Hyundai 800cc Small Car for India Coming November

Hyundai Motors India Ltd. (HMIL), the Indian unit of the leading South Korean car maker Hyundai, is all set to launch its most awaited 800 cc small car in the Indian market in November 2011. The all new Hyundai small car will be priced below the Santro Xing model where it will be taking on India’s highest selling car – Maruti Alto. The new small car is currently in the final stage of development, where the company has been taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the Indian buyers. The car has been codenamed as H800 in the Indian market.

The car will be manufactured at the company’s Chennai facility. Considering the high demand of this segment, the new H800 model is expected to drive volume sales for the company, enhancing its market share as well as presence in the country. The new Hyundai small car is expected to be priced in the segment of Sub Rs 2 lakh.

In a recent statement, HMIL sales & marketing director Arvind Saxena said, “The car will be in the same segment as Alto and is expected to be a major volume player. It has been developed in Korea and will be manufactured at our Chennai plant.”

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2012 Hyundai Genesis Prada Limited Edition Goes on Sale in Asia

Hyundai has introduced the production version of its Genesis Prada in Korea, two years after a special edition was unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show. The limited edition variant is based on the 2012 Genesis sedan, equipped with a 430 PS Tau 5.0 GDi engine.

The company says the the joint project is the result of both companies’ approach to create a highly unique version of the Genesis model, addressed to the most sophisticated clientele.

The edition comes in three special colours, these being Black Nero, Blue Baltico and Brown Moro, and these are applied with a three-layer coat technology with stereoscopic gold pearl.

Dark chrome accents, in a nod to the unique palladium-coated buckles on Prada’s bags, are to be found, with the radiator grille, emblem and door handles wearing the material. The innovations introduced by Prada include also 19-inch alloy wheels and an outer, wedge shaped antenna.

Inside, there’s definitely no shortage of leather – the dashboard and the upholstery in the Genesis Prada get the artisan-crafted treatment in the form of “saffiano” leather, which is Prada’s signature top quality leather. Genesis Prada badging and a GP500 emblem round off things with this one.

Hyundai says the car will be produced by customised personal orders, and that it will work together with Prada to carry out exclusive VIP marketing activities on the vehicle, of which there will only be 1,200 units available for the Korean market. There are plans to offer the car to a limited number of Middle Eastern and Asian countries, including China, at a later point.



[Source: Hyundai]

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Kia Optima Outscores the Honda Accord in Consumer Reports Test

The redesigned Kia Optima outpointed the high-selling Honda Accord in a face-off between the two family sedans conducted by Consumer Reports. The Optima now ranks among the top 10 of all four-cylinder family sedans tested by the organization.

The Optima now ranks sixth among the four-cylinder family sedans tested by Consumer Reports, ahead of the Honda Accord and behind the Suzuki Kizashi. The Optima edged out the Accord by just one point in CR’s testing. Both vehicles achieved “Very Good” overall scores.

Top-scoring four-cylinder family sedans include the Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry, in that order.

Kia’s Optima drew praise from Consumer Reports’ engineers for its handling, transmission, controls, fuel economy (25 mpg overall in CR’s own tests) and its crash-test results. Its lows included road noise, low rear-seat height, and limited rear visibility.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

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Hyundai Unveils Europe-Only i40 Saloon in Barcelona

Hyundai officially pulled the covers off the latest version of the D-segment i40 at the 2011 Barcelona Motor Show this week.

Full article and more images after the jump!

The debut of the i40 saloon follows the global reveal of the i40 tourer at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, "The i40 saloon shares the same qualities found in the tourer.

"We have ambitious but achievable targets for the i40 range, expecting to sell 60,000 units in a full year and building on the momentum Hyundai has gained in Europe in recent years.

"The launch of i40 will help us reach 3% market share by the end of 2011," Allan Rushforth concluded.

The all-new i40 will be available with a choice of four Euro V-compliant engines: two petrol and two diesel.

