Hyundai Santa Fe to be Built at Kia Plant in Georgia

Kia Motors announced this morning that its West Point, Georgia plant will now add a second vehicle to its production line, the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Georgia plant, which opened its doors last November, is already home to the Kia Sorento and has an annual capacity of 310,000 units. Paired with the addition of a second shift, the move is scheduled to begin later this month into next month.

The big move for the Santa Fe, from Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama facility to the Kia plant, was made as a result of overwhelming demand for Sonata sedans. Hyundai is at full capacity at its plant in Montgomery. John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai's U.S. operations, said sales of the Sonata, which was redesigned this year, are being held back by lack of supply. Sonata sales were up 45% this year through July. All Sonatas sold in the U.S. are made in this country.

[Source: Kia]

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2012 Kia Rio (UB) Spied For The First Time

Kia has been on a great momentum lately with a tidal wave of new releases, and it looks like the transformation of the line-up continues on course with the all-new Rio, spied today for the first time. Code-named "UB", the upcoming redesign of the Rio subcompact ostensibly carries on the chiseled family look of recent Kia's as it is yet another work of Peter Schreyer.

READ MORE for the full article and 15 MORE images of the next Rio test mule!

The exterior of the next-generation Rio is almost a dead-ringer to the larger K5/Optima, similar to how the new Accent casts off the impression as a miniaturized version of the Sonata. We can definitely see the influence from the K5/Optima in the front fascia of the new Rio, with familiar sights like the corporate "tiger-nose" grille and the set of sharp, stretched headlights.

The side profile is characterized by front fender vents (also a cue from the K5/Optima) and a rather unique C-pillar design. The rear fascia is mainly clad in camo for now, but from what we can see, it is definitely reminiscent of the Forte's. The black machined finish alloy wheels, meanwhile, look directly lifted off those from the K5/Optima, except the four-lug design that confirms its Rio identity.

How about powertrain technology? The new Rio shares platforms with the new Hyundai Accent. The Accent is currently available in two four-cylinder gasoline powertrains - a 107 horsepower 1.4-liter and a 126 horsepower 1.6-liter.

More details about the next generation Rio, as well as other Kia plans for 2011, will be revealed at the forth-coming Paris Auto Show in October. Production of the new Rio is rumored to start in the first half of 2011.

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Kia Releases First Images of Forte Hatchback for Korea

For our readers interested in the upcoming Kia Forte Hatchback, we have two new official images from Kia as well as some information that accompanied these pictures.

According to Kia, the automaker commenced pre-orders for the Forte Hatchback in South Korea in early August. For the Korean market, the Forte Hatchback will be powered by a direct-injected version (GDI) of its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an output of 140 horsepower and 122 lb. ft of torque. It will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and is touted to achieve 16.5 km/liter in fuel economy (38 US MPG).

Kia has not mentioned a clear sales date for the Forte Hatchback in Korea. For now, all we can do is stay tuned for more official tidbits from the automaker as the year progresses.

[Source: Kia]

READ MORE for the second official image released by Kia!

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Is That You, Hyundai's iPad For The Equus?

Unless you've been living under a rock these days, you probably know what an Apple iPad looks like and does. The gotta-have-it gadget has been selling like hotcakes and has been making headlines (typical of any Apple release) in the world of electronics lately. But the touch-screen tablet device from Cupertino caught the attention of car-lovers and alike when Hyundai introduced the industry-first electronic owner's manual for its flagship Equus sedan on, you guessed it, the iPad. And today, we have our first look at the iPad for the Equus.

Hyundai will be supplying a 16GB Wi-fi iPad (non-3G) with every Equus and according to the automaker, the tablet will be more than just an digital owner's manual. It will also serve as an electronic liaison between the owner and his/her dealership by helping to schedule maintenance through its Service Valet program, remind of routine maintenance, schedule vehicle (and loaner) pick-up and delivery, and so on.

Taking advantage of the iPad's capabilities, the owner's manual program will include the usual text and images, as well as videos to demonstrate the vehicle's different functions. The Equus-specific programs will arrive pre-installed alongside all other normal iPad software, and future updates will be available through iTunes, just like any other iPad program.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai Announces Details on Next Accent, Elantra, and Veloster for North America

Hyundai has released auto show information and on-sale dates of three upcoming small cars today.

First of all, Hyundai confirmed our hunch that the RB Concept, recently unveiled at the Moscow International Auto Show, will indeed reach North American markets as the Accent. Hyundai said that the next Accent will go on sale in the U.S. in mid-2011. The automaker also said the production RB will offer a choice of two four-cylinder engines: a 122 horsepower 1.6-liter and a 105 horsepower 1.4-liter. This might be the case for North American models as well.

The redesigned Elantra sedan for North America is coming to this year's Los Angeles International Auto Show held in November. According to Inside Line, the new Elantra, already on sale in South Korea as the Avante, will be powered by Hyundai's Theta-II 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Korean-market Avante is propelled by a direct-injected version of Hyundai's 1.6-liter engine that produces 140 horsepower.

The production Veloster compact sport coupe will make its global debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The front-wheel drive coupe will be powered by a direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an output in the 140-horsepower range. The Veloster is expected to go on sale by the end of 2011.

[Source: Inside Line]

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2011 Hyundai Veracruz Adds More Premium Content

With Hyundai busy taking care of the Genesis and Equus for its luxury department as of late, the automaker seems to have forgotten about the Veracruz, as it soldiers onto the 2011 model year with only minor changes again. For the 2011 model year the Veracruz GLS premium package has been updated and has the following features: power tilt-and-slide sunroof, power tailgate, auto dimming interior mirror with HomeLink® and compass, and auto-dimming, tilt-in-reverse exterior mirrors.

Pricing remains the same from the 2010 Veracruz, with the GLS FWD starting at $28,145 (plus $750 freight). The Limited AWD model, however, gets a $3,000 reduction from $38,895 of the 2010 model to $35,895 for the 2011 edition. Comparing press releases of both years, the cost cut doesn't appear to be due to de-contenting.

Click HERE for the 2011 Hyundai Veracruz Press Release.

[Source: Hyundai]

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2011 Hyundai Genesis Gets Horsepower Bump

With a major revamp expected for the 2012 model year, Hyundai is keeping the changes to the Genesis light for the 2011 model year. The big news is a 10-horsepower increase for the 4.6L Tau V8 model for a total of 385 horsepower on premium unleaded fuel (378 on regular). According to the automaker, the Genesis V8 now propels itself from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds, an improvement over 5.7 seconds of the 2010 model.

In addition to the horsepower upgrade, Hyundai is also adding more equipment to the Genesis by making all features of the 2010's Technology Package now standard on the Genesis 4.6. Some of these features include the Lexicon® 7.1 Discrete surround-sound audio system with 17 speakers, Ultimate Navigation System featuring the intuitive Driver Information System (DIS) with 8-inch screen, smart cruise control, electronic parking brake, cooled driver seat, adaptive front lighting system with HID headlights, and parking assistance system featuring front and rear sensors and rearview camera.

The 2011 Genesis has already started to arrive at dealerships. Pricing remains the same for the 3.8 models at $33,000, while the 4.6 is now $43,000 to reflect the additional standard equipment it receives for 2011.

[Source: Hyundai]

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