During a media event in Ann Arbor, John Krafcik, the VP for product development at Hyundai Motor America, revealed some interesting plans about they have coming to this market as well as something that isn't. Hyundai's first hybrid destined for this market will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show as a mid-sized sedan. The new Sonata hybrid will appear first at LA but won't go on sale until 2010 as a 2011 model. The Sonata will use an in-house developed strong parallel hybrid system with a lithium ion battery. It's not known if this is the same system that Hyundai has been field testing in government fleets in Korea for some time or if the battery will be a new lithium polymer type developed by LG Chem.

Krafcik also revealed some news about Genesis variants unlikely to see the light of day. He said the company has "no plans" to build a rear drive hybrid system for its new luxury sedan. He also indicated that while the company is looking at installing its 3.0L diesel V6 in the Genesis, it is unlikely to happen. The combination of the high cost of after-treatment systems to meet U.S. emissions standards and high diesel fuel prices make it a tough business case.

[Source: Green Fuels Forecast]

Contrary to reports the other day, it is almost certain that Hyundai will not be bringing its tiny i10 hatchback to the U.S. market, at least not in its current form. During a media drive for the new Genesis sedan, Hyundai America VP John Krafcik was asked about the i10. He responded that the U.S. branch is always looking at all the models in the Hyundai worldwide portfolio to see what would be suitable for the U.S. market. Krafcik called it "extremely unlikely at this point" that the i10 will come to the US and "that's all I'd like to say about that." He declined to provide any further comment on the matter.

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai will release its first hybrid vehicle for sale to the general public in 2009, as long as the general public in question lives in Korea. Though the automaker has been testing hybrids for the last few years, only government officials were able to drive the vehicles. According to Hyundai, though, none of the research and development costs for its hybrid drivetrain were paid for through government grants. This information seems much more important after Mark Fields' recent assertion that the Korean government had provided assistance to its automakers for the development of the fuel-saving technology. There has also been some question as to whether the Japanese government helped pay for hybrid development, though Toyota denies these allegations.

Regardless of who has funded its development, Hyundai's first hybrid will be the Avante, which is known as the Elantra in the U.S. Interestingly, the first versions of the vehicle will use liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for fuel, along with, of course, electricity. The year 2010 will bring a flex-fuel version capable of using gasoline or LPG. So far, there is no announcement regarding a launch date in the states, though Hyundai indicates it would like to be selling hybrids here by 2011. By that time, the market will be much more crowded.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Nobody could ever accuse Hyundai of not thinking big. The Korean carmaker has grown into the fourth largest volume import brand in the U.S. market and is now on the verge of launching into the luxury and high-performance segments. So far, aside from some concepts and relatively efficient small cars, they haven't made any big waves in the green tech area, at least in the U.S. In an interview with Britain's AutoCar print edition, CEO Dr. Kim Dong-Jin made it clear the company is targeting the big dogs like Toyota in the coming decade. Hyundai has been running test fleets of hybrids in Korea, as well as fuel cell vehicles in both Korea and the U.S. Dr. Kim claims that Hyundai's products will be more advanced than the Prius. The question is will they be more advanced than today's Prius or the third-gen model that's coming next year? Hyundai is developing a lot of technology in-house, including fuel cells, hybrids and diesels that are already offered overseas and coming to the U.S. as soon as 2010. Hybrids are due to arrive at about the same time with limited numbers of fuel cell vehicles hitting the market a year after that.

[Source: AutoCar, via Winding Road]

Hyundai i10

Hyundai looks set to be latest challenger in the ultra low cost car ranks in India with their announcement of a new model targeted for that market. Tata Motors kicked things off with the introduction of the Nano earlier this year with its starting base price of only $2,500 U.S. It doesn't look like Hyundai plans to go quite that low, instead coming in a little higher at $3,500. Development of the new model is only now beginning with a target launch date of 2012. According to Hyundai's Indian boss H.S. Lim, the new car is not meant to be a direct competitor to the Nano (a thousand dollars might not be a big deal on a $50,000 SUV, but since that amount is almost half the cost of the Nano, people will notice), even though better-equipped versions of the Nano can exceed the Hyundai's price point. In the meantime, Hyundai is launching natural gas and propane versions of several models, including the Accent and Santro this year.