These units cover a power spread of 115 ps to 177 ps, with torque delivery extended across a wide engine-speed range.

Manual and automatic transmissions will also be offered.

In a segment where diesel models represent over 75% of total sales in Europe, Hyundai is anticipating that the 1.7-litre diesel unit developing 136 ps will be the most popular engine among both private and fleet buyers.

Overall, Hyundai is expecting a 65/35% spread between diesel and petrol-powered i40 sales.

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Kia Recalls 58K Units of 2004-07 Spectra for Fuel Tank Issue

Kia is recalling 58,322 2004-'07 Spectras, primarily in Midwestern and northeastern states, because corrosion from road salt could cause the fuel tank to fall off the vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA said prolonged exposure to road salt could cause corrosion of the straps that hold the tank.

"As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may separate, allowing the fuel tank to contact the ground and possibly disrupt the integrity of the tank," the agency said. As a consequence, the agency said, "the fuel tank can fall from the vehicle and strike the ground, which could cause a fuel leak," creating a fire hazard.

Kia dealers will replace the fuel-tank straps and attaching hardware with new zinc-coated parts. The recall is expected to begin in June. Owners can contact Kia at (800) 333-4542.

[Source: Inside Line]

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Kia to Unveil Refreshed 2012 Soul Alongside New Rio Sedan in New York

Kia will unveil an updated version of its popular Soul hatchback at next week’s New York International Auto Show. The updated 2012 Soul (2010 model pictured) will debut alongside Kia’s all-new 2012 Rio sedan.

Although Kia is keeping most of the Soul’s changes a secret, we know the 2012 model will arrive with new LED projector headlights that are “slightly bulged giving the overall shape of the Soul a smoother, more streamlined silhouette.”

But most of the changes to the 2012 Soul will focus on the car’s drivetrain. Kia says the 2012 Soul will feature increased power and dramatically improved fuel economy, which should reach 35mpg on the highway.

Although we don’t have word on what engines might power the 2012 Soul, Kia will replace the car’s four-speed automatic and five-speed manual gearboxes with six-speed units.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Hyundai Hires Former GM Exec Shannon as U.S. Marketing Boss

Hyundai has tapped a General Motors veteran as its new U.S. marketing chief, filling a spot that has sat empty for more than seven months.

Steve Shannon was named vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America on Wednesday and will officially take his position on April 18, Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford said.

Shannon, 52, spent more than 25 years at GM and was most recently executive director of marketing for Cadillac. He held that position from 2008 until March 2010 when he was cut in one of several executive shakeups under former CEO Ed Whitacre.

Shannon takes over a marketing department that has overseen memorable campaigns recently, including the Hyundai Assurance campaign that let Hyundai buyers get their money back if they lost their job and the "Hyundai: Uncensored" campaign that captured reactions of consumers impressed by the quality of Hyundai vehicles during test drives.

Hyundai marketers also signed Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges to do voice-overs for all of Hyundai's television ads.

Clever marketing has helped Hyundai boost sales from about 401,000 units in 2008 to more than 538,000 last year and increase U.S. market share from 3 percent to 4.6 percent in the same period.

Shannon's hiring comes after GM nabbed Hyundai's two previous marketing chiefs last year.

First to go was Joel Ewanick, the high-energy marketing executive and brainchild behind the Hyundai Assurance campaign. Ewanick left Hyundai for a brief stint at Nissan last March before being tapped to head GM's U.S. marking department in May. Ewanick's successor at Hyundai, Chris Perry, was then hired by Ewanick last August to lead Chevrolet's marketing department.

Shannon's resume includes leadership roles in marketing with Saturn, followed by senior posts at Oldsmobile, Buick, Saab, Hummer and most recently Cadillac.

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik said in a statement that he's "delighted" to have Shannon on board.

"He's a marketing innovator with strong convictions about serving the customer," Krafcik said in the statement. "At the same time, he's personable, enthusiastic and professional -- a perfect fit for us at Hyundai."

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