Redesigned Hyundai Tuscon: Less 'utey' more beauty?

Next generation Hyundai Tuscon (courtesy: ausmotive)

Hyundai ix-onic concept (courtesy: hyundai)

2009 Hyundai Tuscon (courtesy: hyundai)

The Hyundai Tuscon has been a successful vehicle for the franchise, so it's "easy does it" for its successor. The styling of the new model seems to ape the Nissan Murano somewhat. That’s not necessarily a good thing because this author rather appreciates the boxy, crisp styling of the current edition.

For your viewing pleasure, click this link to view a gallery with more spy and concept photos!

Look for the V6 option to take dirt nap with four cylinder editions comprising the entire range. Hopefully the interior of the Tuscon will take a few steps up the ladder in terms of materials used.

The current Tuscon gives buyers a tidy vehicle with an impressive list of safety equipment and rugged style. I'm not copying advertising text, those are my own thoughts. The competition has moved on and Hyundai has to keep pace.

We should see the debut of the U.S. Hyundai Tuscon at the LA Auto Show in the fall.

For more info: Visit the current lineup at Hyundai USA

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U.S. Hyundai CEO confirms flagship Equus for United States market

Ready for a $50K Hyundai?

Edmunds Inside Line has squeezed out a confirmation from U.S. Hyundai CEO John Krafcik that the Equus sedan will be made available to U.S. customers.

Previously, Hyundai had only admitted to bringing over Equus sedans for marketing tests, but not for actual sale to consumers. The move to sell Equus sedans was widely expected, however, as the Genesis sedan has done extremely well in the USA.

The Equus presents an entirely new challenge for the Korean manufacturer as it attempts to take a bite out of the high-end luxury market. It remains to be seen if customers are comfortable buying a $48K and $58K (estimated) sedan from a dealer that also sells $10K commuters.

Volkswagen attempted a vertical leap several years ago with its Phaeton sedan, only to retreat from the US after lackluster sales. Hyundai may fare better because it has the Genesis as a stepping stone and the price of the Equus won't crest the lofty heights of triple digits like the Phaeton.

For more info: Visit Edmunds

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It's back! Hyundai latest manufacturer to try price lock on gas

When fuel prices crashed through the roof and soared into orbit last year, manufacturers rushed to soothe customers' fear of high fuel prices by offering gasoline subsidies. Now that fuel prices are creeping up, Hyundai has decided to offer a $1.49/gallon price guarantee for select models purchased by August 31, 2009.

The program is administrated by the same company, Pricelock, that assisted Chrysler with its "Let's Refuel America" program last year. Buyers register a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card, or a Visa or MasterCard check card on a website and the received a specially branded Hyundai card in the mail. Buyers will then be able to use the Hyundai card at approximately 93% of all service stations in the United States. No matter what the price is at the pump, the customer will only be charged $1.49 with Hyundai making up the difference.

There is no free lunch and in this particular case, Hyundai customers will have to give up $1,000 from any current rebates that Hyundai offers. Unlike the Chrysler program which offered three years of price protection, Hyundai will only have your back for one year. There is also a cap on how many gallons of gasoline you can buy: 12,000 miles divided by the EPA combined fuel economy rating for the qualifying model.

When compared to other manufacturers, Hyundai is having quite a successful run in this down economy. Not content to rest on its laurels, the Korean manufacturer has tried a host of innovative marketing tactics this year: Hyundai Assurance offers to buy back you car if you lose your job within the first 12 months of ownership, Hyundai also currently offers to pay customers a monthly stipend for six months and now the company guarantees that fuel prices won't bore a hole into your wallet. None of these programs are particularly expensive for Hyundai but have enabled it stay in the limelight and receive a lot of free publicity from the media. Pretty clever!

For more info: Read this BusinessWeek article.

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Yoink! Hyundai Entourage is Toast!

Grab 'em while you can, folks, because according to Hyundai Motor America acting CEO John Krafcik the Entourage is toast! Just like Johnny Drama's career, the Entourage minivan will disappear by year end.

source: automotive news

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Hyundai Dishes Out MP3

Pickup a free Smashing Pumpkins song free courtesy of Hyundai. Click here to get the single.

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Hyundai Genesis

One of the most difficult cars to get some quality seat time in at the LA show was the Hyundai Genesis. I'd sit down in the driver's seat and seconds later another journalist would either be doing the pee-pee dance outside the car or foaming at the mouth in the passenger's seat. It's easy to understand why: the Genesis has a fabulous interior that you simply don't want to climb out of.

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Does Hyundai Have Better Battery Technology?

