2011 Hyundai Sonata YF gets world unveiling in Korea

The new Sonata YF has been unveiled in Korea and I must say the specs list looks very good indeed. The cost of development to Hyundai was 400 billion won (RM1.15 billion) over a timespan of 4 years, and I must say the results look pretty good so far.

Not sure how long it’ll take to recoup costs but the car will be priced in Korea at 21.3 million Won (RM61,350) to 25.95 million Won (RM74,800).

The Sonata has a particularly powerful 2.0 liter engine from the Theta II family, which is a development of the GEMA world engine. Variants of the GEMA world engine are also found in Chrysler cars and locally in the Mitsubishi Lancer and Kia Optima.

The difference is with this latest stage of tune, horsepower and torque figures have been increase and are now even more impressive. The engine can now make a peak power output of 165 PS at 6,200rpm and a peak torque of 198Nm at 4,600rpm, which is very close to the 200Nm per liter ratio.

It’s one of the highest torque outputs available in non-premium segment engines without direct injection. This engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic, which is also the best in class so far in its segment (both competitors have 4 or 5-speeders).

Although only one engine option has been unveiled now, Hyundai says a 2.4 liter version with direct injection will be unveiled in January next year when it presents the US market version. Small engines like a 2.0 will never sell over there.

The body has a four-door coupe-ish look to the roofline, and most people are instantly reminded of the Passat CC when a few shots were leaked in the past few weeks. Hyundai calls this new design language “fluidic sculpture”. It’s designed to project a more youthful image for the car, so Hyundai probably intends it to be more Mazda 6 than Toyota Camry.

Vehicle Dynamic Control is standard, and there are also other driver assist features such as Hill-Start Assist Control and Brake Assist. The car also has the Korean market Mozen telematics system. This is not really likely to make its way anywhere outside of South Korea for now but its pretty interesting. It’s basically like BMW ConnectedDrive – the car can access various information systems via the WCDMA mobile network. You get features such as SOS calls and Mozen Autocare anti-theft tracking.

Look after the jump for a video and more shots of the YF Sonata.

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Chrysler to use Fiat engines, ends GEMA alliance

The GEMA alliance has ended this month. GEMA stands for Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, and was a joint venture between Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Hyundai-Kia to develop a family of 4-cylinder engines.

There are currently three different sizes available – 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter and 2.4 liter. In Malaysia, there are a few cars that use engines derived from the GEMA project – the 2.0 liter motors in the Lancer and Lancer Evolution X, and the 2.0 liter motors in the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and Naza Rondo.

Chrysler says it intends to replace its GEMA engines with new small engine technology it will gain access to from its new Italian partner Fiat. But interestingly, despite Chrysler stating an intention to replace its GEMA products with Fiat products, Chrysler is the one who has ended up with full ownership of the GEMA plant. Mitsubishi and Hyundai have just sold their stakes to Chrysler. It is likely that the plant will be converted to a plant making Fiat engines in the future.

Technology bought to GEMA by an individual company will remain the intellectual property of that company, so Hyundai and Mitsubishi will likely be able to continue using their Theta/Theta II and 4B series of engines respectively.

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Subtly Facelifted 2010 Kia Optima - Magentis Launched in South Korea

It's only been a year or so since Kia gave the Optima, which is called Lotze in South Korea and Magentis in Europe, a mid-life makeover, but Hyundai's subsidiary has just announced the domestic market launch of a subtly revised 2010 model year. The new looks aren't so obvious as the exterior styling changes are limited to a new mesh grille, dark headlamps, new LED tail lights, black treatment for the lower part of the rear bumper and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, Kia makes word of new trim and color options as well as additional features. There are no mechanical upgrades as the South Korean market Lotze will continue to be offered with the same four-cylinder engine lineup as before that includes a 2.0-liter unit with 163-horsepower and a 2.4-liter with 179-horsepower.

The refreshed Lotze is available for order in its home market, but it is unclear if or when the updated version of the Optima and Magentis models will make their way to North America and Europe respectively.

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Kumho Fortis: Tyre Maker Present All-Electric SUV Concept Study

While Kumho has no intentions of jumping into the car-making business as of yet, the Korean tyre manufacturer decided to make use of the skills of its in-house designer and former Fiat Advanced Design employee, Rob Dolton, to demonstrate what tomorrow's SUVs could be like. The result is the Fortis, a three-door crossover with a fully-electric drivetrain that comprises of four 100hp chassis-mounted motors, one for each wheel.

The designer claims that the system provides ultimate off-road traction, ESP and hill descent, while the motor configuration allows for easy transition between 4WD, 2WD, FWD and RWD. The electric motors are powered by a Lithium ion battery pack that can be recharged at home, work or at a recharge station.

