Hyundai Motor America officials called this the official SEMA measuring session for the company's rear-drive coupe, which is based on the shortened version of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan platform.
"Normally, we've done this closer to the start of production," Wayne Killen, director of strategic product planning for Hyundai Motor America, told us. "But we really wanted the aftermarket companies to get a start on it."
Hyundai has seen record sales and profits for June 2008 throughout the world, and China was no exception. The Hyundai Elantra was the best-selling car in China in June with 24,257 units sold. In May, Hyundai sold 12,239 units of the popular compact sedan in the country.
This was quite a commendable feat as the Elantra managed to rise four ranks to the top from last month. In May, the Volkswagen Jetta was the best-seller with the Volkswagen Santana, Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra following behind. In June, the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Santana, Volkswagen Jetta, and Buick Excelle made the top five rounding.
Mid-size car sales have fallen considerably due to the changing gas prices, and the Toyota Camry was particularly hit hard. On the other hand, sales of compact cars are expected to only increase dramatically as the gas prices show no sign of stopping for a couple of months.
Hyundai Motor Company plans to start retail sales of its first LPG-electric hybrid vehicle in July 2009. To be sold initially in the Korean domestic market under the Avante badge, the Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is the world's first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly) batteries.
Powered by a Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) Gamma engine displacing 1.6 litres, a 15kW electric motor and a continuously variable transmission, the Elantra LPI HEV is a mild-type hybrid capable of delivering a competitive fuel economy rating.
"The Elantra LPI HEV demonstrates Hyundai's innovative approach: We have leveraged Hyundai's world leadership in LPG-fueled vehicles to develop a hybrid that will be very economical to operate," said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, president of the Research and Development Division.
Comparing operating costs among different types of hybrid vehicles currently available in the marketplace, the Elantra LPI HEV promises to be the cheapest of all to run. The Elantra LPI HEV promises to be as much as 40 percent cheaper to operate than other competitor models in the marketplace and 50 percent less than a conventional Elantra model powered by a gasoline-only engine. (Calculations are based on Korean domestic retail price of 1,907.08 KRW per liter of gasoline and LPG price of 1,828.65 KRW per kilogram as of the first week of June).
The Elantra LPI HEV will have a premium cost compared to a conventional Elantra due to the extra hardware (Li-Poly battery, DC motor and electrical control system). However, with the resulting fuel savings, Elantra LPI HEV buyers can expect to recover the extra cost of the vehicle in about two years.
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.
Like most of us, the guys at Motive are interested in seeing how the new 2009 Hyundai Genesis stacks up against it's German rivals when compared side-by-side. So, they got their hands on a Genesis and brought along a Mercedes E550 to see if Hyundai really has the beginnings of a top-tier luxury brand. Obviously, the Benz costs a pretty penny more than the Korean upstart, but you might be surprised just how comparable the two are.
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