[Source: TheCarBlogger]

Hyundai is already far closer to meeting the new corporate average fuel economy standards than most automakers thanks to their current fleet averages of 32.4mpg for cars and 25.5 for trucks. Under the new footprint-based formula that sets individual standards for manufacturers based on the size of the vehicles they sell, Hyundai will have to reach a higher than average threshold. By 2015, Hyundai's car fleet will have to average 37.5mpg and the trucks will have to hit 31mpg. According to Timothy White, senior manager of the powertrain department at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center near Ann Arbor, the company expects to get about half that improvement from improvements in engines and transmissions. The company will be shifting from five to six speed transmissions over the next few years and adding direct fuel injection. Hyundai is also developing alternative powertrains like hybrids and diesel engines for vehicles like the Veracruz and Kia Borrego.

The rest of the improvement will come from a variety of other technologies including the obvious ones like improved aerodynamics, lower rolling resistance tires and reductions in vehicle mass. Other improvements will come from reductions in parasitic losses in less obvious areas. Shifting to electric power steering which uses power only when needed instead of driving a hydraulic pump continuously is one area targeted for improvement. Another is using LED lighting to reduce the electrical load on the alternator.

[Source: AutoWeek]

South Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai, has announced they are entering the hybrid bus business. We already knew they are going whole-hog into hybrid cars but buses are a beast of a different stripe. This is something they seem to have realized and so are approaching this market niche from a slightly different angle by beginning with a more affordable mild hybrid architecture.

Incorporating an 8Kw electric motor, this system is centered around stop-and-go. When the bus comes to a stop, so does the engine and when the foot comes off the brake the engine is spun back up to speed. Other hybrid tricks include regenerative braking and an electric fan for engine cooling. Because it is so simple the company hopes to offer both a diesel and CNG version and estimates the final cost to its customers to be about a fifth of a full hybrid design.

The first dozen should be delivered by the end of this month for real-world testing and the plan is to begin mass production by the end of 2009. It hasn't closed the door on a more efficient full hybrid either. Development work on that model should be completed by the middle of the summer with delivery to test fleets happening some time this Fall. Read the official press release after the jump.

Yes, it's true. The good hard-working folks employed by the president's office (of South Korea) are about to get Hyundai hybrid happy. (Or possibly sad if you're the dude or dudette getting the Kia.) The plan, according to office spokesman Lee Dong-kwan, is "...to use the hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) to raise public awareness of the environment industry as an alternative engine for growth and energy-saving [sic]." He went on to say that the president, newly-elected Lee Myung-bak, would also be using the car "if needed." It is pure speculation on my part that the "need" is unlikely to arise.

The two models being considered are the Hyundai Vernon (sold here in non-hybrid form as the Accent and pictured above) and the Kia Pride. As well as showcasing the environmental attitudes of the country's leadership, the move may also reflect the direction of the South Korean car manufacturer.

[Source: The Korea Times]

Hyundai announced Sunday that it will be jumping whole-heartedly into the hybrid business. A day after Toyota announced that its Prius and Camry hybrid models would be sold on its South Korean home turf, Hyundai has let it be known they would speed up their mass production plans and counter their competitor at home and abroad. Because of rising fuel costs and consumer eco-awareness, the company is predicting over a million hybrids to be sold annually by 2010 and it wants a large slice of that action.

The first model to undergo the transformation will be the 2009 Elantra, sold in South Korea as the Avante. It will initially run on LPG while a gasoline version will soon be developed for the American market. Not mentioned specifically in the news release was whether or not it would be a plug-in hybrid as had been rumoured although we are pretty sure LG Chem will be the battery supplier. The ambitious plan calls for similar treatment to occur with its other major models, starting with the Sonata in 2010.

