Hyundai i20 Receives Interior Upgrades and Cleaner Engines

The Hyundai i20 is getting blue on the inside and greener under the bonnet. Minor changes to the aerodynamics and engine have resulted in a boost in fuel efficiency for all engines, while the interior is now more stylish and better equipped.

The best-selling 1.2-litre petrol engine, already one of the most efficient in the class, drops its emissions by 5g/km to 119g/km. This results in a tax disc costing just £30 and company car tax benefit-in-kind rates of just 10%. Buyers wanting the extra power of the 1.4-litre version will see even greater savings, with the Style models dropping by 13g/km to just 129g/km. This results in a drop of two Vehicle Excise Duty bands and a 4.3mpg improvement.

The two diesel engines also see significant savings, with the 75PS model dropping by 6g/km to just 110g/km. The 90PS version gains a six-speed gearbox which helps it achieve a 7.2% improvement in fuel economy.

These improvements have been made possible by adding a small spoiler to the underneath of the car to improve airflow around the wheels, fitting an Eco Drive indicator in the instrument panel to suggest the best point to change gear, using low friction engine oil and an alternator management system.

Inside, there are two blue additions. Firstly, the dashboard and instrument illumination is now blue rather than red, bringing the i20 into line with larger Hyundai models. Secondly, Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice recognition is now added as standard on all models except the entry-level Classic.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Veracruz to Offer Amerigon Heated and Ventilated Seat System for 2011

Amerigon Incorporated announced today that its proprietary heated and ventilated seat system will be offered as an option on the front seats of the upcoming 2011 Hyundai Veracruz.

"We are pleased that Hyundai has selected our new heated and ventilated seat system for a second vehicle in its product line," said Amerigon President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker. "We believe this new comfort feature will be well received, and we are working closely with Hyundai to increase the number of future vehicle lines that will offer our seat systems."

In addition to the 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, the 2011 Hyundai Tucson will also offer Amerigon's heated and ventilated seat system. Hyundai vehicles featuring Amerigon's proprietary Climate Control Seat® (CCS®) system, which delivers active, individually controlled heated or cooled air to seat occupants, include the Hyundai Equus and Hyundai Genesis.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Launches "Uncensored" Marketing Campaign (w/VIDEO)

PRESS RELEASE: CONSUMERS STAR IN HYUNDAI “UNCENSORED” INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Advertising Breaks July 1st; Online and Social Media Components Reinforce Consumers’ Authentic Response to Test Driving Hyundai Models

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 07/01/2010 - Hyundai will launch a new integrated marketing campaign in July starring everyday consumers. In a mall tour spanning from Atlanta to Chicago to Los Angeles in May and June, Hyundai captured the unscripted, unedited remarks of drivers as they tested various Hyundai models. Those impromptu remarks highlight the Hyundai “Uncensored” campaign. A total of six new spots will be joined by digital, radio, social media, experiential, CRM and point-of-sale components as the campaign ramps up in July and runs through the end of August.

“Hyundai ‘Uncensored’ was born out of the insight that consumers are most influenced by other consumers, so we captured totally organic conversations from people inside our cars and packaged them into an integrated campaign,” said Chris Perry, vice president of marketing, Hyundai Motor America. “Going one step further, we’re giving consumers the opportunity to drive our cars and tell their friends about the experience through social media components of this campaign.

READ MORE for the full press release and two video commercials of the campaign.

The 30-second spots highlight Sonata, Santa Fe, Accent and Elantra as well as Hyundai’s full model lineup. Messages include the peace of mind provided by Hyundai Assurance including America’s Best Warranty and roadside assistance, design, value and Hyundai’s industry-leading fuel efficiency. Advertising will air on both cable and network television, and outtakes will be posted to Hyundai’s YouTube channel by mid-month. Hyundai’s adverting agency, Innocean Worldwide Americas, is responsible for the creative.

The experiential campaign focuses on two key strategies. First, 125 non-Hyundai sedan owners will be given a new 2011 Sonata to drive for 30 days. Their comments will be posted – unscripted and unedited – on Hyundai’s Facebook site. The second is a multi-city ride-and-drive which includes a video booth where consumers can film their drive impression and post video directly to their own Facebook page.

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Hyundai Posts Third Consecutive Losses For Its Home Market

It seems every time you read a story about Hyundai these days, it includes something about the brand’s tremendous growth. Unfortunately for Hyundai, positive sales figures aren’t a reality everywhere – like in its home-market of South Korea.
While worldwide sales in the month of June rose 4.6 percent to 312,388 vehicles, in Korea the number dropped 1.2 percent from the previous month to 48,643 units. And while a one-month blip might not be reason to panic, June actually marks the third consecutive month of losses for Hyundai as domestic sales have dropped to a 10 month low.