Hyundai made a big deal a the LA show that their battery technology, lithium polymer batteries, was superior to lithium-ion batteries. Cars like the Tesla have lithium-ion batteries which are very small cells (slightly large than an AA battery) each housed in a metal casing (pictured below) and then grouped into a large pack of cells.



When you add up all the cells, those metal casings add a lot of weight and packaging inefficiency. Hyundai's batteries use a polymer gel as the electrolyte, which allows the use of a thinner and lighter aluminum-walled encasement, or pouch. Lithium polymer batteries can be shaped much more freely, making it easier to package the battery into a vehicle's design. Hyundai says that their batteries have a much lower heat generation profile which presents few demands on engineers to keep the pack cool and also extends the life of the battery.



During the presentation, it all seemed to be too good to be true and I was anxious to see what everyone's response was. I have been disappointed so far in that all I have seen from automotive writers is Hyundai's press release regurgitated without much technical analysis. Can Hyundai legitimately claim superiority in battery technology?

I've got some resources for you: Firstly, you can check out Hyundai's presentation here. Lithium-ion polymer battery technology has a Wikipedia page located here. You can check out Battery University's post on the subject here. I'd be interested to hear what other folks have to say. From what I've heard, seen and read, lithium polymer batteries seem to be a rapidly evolving technology that looks to be superior to lithium-ion's cylindrical cells, with the exception of cost since lithium-ion has been around for some time and is a more mature technology relatively speaking.

source of Telsa lithium-ion battery: flickr user kqedquest

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Next Generation Tuscon Shots

The current Tuscon/Sportage models are solid performers. I've recommended them to friends and family and haven't heard any complaints from those who have purchased the handy little buggers. Here are some shots of the next generation model undergoing testing. Expect the Tuscon to weigh less, sport direct injection and a six speed automatic (my speculation, no direct sources).

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Breaking: Hyundai May Bring Small Car Built In India to U.S. (Updated)

Update: Over at Hyundai, the i's definitely have it. Rumors of the i10 coming to the U.S. are sputtering along, but now its bigger sister, the i20, is the latest dish. The i20 (pictured above) is a fresh design debuting at the year's Paris show. I think it's a rather pleasant looking car and would be a fine addition to the lineup. You can read up on the i20 by checking out this Autoblog post.

Original 8/15/08 Post:




Update: AutoWeek now has a free version posted, click here.

Update: Automotive News has a post about this: click here (sub required).

Sources are reporting that Hyundai may be bringing a small five door hatchback, built in India, and sized between the smart fortwo and Honda Fit. The car, called the i10 in other markets, would be brought up to U.S. safety standards and could be sold by either Hyundai or Kia.

The i10 was launched in October of 2007, is built at Hyundai's Chennai plant and is currently exported to 70 countries around the world (according to Wikipedia). Many manufacturers have been looking hungrily at the initial success of the fortwo in the U.S. and it won't be much longer before someone tries to drink smart's milkshake.

In a review of the car, Auto Express said that the i10 had good equipment levels for the price, decent amount of space inside, modern dash design and impressive materials (again, for the price). You can check out a full raft of reviews by clicking here. Keep in mind that the U.S. version would be slightly different (read heavier) than the reviewed cars.

A quick scan of Hyundai's i10 Indian website shows that the i10 has two engines: a 1.1L and a 1.2L. I am uncertain what powertrain configurations would be offered here. Combined mileage for the i10 in U.S. guise would hopefully be in the very high 30s if not 40s.

Currently the smallest car on offer in the U.S. is the Hyundai Accent 3-door. I followed one of these on the freeway and thought to myself that it was rather good looking. the Accent starts at $11,645 (including destination) but there is currently a $1,000 rebate on it. Pricing for the i10 would have to be less.

Now, I cannot cite any official sources. I can't tell you how serious Hyundai is about this. In reality, my information is pretty spotty. I hope that we'll hear more about this car soon! In the meantime, why not take an i10 for a spin?

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Nissan Recalls, Hyundai Stalls

Nissan is recalling nearly 170,000 2007-2008 Sentras in the U.S. to fix a brake cylinder that could leak fluid, increasing the likelihood of a crash. Meanwhile NHTSA is looking into a reported stalling issue involving approximately 167,000 2007-2008 Hyundai Elantras. NHTSA said it has received four reports of engine stalling because of problems with the vehicle's fuel pump module.

The Sentra flaw has not resulted in any crashes. The Elantra's stalling issue has caused a few incidents, including stalling in the fast lane of a three-lane highway.

sources: ap via msnbc, ap via iht

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