow later.

Alongside the Genesis Coupe, the i-Mode Concept and i-Blue Concept also marked its Korean debut at the Busan Motor Show.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Global: Kia to launch new "Design" campaign

Kia Motors will launch an internal campaign to promote the company’s emphasis on design, the automaker said Wednesday. It will launch new office stationary and documents introducing a new logo for the “design” slogan Monday, as part of a promotion to foster the maker’s brand value to its employees first, Kia said.

“Design is essential in our brand, and real brand management comes from inside the company,” Kia said. “We will reach a consensus on our value within our offices first so we can work for it better in the market.”

Kia Motors has put great emphasis on design in recent years. In 2006, the company brought in a renowned designer Peter Schreyer as its design director. Schreyer, who had worked for Audi for more than 25 years, created the German maker’s steady seller, Audi TT. Following last year’s prestige advertisement with a design theme, Kia established a new team in charge of brand promotion last month. The manufacturer, which launched the Mohave (Borrego) in January, is planning to release a couple of new models later this year including the redesigned Spectra and the Soul.

[Source: Kia]

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USA: Kia posts record sales for April

Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best sales month ever with record April sales of 30,066 units, a 15.6-percent increase over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 98,280 total units.

Kia’s April growth was led by Spectra and Optima, up 4.8 percent and 89.3 percent respectively over the previous month. Rondo sales increased 118.3 percent over the same period last year with 2,583 unit sales. Rio and Spectra continue their strong showing with 4,052 and 8,406 units sold respectively, with increases of 23.6 and 16.7 percent.

“As consumers are looking to further stretch their dollar in the midst of rising gasoline prices and a downward sliding economy, we are pleased to see Kia’s fuel-efficient and dynamic product line continue to appeal to new car buyers,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Kia’s value-packed Rio and Spectra models continue to outpace last year’s sales and Rondo’s strong showing position KMA for another successful sales effort this year.”

[Source: Kia]

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