Reasons for the decline include competition from newly looming foreign automakers like Toyota and Honda. Taking a substantially larger chunk out of Hyundai's potential sales, however, is its sister-company Kia. While Hyundai’s sales slumped, Kia’s exploded with sales of 178,391 vehicles in June, marking a 49 percent increase for first-half sales in 2010. The recently released K5 mid-size sedan (Optima/Magentis elsewhere) topped the mid-size sales, dethroning the reigning champion Hyundai Sonata and marking the first time ever of such an accomplishment for Kia.

Korean market experts suggest the real issue is a lack of new product from Hyundai. However, with the upcoming arrivals of the redesigned Accent (Verna) and Elantra (Avante), as well as the highly anticipated Veloster, Hyundai is showing itself to the world that it is not ready to concede to its rivals just yet.

[Source: The Chosun Ilbo]

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Hyundai Canada Reports Best June Sales Ever

Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. today announced it recorded its 17th straight month of sales increases. With 11,501 units sold in June 2010, the company surpassed the same month last year by 13.8 percent.

Hyundai has sold 62,214 units year-to-date, representing an increase of 18.6 percent over the first six months of 2009.

"When Hyundai began developing the all-new Tucson crossover and Sonata sedan, we wanted them designed to make a strong visual impact on the road," said Steve Kelleher, president and CEO, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. "We believed consumers were looking for a vehicle that not only fit into their lives, but also offered more styling presence than what's currently in the market. Based on recent sales performance, it's clear that Canadians do indeed want the kind of style, quality and value that the Tucson and Sonata can deliver."

The Tucson, Sonata and Genesis Coupe vehicles in the Hyundai line-up showed strong sales in the market, recording increases of 154, 99 and 66.1 percent, respectively.

[Source: NewsWire.ca]

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Kia Reports Best Sales Quarter Ever (USA)

Kia Motors America today announced its best sales quarter ever of 93,373 units, bolstered by the company’s best June sales ever of 31,906 units, a 12.8-percent increase over the previous June best in 2008. Year-to-date sales of 170,069 are up 15.4-percent, and the 2011 Sorento was Kia’s best-selling vehicle for the sixth consecutive month with 8,608 units sold. Strong sales of the Forte and Soul were also accounted for, with 7,467 and 6,429 units sold respectively.

“Kia Motors’ design-led transformation is attracting new buyers to Kia showrooms, as evidenced by our best-ever first half of the year sales,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Consumers are taking notice of the eye-catching design and long list of comfort, convenience and technology features found in our new generation vehicles, including the Sorento, Soul and Forte, and our aggressive launch schedule will continue with the arrival of the all-new Sportage this summer followed just a few months later by the all-new Optima.”

[Source: Kia Motors America]

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Hyundai Posts Record Sales for June (USA)

Things are looking up for Hyundai, sales records specifically. Hyundai has set all-time sales records not only for the month of June, but for the entire first half of the year as well.

On Thursday, Hyundai Motor America announced sales of 51,205 vehicles in the month of June, up 35 percent from last year's total of 37,943. Sales for the entire first half of the year are also up over 25 percent, with Hyundai selling more than 255,782 vehicles through the end of June.

"Our growth in 2010 is a testament to the power of great products like Sonata, Tucson, and Genesis to resonate with retail customers and overcome tough economic conditions," said Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik.

With sales rising 49 percent, the brand-new Sonata is selling just as quickly as the plant in Montgomery, Alabama can produce. Meanwhile, the brand-new Tucson has seen sales rise 207 percent compared to last June.

"The strength of our new product has driven a 45 percent pure retail sales increase while simultaneously allowing us to reduce incentive spending by about the same amount," said Hyundai Motor America VP of National Sales. "This is having a positive impact on residual values and bodes well for what is going to be a challenging second half of the year."

This marks the 18th straight month of year-over-year retail market share gains for Hyundai, while also setting its all-time total market share record.

[Source: Hyundai]

CARLINE JUNE 2010 / JUNE 2009 / CY 2010 / CY 2009

ACCENT 4,615 / 8,139 / 27,078 / 32,928
SONATA 17,771 / 11,950 / 89,249 / 60,481
ELANTRA 14,245 / 6,493 / 57,564 / 39,904
TIBURON 0 / 443 / 0 / 8,346
SANTA FE 7,586 / 7,148 / 44,376 / 33,473
AZERA 428 / 313 / 1,581 / 1,951
TUCSON 3,382 / 1,100 / 19,689 / 7,552
ENTOURAGE 0 / 43 / 0 / 3,343
VERACRUZ 609 / 476 / 3,354 / 6,770
GENESIS 2,569 / 1,838 / 12,891 / 9,938

TOTAL 51,205 / 37,943 / 255,782 / 204,686

*BOLD indicates increase in sales from same period last year.

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