As you would expect from a concept that was created by a tyre maker, the Fortis boasts ground-breaking tyre technology. In particular, the tread pattern can (theoretically speaking) be adjusted at will to provide optimum performance for both on and off-road.

According to Kumho, the tyre threads feature special metal biters that optimize off-road performance when employed, while for on-road use, the tyre cavity is inflated thus expanding the rubber areas to cover the metal biters.

Dolton also found a way to make use of used tyres as the vehicle's bumper sections, doors, bonnet, front wings and rear hatch are all manufactured from recycled tyre rubber.

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2010 Daewoo Matiz aka the New Chevy Spark Scooped in Korea

What we will get to know as the new Chevrolet Spark in North America and Europe will be sold in South Korea and perhaps other Asian markets as the Daewoo Matiz. Spotted by the crew over at Noticias Automotivas somewhere in Korea without any sort of camouflage whatsoever, the 2010MY Matiz is a carbon-copy of its Spark sibling minus the Chevy grille, side skirts and large alloy wheels which seem to make a big difference in the city car's appearance.

Same goes for the interior which is identical to the Spark, although the Korean market version of the car does get its own unique trim options.

The 2010 Daewoo Matiz will most likely be offered in Korea with a similar engine lineup to the European Chevy Spark that is powered by a choice of 1.0 and 1.2-litre gasoline engines developing 66 and 78HP respectively. European sales of the new Chevy Spark will start towards the end of the year while North American customers will have to wait until the end of 2010 - beginning of 2011.

[Via: Noticias Automotivas]

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Malignant Rumors: The Boys at Hyundai are Coming on Strong

In accordance with the most recent Initial Quality Study performed by J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai's getting better and better (and that's no rumor). The numbers are in, and Hyundai came in 4th overall, falling behind Lexus, Porsche, and Cadillac, while beating Honda, Mercedes, and Toyota. Building on its drastically improved - and still-rapidly-improving image, it seems as if Hyundai is pumping more and more into its market offensive.

According to just about everyone, Hyundai is happy with it's up-sized vehicles (the Genesis sedan and Coupe) for the moment and feels the need to expand and improve its smaller ones. I agree; it's about time to replace and upgrade cars like the Sonata, Tiburon, and Tucson with cars befitting the new Hyundai.

Over the next few years Hyundai will supposedly be releasing a slew of small and mid-size products, like the Tiburon replacement, a new small CUV, the next Sonata , and a couple of MPVs based on the i20 (which the US market doesn't get) and i30 (the States' Elantra Touring).

The Tiburon replacement will supposedly take themes from the Veloster concept (we can hope), which is a huge improvement over any of the Tiburons to date. This is significant because it will give Hyundai a sporty, affordable, FWD car that will slot in below the RWD Genesis Coupe while taking on the Civic Si and any number of European hot hatches.

The new compact-sized CUV, rumored to be based on the 2009 Geneva Show ix-onic concept, is going to be Hyundai's second volley over the Germans' bow. The ix-onic would make one hell of a replacement for the Tucson (no one actually takes those things off-road anyway, so why not look good?).

Then there's the next-gen Sonata. Everyone seems to be thinking it's going to move up and tackle cars like the Passat and Camry, which would be interesting. If this is the case, we've got to ask ourselves what the point of the Azera is. Maybe it'll be phased out, now that the Genesis is the big-dog full-size Hyundai (and since the Azera is based on the Sonata's platform). If the spy shots are any hint, the 4-door coupe theme is being adopted, and the wagon could end up looking like the slick Genus concept.

What about those MPVs? Well, people are theorizing the States could be getting one. It'll probably be the smaller, i20-based model (if at all), so as not to get too close to the next Tucson. That, and the smaller MPV could be built alongside the Kia Soul, which utilizes the same platform.

As for the engines, the only real solid info is that Hyundai had a 1.6 liter GDi turbo four-cylinder with 175 hp in the ix-onic concept, and it was mated to a double-clutch 6-speed auto. This mill, in one form or another, will probably end up finding its way under the hood of the Tiburon/Veloster and ix-onic/Tucson, and maybe even the Sonata (if they keep those numbers, the Sonata's mid-range engine could be the Genesis Coupe's 2.0T). That means the Sonata's V6 would probably be bumped up to the Azera's Lambda 3.8 liter with 275-horses, putting it just under the Genesis and squarely against the aforementioned Passat and Camry.

