MotorYP

Hyundai Motor America has announced pricing for the 2012 Veloster three-door coupe, starting at $17,300 for the six-speed manual and $18,550 for the six-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). Veloster is a playful front-wheel drive coupe targeting the likes of Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Beetle and Scion tC while delivering 28/40/32 mpg with the six speed manual and 29/38/32 mpg with the DCT.

Veloster delivers innovation to the compact coupe segment with standard features such as a unique third door for easy rear-seat access, Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, Pandora internet radio, seven-inch touch-screen display, and a new 1.6-liter
Gasoline-Direct-Injected (GDI) four-cylinder engine and six-speed transmission.

Veloster combines design elements of a coupe and the functionality of a hatchback, while incorporating an additional passenger-side rear door for uncompromised rear-seat access. In the past, some coupes have used limited access rear-hinged access doors. These coupes have required opening the front door before the rear door could be opened, an inconvenience for drivers and passengers, and difficult to use in tight parking lot situations. Hyundai’s new thinking  implements a conventionally-hinged door on the passenger side, providing safe and easy access to the rear seats and a hidden door handle to maintain its coupe design.

In the digital age, buyers expect to be connected all times, so Veloster comes standard with a multi-function seven-inch touch-screen display, Gracenote display technology with voice recognition and Pandora internet radio capability. To assist in fuel savings, Veloster M/T weighs 2,584 lbs, which is lighter than the Mini Copper S, and over 400 pounds lighter than Scion tC. In addition to advancements in fuel economy, the advanced 1.6L GDI engine produces 138 horsepower, which gives it the best specific output in its class. Veloster sales begin in September.

Cars.com, a leading online resource for new and used car buyers, announced today that the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the winner of its ‘Best Value: Price to Pump’ award as the winner of its Under 20/Over 35 Shootout. The site’s editors evaluated five compact cars that seat five, get better than 35 miles per gallon and have a price tag under $20,000. The 2011 Hyundai Elantra came out on top for its exterior and interior design as well as its smooth ride.
“With unrelenting gas prices and continued economic uncertainty, our shootout couldn’t be timelier in terms of what car shoppers are looking for,” said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “In fact, four of the five models that competed have been among dealer’s best sellers in April and May. Based on our results, every car shopper looking in this segment needs to put the 2011 Hyundai Elantra at the top of their consideration set. Not only does this car get 40 mpg on the highway, the Elantra also has refined styling, solid handling, a comfortable interior and incredible affordability for all the features that buyers will get.”
To determine the winner of the shootout, experts from Cars.com and USA Today and a Chicago-area family put the contenders through a variety of tests over a series of three days. Tests included a day-long drive to determine accurate real-world mileage, back-to-back driving by all judges on the same course to determine handling and comfort and a side-by-side comparison of the cars’ features and styling.
“These shootouts are really about determining the best car in a segment,” Olsen said. “Because of that, we always include a full day of testing by shoppers who evaluate the cars’ features, comfort, handling and styling. This helps us to determine what really matters to drivers in a car and that feedback contributes to the crowning of our winner.”
Cars.com’s ‘Best Value: Price to Pump’ rankings:
1. Hyundai Elantra ($17,760)
2. Chevrolet Cruze ($19,445)
3. Honda Civic ($18,655)
4. Kia Forte ($18,345)
5. Ford Focus ($19,750)

ABOUT CARS.COM
Cars.com was recently named the “Best Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Systems, the world’s leading Internet usage research company. Cars.com is an online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With price listings, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

The all-new Hyundai Sonata, a North American Car of the Year finalist, led TheCarConnection’s (TCC) list of top ten most popular reviews in 2010.  The all-new Sonata, TheCarConnection’s Best Car to Buy 2011, topped all other models, boosting viewership and site traffic each time a new story was posted.

Joining Sonata on the TheCarConnection’s list is the 2010 Hyundai Tucson.  Following its early 2010 debut, Tucson continued to hold the attention of car shoppers throughout the year with its daring design and sub-$20,000 sticker price.

“The list of the most popular reviews on TCC in 2010 shows you’re shopping brands like Hyundai more often than ever,” said Marty Padgett, editorial director for TheCarConnection. “The 2011 Hyundai Sonata led all comers with a boost each time we wrote about it: as a base car, as a turbo 2.0T, and as a Hybrid.”

“Consumers have discovered the new Sonata this year with its exciting design, best-in-class fuel economy and outstanding residual value,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America.  ”This combination makes Sonata a top contender in the competitive mid-size category and we are pleased by its outstanding market reception this year.  Not only are shoppers showing interest in the Sonata, they are buying the vehicle as well – we’ve sold more than 200,000 Sonatas in North America this year, a highpoint for the nameplate.”

The 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional mid-size sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. In addition to the standard 2.4-liter, gasoline direct injection powertrain making 35 miles-per-gallon highway, Hyundai added a 2.0-liter, 274-horsepower turbo and first-ever hybrid to the Sonata lineup. The Sonata Turbo went on sale in September and the Sonata Hybrid, achieving 40 miles-per-gallon highway, will hit showrooms in January 2011.

The revolutionary new Tucson joined the rapidly evolving Hyundai product line in early 2010. The sleek crossover from Hyundai, with its athletic European design, improves in every functional area, from its roomier cabin with extra cargo space to its leap in fuel economy and technology.

Both the Sonata and Tucson achieved the 2011 Top Safety Pick honor from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

Widely regarded as being the most forward-thinking of all the major shows, the latest in technology and design exhibited here will be finding their way into driveways across the country in the near future. The show will also feature more than 50 World and North American debuts, including the completely redesigned Hyundai Elantra, the next high-volume vehicle is being made at its Montgomery, Alabama factory. Lincoln is making automotive history with the launch of the new 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, offering luxury customers a premium hybrid sedan at the same base price as its conventional gas sibling. Subaru is showing an Impreza Concept Car that shows the direction that Subaru thinks all-wheel Drive sedans will be taking in the next few years. This new design theme seems to be working along with the well-known Subaru traits of all-wheel drive safety and reliability, since Subaru just set an all-time sales record for the US – beating last year’s all-time record by 25%.

This year’s show also marks the historic arrival of the modern electric car era. After years of anticipation, consumers can finally purchase mass-produced electric vehicles complete with factory warranties. One of the highly anticipated vehicles to kick-off this modern era of electric transportation is the Chevrolet Volt. It’s the world’s first mass-produced, plug-in electric vehicle with a range-extending onboard engine. 

Featuring more than a dozen electric drive vehicles arriving in the near future, the show will map out how electric transportation will progress in the coming years.  The show will also feature at least 15 concept vehicles ranging from futuristic design studies to realistic brand design directions.

How did Hyundai improve Accent’s EPA fuel economy for 2010 without adding thousands of dollars to the price like a hybrid does? The answer is the introduction of the high mileage, low price “Blue” edition and smart engineering to all Accent models. Accent’s fuel efficiency is improved by up to nine percent, reaching as high as 36 miles per gallon on the highway which is better than Honda Fit and Nissan Versa. [...]