Surging fuel prices have driven Montgomery’s Hyundai plant to get its new four-cylinder engine plant on line in a hurry. Managers want the engine plant to start production in a couple of months because of the increased demand for the fuel-efficient engines.

Plant officials and Hyundai product planners told a group of journalists Thursday that the company is putting four-cylinder engines in about 70 percent of its top-selling Sonata sedans, a change that has increased the pressure to get the new engine plant in operation.

A year ago, about 70 percent of Sonatas had six-cylinder engines.

Michael Deitz, a manager of product planning for Hyundai, said fuel prices drove the switch. “We are projecting we will continue to grow in four-cylinders,” he said. “In April, we finished out at 70 percent, and we could go as high as 80 percent. This is just matching engines to market demand.”…read an article here!