At the end of the day this column is still called Malignant Rumors, meaning what's found within is speculation lathered with hopes and dreams. I just wonder if it's really possible for Hyundai's potential future lineup to elevate the brand's status even further (that is, from wannabe-contenders with a few lucky shots to big-time players)? I guess we're about to find out.

By Phil Alex

Phil Alex was born in Rhode Island in 1985, yet for reasons unbeknownst to him moved to South Carolina. He graduated with degrees in Finance and German from Wofford College in 2007 and has had a strange obsession with cars and travel. When not back in Sparkle City, he resides near Japan's international airport in Narita. He makes no apologies for his articles and welcomes all feedback, as long as it is adamantly worded. Oh, and if for any reason you are inclined to vent some more, check out more of his posts on the Examiner here.







[Source: Carscoop]

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New Photos of 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Facelift

We've yet to see an official announcement on the European or American market versions of the 2010 Santa Fe facelift, but Hyundai has released a digital pamphlet for the domestic market model that provides us with new photos of the SUV. The brochure reveals that aside from the subtle cosmetic changes up front that include a redesigned bumper and grille, the 2010MY Santa Fe also features a new treatment for the tail lights and the rear bumper. And yes, we sincerely doubt that anyone will notice the changes.

The Korean automaker says that the Santa Fe's refreshed interior benefits from higher grade materials along with a redesigned center console, new upholstery for the seats, updated trim and new equipment features.

As we said in our previous post, the most noteworthy update for the 2010MY Santa Fe concerns the presentation of a new pair of diesel powertrains, a 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter four-pots with outputs of 184HP and 200HP respectively, that are hooked to a new 6-speed automatic transmission.

[Via: Es.Autoblog.com]

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Facelift with New Turbo Diesel Engines Debuts in Korea

Today, Hyundai swiped the wraps off its mildly facelifted 2010 Santa Fe in South Korea ahead of the compact SUV's domestic market launch in July. The reworked 2010 model features some modest cosmetic changes along with the introduction of a new pair of turbo diesel engines. On the outside, changes seem to be reduced to a lightly altered front end with a redesigned bumper and grille, reshaped exterior mirrors with turning signals and new alloy wheel designs.

There's also talk about a newly designed rear bumper and tail lights along with an updated interior but we've yet to see the full image gallery or an official press release for that matter.

The South Korean news agencies also reported that the 2010 Santa Fe benefits from the introduction of the Hyundai - Kia group's newly developed 'R' diesel engine lineup that consists of two 4-cylinder units with a displacement of 2.0-liters and 2.2-liters and outputs of 184HP / 392Nm and 200HP /436Nm respectively. Both engines are linked to a new 6-speed automatic transmission.

The European version of the facelifted Santa Fe will most likely make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with the North American variant following shortly after.

[Source: Autojoin , Via: Thecarblogger]

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Spied by Reader in South Korea

A prototype model of Hyundai's forthcoming 2011 Sonata sedan in plastic wraps has been spied parked on the road somewhere in South Korea by a member of the 'Hyundai-Blog' site. The new mid-size sedan that will be called 'i40' in Europe and other international markets, could be revealed in production form as early as this November at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show and go on sale sometime during the first half of 2010.

While Hyundai's people have done a pretty good job with the camouflage, some details like the more raked roofline suggest that the new Sonata will be much more adventurous in its design than the current car.

Built on a newly developed platform, the next-generation Sonata is said to be slightly larger than the outgoing model resulting to improved space for passengers and their luggage.

A four-cylinder and a V6 gasoline engine is sure to be in the mix while in Europe and other markets consumers will also be able to opt between the Korean firm's new 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter turbo diesels delivering an output of 185HP and 200HP respectively.

[Via: Hyundai Blog]

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Facelifted Hyundai Accent / Verna Unveiled in Korea

We're not quite sure what exactly this lovely lady is pointing at, but behind her is the facelifted Hyundai Verna Transform, or as it is more commonly known in markets around the world, the Accent. Revealed today in South Korea, the sub-compact model gains a redesigned front fascia with new headlights, grille and bumper plus new exterior mirrors that now house the turning signals. We don't have any photos of the car's rear-end, but it is said that changes include the restyled tail lights and bumper.

Inside, the 2010 Verna, or if you prefer, the Accent, benefits from a revamped instrument panel that features blue lighting, a subtly redesigned center console and new equipment features including the addition of USB/AUX inputs and Bluetooth connectivity.

Hyundai also said that the entire engine range has received minor improvements that help reduce fuel consumption and evidently, CO2emissions. The new Verna goes on sale across South Korea today. There's no official word when the updated sub-compact model will hit other markets including the U.S. and Europe.

[Via: Worldcarfans , Source: rpm9]

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