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Hyundai Genesis Coupe cabriolet

Unfortunately, Hyundai Motor America has killed speculations and rumors that it will bring a convertible version of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to the market!

Mr. Miles Johnson, manager of product public relations at Hyundai Motor America has denied rumors stating Hyundai has been developing a cabrio variant of Genesis Coupe.

He told that Genesis Coupe wasnt developed to be a convertible from the ground up. “It was developed as a global car. The wind in your hair doesn’t work in Korea, and there’s not enough volume in the U.S.” said Miles.

According to his statement, there are no plans for any future Hyundai convertibles, although some sources indicate that the use of retractable hardtops has already been slated for some future Hyundai products.

Too bad Genesis Coupe will never become a production reality! Judging from these great (photoshoped) photos, Hyundai could have made a great-looking convertible!

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Hyundai Motor India announced it has sold 15,602 cars on its domestic market during December 2008. On the back of continuing demand for the i10 model and also fresh dispatches of the i20 model from its Indian factory, Hyundai posted a sales increase of 19% compared to the same month in 2007, when 13,078 Hyundai vehicles were sold.

Cumulative Hyundai sales (including exports and domestic sales) in the last month of the 2008 was up by more than 55% and reached 38,402 units.

In December, Hyundai sold 37,320 units of hatchbacks Santro, Getz Prime, i10 and i20, 1,078 units of sedans Accent and Verna, two units of Sonata Embera and two units of its SUV Tucson in December 2008.

The company registered a 49.6 per cent growth for the calendar year ending December 2008 as compared with the year 2007. The cumulative sales for 2008 stood at 489,328 units, with the domestic markets accounting for 245,397 units and exports accounting for 243,931 units ( up 92.5 per cent compared to 2007).

Both Hyundais main rivals on the Indian market, Suzuki Maruti and Tata Motors, have experienced drop in sales in December. Suzuki posted 10 percent decline, while Tata has been hurt by slowing sales of its popular SUV models, therefore its sales has dropped by more than 30 percent.

2010 Hyundai Equus -VI 

Hyundai has released the first designer sketches of its next generation super luxury sedan. Codenamed VI, this all-new large sized Hyundai sedan will adopt the Equus name from its predecessor and is expected to hit the South Korean Hyundai showrooms in February 2010.

The new Hyundai flagship model is expected to showcase Hyundais most advanced and sophisticated safety, transmission and engine technologies. New Equus will benefit from latest safety equipment that will include goodies such as the second-generation Vehicle Stability Management System (VSM2), a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and a Pre-Safety Seatbelt System which on detecting an imminent front-end collision, automatically reels-in the safety belts to maximize the safety of the occupants. It will also feature LED technology equipped headlights -Hyundais first- and rearlights as well.

The 2010 Hyundai equus is also believed to be the first Hyundai vehicle to receive an in-house developed 8-speed automatic gearbox. The brand-new Hyundai tranny will be mated to the award-winning 4,6L V8 engine. About six months later, Hyundai also plans to roll-out even more potent engine unit with the displacement of 5,0L and approximately 400+ horsepower. Some rumours also indicate that both engines will also feature a gasoline direct injection technology and cylinder deactivation technology.

The 2010 Hyundai Equus -VI will replace the aging Equus sedan, that hit Korean market in 1998 and was the first Korean-made vehicle to feature gasoline direct engine technology (GDI) and a V8 powerplant. The old Equus sedan was a front-wheel-drive vehicle, while the 2010 Hyundai VI is adopting a new rear-wheel-drive architecture.

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Hyundai Motor America has successfully introduced the Genesis sedan through two different TV ads during last years Super Bowl. In hope for another successful presentation, Hyundai will repeat a “year ago” formula during the ‘09 Super Bowl event, and run commercials with the 2010 Genesis Coupe as a main role.

During the Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, 2009, Hyundai will air two 30 seconds commercials, both positioning the 2010 Genesis Coupe as a performance machine designed to capture the hearts and minds of passionate automotive enthusiasts.

Both commercials share the same theme, “The Epic Lap,” but each offers a distinct perspective of Hyundais newest offering to highlight both its fluid design and track-worthy performance.

A pair of latest Hyundai commercials showcase the precision driving performed by Rhys Millen, known as a Pike’s Peak world record holder and Formula-D champion during his fun-drive on the 3-mile long, world class Road Atlanta race-track in Northeast Georgia.

To read the official press release, issued by Hyundai Motor America, continue here.

Used Hyundai i20

Have you heard Hyundai vehicles loose their value faster than those wearing Toyota, Honda or VW badge? I did it too, but times are changing fast and latest motor industry analysts say used Hyundai models hold their values much longer these days.

In fact, latest Hyundai product, the i20, which is yet to hit the markets across the Europe, will retain a greater percentage of its original value after three years of ownership than a number its main European rivals coming from brands like VW or Opel.

