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Filed under: Car Buying , Hyundai The skyrocketing cost of commodities like steel and aluminum have pushed several automakers to raise the price of 2009 models. Hyundai is bumping the price of its 2009 models an average of two-percent to help cushion the blow in Korea and in the States. The price of steel has risen 60 percent in a little over a year, and other commodities are up over 20 percent as well. That's bad news for all automakers, and Hyundai expects the trend to continue. Hyundai's Kia brand stlil hasn't announce price hikes, but we're guessing the economical car maker will follow in big brother's foot steps. To further complicate matters for the Korean automaker, its unionized workforce is unsatisfied with wages. The rank and file have scheduled four-hour work stoppages for Wednesday and Friday. Unless the government intervenes in the matter, the union will likely get some kind of wage increase, giving Hyundai and Kia yet another justification for raising prices...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Hyundai In a trend that is sure to prove popular, Hyundai will add a less powerful and more fuel efficient four-cylinder to the available engine lineup on its Santa Fe model when it is redesigned for 2010. As of today, the four-door crossover is available with a choice of either a 2.7-liter or a 3.3-liter six-cylinder powerplant mated to four- or five-speed automatics (a five-speed manual is optional on the smaller engine). Both are rated at 24 mpg highway in the current model. The next-gen Santa Fe will offer a new six-speed automatic with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder that is currently powering the 2009 Hyundai Sonata . Under the hood of the lighter Sonata sedan (and mated to a five-speed automatic), the second-generation Theta engine squeezes out 32 mpg on the highway. While we don't think the Santa Fe will pull a number that impressive, fuel economy in the high-20's shouldn't be out of the question. [Source: Autoweek ] Permalink...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Plants/Manufacturing , Hyundai , Kia Less than a decade ago, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was ranked 11th in the world in total sales volume. According to the latest publishing of the Automotive News 2008 Global Data Book, the automaker has impressively passed Honda to take 5th position. To climb six positions in just eight years isn't a simple accomplishment as it required stepping over such global automakers as Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Last year, Hyundai-Kia sold 3,961,629 automobiles worldwide (Hyundai sold 467,000, and Kia 305,473 in the United States alone). While they still have a long way before they reach 4th position currently held by Ford (global sales of 5,964,000 in 2007), their move into other markets as witnessed by the luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the group's favorable June automotive sales (even in a depressed market) demonstrate the increasing strength of the Korean automaker. [Source: AutoIndustry ] Permalink...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Hyundai click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring While the big Japanese auto manufacturers have been incrementally improving their vehicles ever since they were first launched in the U.S., Hyundai has been bettering itself in leaps and bounds. While we're not quite ready to anoint Hyundai as the second coming of Toyota, it just isn't all that shocking anymore to hear that the Hyundai Elantra is now Consumer Reports ' top-ranked 2008 vehicle amongst 19 other compacts and subcompacts. Beating out such high-quality stalwarts as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Prius is very impressive work, and Hyundai is justifiably proud of the accomplishment. Jim Trainor, a Hyundai spokesman, told the Detroit Free Press , "As I got the note from Consumer Reports , we were ecstatic. Coming from such a highly regarded industry source like Consumer Reports , it really says a lot about...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , Hyundai Click above for a high-res gallery of the Hyundai Genesis sedan. Hyundai has finally announced pricing for its first attempt at a serious luxury sedan, and when sales begin later this June, buyers content with the 3.8-liter V6's 290 horses can get behind the wheel of the Genesis sedan for $33,000. The entry-level Genesis 3.8 will come equipped with an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission and will include 17-inch alloys, fog lamps, dual-power heated side mirrors, heated leather seats, cruise control, a proximity sensor, a push-button start, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming mirror with Homelink and a compass, along with front, side and side-curtain airbags. The Hyundai Genesis 4.6, equipped with the 375 hp, 4.6-liter V8 and ZF six-speed automatic gearbox will be priced at $38,000 and equipped with 18-inch rollers, chrome exterior moldings, a leather wrapped dash, "ultra-premium" leather seats, a tilt and slide glass...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , Tech , Crossovers/CUVs , Hyundai Hyundai has quickly developed a full range of products in its US lineup, and quality scores from companies like JD Power show those vehicles now rank among the best in the industry. For all of Hyundai's progress the past few years, the South Korean automaker has taken its time getting navigation systems into its fleet of cars and trucks. For '08, the Azera, Santa Fe, and Veracruz all get nav systems, the Genesis sedan receives a separate high-end interface, and the bread-and-butter 2009 Sonata will get the tech as well. The folks over at Kicking Tires proclaim the interface to be bright, clear, and easy to use. It's about time. With Hyundai raising the price of entry for the Sonata to match (or exceed) the competition, it's important that the midsize sedan has everything the competition offers. It's just a shame that it took until now for them to do it. [Source: Kicking Tires] Gallery: 2009 Hyundai...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , Hyundai The new 2009 Hyundai Sonata gets a bump in interior refinement and available power, and the South Korean automaker would like to be paid for all its troubles. The 2009 Sonata Limited saw the largest jump in price, with the new model going for $24,645 , up $1,650 from the 2008 model . At the bottom of the Sonata lineup, Hyundai increased the sticker on the entry GLS by a more reasonable $700 to $18,795, or $19,995 with the upgraded five-speed automatic transmission. Oddly enough, however, the base Sonata is now $75 more than a base 2009 Camry, which is an interesting decision on Hyundai's part. The Chevy Malibu now undercuts the automatic GLS in price by a more substantial $700 as well, and it won North American Car of the Year. With prices going up by up by seven-percent on certain models, Hyundai has lost much of its price advantage on the competition. With better quality and improved refinement, it's clear to us that the South...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Hyundai In 2007 Hyundai had a US sales target of 555,000. That number was set by HQ in Korea, and when it was clear they weren't going to make it, they revised it downward to just over 500,000 . By the time the bell rung, even that number proved a little beyond Hyundai's reach: they sold 467,009 cars last year. That still represented a 2.5-percent gain over 2006 sales. Hyundai's goal this year is a 20-percent increase in global sales. For the US, though, the goal is 500,000 units, which is the goal set by the folks in the US, not Korea, and even though nearly everyone has predicted a sales downturn , that goal is "regardless of what the industry is doing." To achieve those sales, the automaker has revamped numerous aspects of their dealer incentive operation. Hyundai dealership profit was down five-percent last year, and only two-thirds of dealers benefited from company incentives. This year, the dealer incentive has been streamlined and set...
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