While touring a Kia plant, Chairman Chung Mong Koo, let slip, "...We also plan to produce a small fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles from 2012." We have known that Hyundai is competent with fuel cell technology but it remains to be seen whether any amount of refueling infrastructure is put in place to make North American sales feasible in the next few years. Hit the jump to read the news release directly from Hyundai.

click for high-resolution gallery of the HED 5 i mode

Color me disappointed. When Hyundai teased the announcement of the HED-5 "i-mode" concept crossover about a month ago, the company was saying it would feature "exceptional fuel economy." These sorts of things are easy to promise in a concept car, but the official statement from Hyundai, now that the vehicle has been unveiled in Geneva, doesn't give any mileage details. Instead, we hear a lot about the front seat that can swivel around so the front passenger can engage the four people in the back of the car. On the green front, the HED-5 i-mode uses lightweight body materials and Bayer-designed "self-healing water based bodywork finishes" that somehow work to repair minor scratches automatically. More standard eco-touches are in the exhaust gas recirculation system, which reduces NOx emissions and will help the new 2.2-litre R diesel engine meet future Euro emissions standards. The R engines will be coming in production vehicles starting in 2009 - first as single turbocharged versions and then as dual-stage turbocharged editions in early 2011. I guess that's not all bad. More details after the jump.

Hyundai may be delaying the release of their hybrid and fuel cells vehicles. An unnamed Hyundai official told Reuters that Hyundai will mass-produce a Hybrid Elantra through its Kia unit in 2010 and mass produce a fuel cell vehicle starting in 2012 (2015 at the latest). Recently, we reported Hyundai would produce hybrids in 2008, and 2009 and have fuel cell volume sales by 2010 and begin mass sales in 2015. Volume, mass production, and release dates are squishy numbers (companies often say 2007-2008 release for example) so technically, there might not actually be a delay. The new, slightly-further-out release targets for the Hyundai hybrids and fuel cells have us little worried though.

[Source: Reuters]

Quick - what is the cheapest hybrid car on the market in America? Did you say the Saturn Aura hybrid? Well, you're right. Priced at around $22,000, the Aura is the least expensive hybrid for 2007. As we mentioned earlier, Toyota is making a new discounted version of the Prius which should go for less, though. According to this article, Kia would like to take the banner away from both Saturn and Toyota with their Rio hybrid. We've shown you the Rio hybrid before, but price had never been brought up. The 1.4 liter engine combined with the electric motor should give over 40 miles per gallon and reduce emissions by 37%, according to our source article. Performance is leisurely, though. Getting the needle to sixty takes more than 12 seconds after you initially say go. The machine does stop the engine when it's not required, so that is good. They also have reduced the weight by 23% by using aluminum where possible and replacing the hydraulic power steering with an electric unit. The Korean Ministry of the Environment has ordered 3,390 hybrids from Kia and Hyundai, so hopefully all the bugs will be worked out if and when it comes to America. All steps in the right direction, but the car really should be well below $20,000 to challenge the Aura and Prius in the American market. We'll see!

Related:

• Asia Pulse: Korea will "churn out" hybrids by 2011
• Kia Rio hybrid makes an appearance, should be here in 2009
• Geneva Preview: Kia's Rio Hybrid

[Source: Hybrid Vehicles]

The launch of the new i30 heralds the next market blitz from Hyundai. With each generation of their models, they make such leaps in value and quality, that it's no longer surprising. So, yes, the i30 is a dandylicious C-segment car, and no, they won't sell it to us here in the States. Same story, different company - though it speaks volumes about Hyundai that anyone would have a twinge of jealousy that one of their cars is not part of the selection in their country.

The styling is crisp and clean, with a dash of youth thrown in; but otherwise a safe design route. The production car is almost the same as the car previewed at the Geneva Motor Show. There is a whole slew of options available, and at least six airbags are standard. Efficient diesels net you 51-60 miles per (imperial) gallon. Trim levels are Comfort, Style and Premium. Prices start at £10,995.

Probably the biggest piece of news is the fact that Hyundai is completely changing their naming system. They, like everyone else, are going alphanumeric. It really doesn't matter either way, but it looks a lot like a giant leap for Hyundai-kind onto the band-wagon. Model numbers will range from i10 to i50, each multiple of ten corresponding to the next vehicle segment, so the i10 will be a micromobile, and the Genesis concept will likely be the i50 (at least we'll get that one).