Cars that belong to the B car-segment and are renowned for holding their value include VW Polo, Toyota Yaris and other big players, such as Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 207 and Opel Corsa.

Latest used car market and motor industry analysts -CAP figures reveal that after three years of ownership and 30,000 miles, a gasoline powered, five-door Hyundai i20 will still be worth 47 percent of its initial value. That’s five percentage points more than similar Ford Fiesta and 12 percentage points more than Opel Corsa.

The model performing even better will be the i20 equipped with 1,4L diesel engine. It will retain 49 percent of its list price over the same time and mileage!

While all of its rivals will be out of cover after three years, the new owner of a used i20 will still have two years  “peace-of-mind” driving. Hyundai i20 comes standard with industry-leading 5-year warranty, which is fully transferable to a used car buyers. [Read the rest of this entry…]

Hyundai i20

Hyundai has officially launched its long anticipated i20 compact hatchback in India. The car has been first displayed for the first time at Paris auto show back in October and Hyundai received a very favourable response from media and visitors.

The i20 is a stylish hatchback is the latest addition to Hyundai Indias car lineup and belongs to the so-called “premium” compact car-segment. The i20 was designed to meet high global quality, emission and safety standards, while also offering large interior cabin and stylish exterior.

The all-new compact from Hyundai is generously equipped. Base i20 models comes standard with manual air conditioning, tilt & telescopic steering, front and rear power windows, split folding rear seats, dual tone beige interiors, MP3 Music System,  , refrigerated glove box, a multi information display, while top of the range equipment-level adds goodies such as automatic air-conditioning, foldable key with keyless entry function, 14-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver seat and leather wrapped steering wheel, with mounted audio control (a first for this segment).

Also for the first time in the compact car segment (in India), the car comes equipped with six airbags -dual front, side and curtain as standard. Safety equipment in Hyundai i20 also includes ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution -EBD.

In India, the i20 will initially be powered by a 80hp, 1.2L Kappa engine, which is known to deliver class-leading performance and fuel efficiency as well as satisfying the EURO5 emission standards! Later in the year, a diesel variant is also expected hit the market.

Available with 7 different exterior colors and three equipment levels (Magna, Asta and Asta(0), the i20 will be priced from Rs 4.80 lakh and Rs 5.82. For the 2009, Hyundai Motor India has set the sales target of 12,000 units of i20 at home and additional 122,000 units abroad.

Follow the link to see more Hyundai i20 pictures… [Read the rest of this entry…]

Six years after Joel Piaskowski was named a chief designer at Hyundai Motor America, he is going to resign. It is not known why Joel is leaving the carmaker and there are no information where he will work after he leaves Hyundai headquarters at the end of the month.

He was primary designer of the eagerly awaited Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which arrives in showrooms sometime during the spring of 2009 and also known as being the driving force behind several Hyundai HCD concepts, such as Hellion -HCD-10 (above) or Hyundai Talus -HCD-9.

Before he joined Hyundai in 2003, Joel worked for General Motors, where he spent 12 years working on Chevrolet, Pontiac, Opel and Buick brands. He also spent one year in Germany where he worked at Opels design center in Ruesselsheim.

Bellow, I have posted some images of the Hellion concept, that Joel designed a few years ago and you can also watch an interview with Joel Piaskowski and his coleague designers from some competitive brands (Mazda and GM) here.

Earlier this month, we have been told that Hyundai has been working on the development of new hi-tech automatic transmissions. The company has had a 6-  and 8-speed automatic transmissions in the works.

While the worlds most advanced 8-speed automatic tranny is still in the early stage of development, the six-speed unit development has been completed.

In its official press release, issued a few days ago, Hyundai told us that their new six-speed automatic transaxle will find its way into 16 different midsize models.

First to benefit from the new tranny will be the 2009 Hyundai Grandeur, known also as Azera on US market.

In-house tests, conducted by Hyundai engineers, have shown that new 6-speed automatic transmission equipped Grandeurs achieved 12,2% lower fuel consumption compared to the model equipped with the old 5-speed automatic.

In this application, the Grandeur also achieved a 2.5 percent quicker in zero to 62mph (100km/h) acceleration times (7.8sec versus 8.0 sec) and an 11 percent improvement in 60km/h to 100km/h overtaking performance (4.0 sec versus 4.5 sec)!

Hyundais brand new automatic transmission is also lighter and smaller than the five-speed unit and sheds over 26 pounds and 62 parts from the five-speed transmission. It took the company 4 years to develop at the cost of $180 million.

With this new six speed unit, Hyundai joined the ranks of GM and Ford as the only automaker to develop its own six-speed automatic transmission in-house.

Continue your read to get very interesting details on the new transmission… 

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