But what does it really matter, anyway. Here, we still have to deal with the Accent. Oh, lord.

[Source: Hyundai]

In the year 2000, as the IT world scrambled to fix computer problems and people bid farewell to the '90s, Ford and GM Holden - with their Falcon and Commodore, respectively - stood supreme as the dominant forces of the dominant large car market in Australia. Just seven years on and that market has shrunk from 35.9 percent to just 13.5 percent in the light of rising fuel prices which has seen a massive movement away from large family cars to medium-sized cars. The Falcon and Commodore are now fighting each other over a diminishing market while simultaneously trying to hold off the other locally produced six cylinder competition in the form of the Mitsubishi 380 and the Toyota Aurion.

Such has been the slide in demand for big cars that Holden just announced that 600 jobs will be axed at their Adelaide plant.

The market movement towards smaller cars has led both Ford and Holden to announce new entrants into the already cut-throat medium sized car market which is currently dominated by Asian vehicles like the class-leading Toyota Camry along with the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro and Hyundai Sonata. Holden is about to release the Daewoo made Epica and Ford is bringing the Mondeo back later this year.

Analysis: The Mondeo and the Epica both look to be good quality cars at a good price but they're in for a real fight to gain traction in the medium-sized car market because it is already dominated by good quality cars at a good price. Fuel prices have clearly had a massive impact on the car market in Australia as fuel economy becomes a critical factor in the buying decisions of many consumers.

Related:

• 2007 BMW X5 to launch in Australia with 3.0-litre diesel option
• Higher gas prices not hurting big RV sales, but some owners are driving less
• New Canadian budget includes fuel economy carrots and sticks

[Source: CARSguide.com.au]

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of Hyundai's recyclable QarmaQ concept.

Click here to see Autoblog's much larger gallery.

We reported on Hyundai's recyclable QarmaQ concept back in mid-February. Now that the Geneva Motor Show is under way, Hyundai have released full details of the vehicle which was co-developed with GE Plastics. The QarmaQ Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (aka 'concept') packs in 30 different environmentally progressive technologies which we will see more of as Hyundai selectively incorporates them into its new models between 2008 - 2014. The QarmaQ is said to be lighter, stronger and more economical than any current production CUV in its class. The extensive use of advanced composites and plastics also means that it also offers significant recycling advantages both in construction and eventual disassembly.

Saving weight was a key factor in the design of the vehicle with the most obvious example being the wrap-around windscreen. The GE Lexan material windscreen uses polycarbonate glazing materials and reduces weight by up to 50 percent compared to glass while simultaneously allowing bolder shapes to be formed. The tailgate also breaks new ground by being made as a one-piece component structure incorporating even the tail light assemblies through advanced bonding techniques to achieve higher integral strength matched with lower weight and simplified vehicle assembly.

Powering the plastic marvel is a Euro5 emission compliant advanced 2-litre diesel engine incorporating high pressure fuel injection and fine fuel spray atomization for higher torque and better power output. A Catalyzed Particulate Filter system dramatically reduces regulated emissions including NOx and particulate matter making the QarmaQ one of the cleanest diesels yet.

Analysis: Ok, I've got to say it - what is with that name? Supposedly "QarmaQ" is derived from traditional Inuit dwellings, constructed from earth, whalebone and animal skins. Whatever. Seriously, will someone please let me name Hyundai's concepts so that we can keep their engineers busy with things they're good at?

Apart from that though, I'm totally impressed with this effort which sounds like it has a lot in common with the advanced composite technologies used in the Chevy Volt concept. Thanks to extensive use of advanced materials, the QarmaQ is 60 kg / 132 lbs lighter than a comparable vehicle made with traditional materials which would cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 kg.



Full press release after the jump including details of the QarmaQ's pedestrian safety technology.

Related:

• Geneva Preview: Hyundai's "environmentally friendly" CUV
• The Chevy Volt Concept: the inside story on its super-lightweight construction
• Geneva Preview: Hyundai's i30 and HED 4 concept CUV

[Source: Hyundai]