WOW COOL VIDEO!!! Sandboarding with an Elantra...

HYUNDAI ELANTRA TIES FOR TOP SPOT IN KELLEY BLUE BOOK’S KBB.COM COMPACT SEDAN COMPARISON TEST

COSTA MESA, Calif., 08/26/2011

Hyundai’s 2011 Elantra came out on top in Kelley Blue Book’s http://www.kbb.com/ all-new 2011/2012 Compact Sedan Comparison Test.  Tying for first place with the Honda Civic, the Elantra beat out the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus in kbb.com’s thorough vehicle comparison, scoring 7.5 out of 10 possible points in the overall ratings.

“When the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited sedan showed up for our test, it arrived as a gut-shot to the entire compact sedan class.  It started with the all-new Elantra shape, a small-sedan variation of the look that we already love on the Genesis and Sonata. It continued with a leather-lined, feature-filled interior that would have been considered excessive in a car from the next class up,” said kbb.com experts.  “At $22,830, the Hyundai Elantra Limited was the least expensive compact sedan in our quartet. The Chevy Cruze LTZ had a nervous breakdown. We spotted sweat on the Ford Focus SEL's lip spoiler. And even the 2012 Honda Civic was having trouble catching its breath.”

During the comprehensive testing of the compact vehicles, the kbb.com editors gave each model an overall rating as well as specific ratings based on interior, exterior, performance, comfort/convenience and value.   

“The 2011 Elantra stands out in the compact category, offering innovation, content and style -- characteristics often missing from this competitive segment,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “We are thrilled that kbb.com recognizes that standard 40 miles-per-gallon highway fuel economy, remarkable luxury and convenience features, and advanced design can be found in a compact sedan at such an accessible price point.”

The 2011 Elantra sets the bar in the compact sedan category offering a “class-above” midsize car interior volume, modern design, outstanding fuel economy, and loads of comfort and convenience features, all at an attractive starting price. Elantra also continues to lead the industry in standard advanced safety technologies including a new Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system to optimally manage Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the Motor-Driven electric Power Steering (MDPS).

For the entire comparison test, including full editorial commentary and reasoning behind each of the editors’ picks, visit the Big Things From Small Cars story at kbb.com.

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YOU’VE HEARD OF SMART TECHNOLOGY. NOW, MEET THE BRILLIANT CAR.

Entirely new, the 2012 Veloster has been designed to keep you connected 24/7. Built-in features let you talk to your friends hands-free, start the car with the push of a button, upload your favorite music, and even play videos through a USB port. The double-scooped aggressive front end, LED headlight accents, and a trick 3rd side passenger door give this new vehicle a completely modern style, while delivering up to 4.9L/100km*, giving you hybrid mileage without the hybrid premium

 More on the all new Veloster...  http://alturl.com/yw8i4

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RARE DIESEL 2011 BMW X5 35D AWD LOADED ONLY 9400 K'S SAPHIRE BLUE
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HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND AZERA NAMED AUTOPACIFIC 2011 IDEAL VEHICLE AWARD WINNERS

Hyundai Finishes as Second Most Popular Car Brand Overall
COSTA MESA, Calif., 08/16/2011

Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific named the Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Azera 2011 Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) winners in their respective categories.  In the Compact Car category, the Hyundai Elantra beat out top rivals by a large margin including the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze, and Volkswagen Jetta.  The Hyundai Azera topped the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger in the Large Car segment.  Overall, Hyundai scored second in the Popular Brand rankings, trailing only Chrysler.

Additionally, three other Hyundai models made the Ideal Vehicle ranks: the Sonata finished second in the Premium Mid-Size Car segment, the Genesis Coupe earned fourth in the Sporty Car segment and the Accent ranked fourth in the Economy Car segment.

AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards are based on 72,000 surveys completed by owners of new cars and light trucks in the United States in the first half of 2011.  The IVAs measure the fusion between owner expectations and the reality provided by the manufacturer by quantitatively measuring how closely a vehicle matches those expectations.  To determine the winners, owners rate their new car or truck on how close it came to “ideal” in 15 different categories ranging from power and acceleration to safety features and storage.  The vehicles that customers said they would change the least were considered the most “ideal.”

“It’s getting harder and harder to measure quality differences in today’s vehicles,” said George Peterson, president, AutoPacific.  “Consumers need better insights into which vehicles will meet their ideal for comfort, ride and handling, cargo space, and other attributes that are experienced on a daily basis.  IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles.”

“Having our models recognized for AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into all the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup,” said Scott Margason, director Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America.  “At Hyundai, we strive to exceed customer expectations in safety, quality, value and performance, and look forward to continuing to develop more award winning vehicles as we bring the 2012 Accent and Veloster to market this year.”

Hyundai also excelled in this year’s AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.  The Hyundai Genesis won in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment for the third year in a row, the Elantra took top honors in the Compact Car segment and the Sonata topped the Premium Mid-Size Car segment and also took home the first-ever President’s Award for All-Time Highest Satisfaction.

AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites: http://www.autopacific.com/ and http://vehiclevoice.com/.

ONE MILLIONTH SONATA ROLLS OFF HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA ASSEMBLY LINE

MONTGOMERY, Ala., 07/29/2011

In a brief, internal celebration today, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) marked its 1,000,000th Alabama-built Sonata -- a 2012 limited edition 2.0 turbo with a radiant silver paint finish. Team Members at the Montgomery, Ala. assembly plant cheered as President and CEO Young Deuk Lim drove the Sonata off the quality inspection line with Vice President Production Ashley Frye and Robert Coleman, HMMA’s Team Member of the year in the passenger seats.

“I am so proud of everything our Team Members have accomplished in the past six years, eclipsing 1,000,000 total vehicles manufactured in November 2009, producing more than 300,000 vehicles in 2010 and now our 1,000,000th Sonata,” said President Lim. “This milestone provides us an opportunity celebrate our many achievements and take pride in knowing our Hyundai spirit is alive and ready to reach any goal we set for ourselves.”

HMMA has benefitted from the enormous popularity of the Sonata in the U.S. marketplace. Its perennial role as Hyundai’s top seller has contributed to the plant operating beyond its original capacity of 300,000 units for nearly two years.

The plant has produced three different vehicles since 2006, the Sonata, Santa Fe and Elantra. Mass production of the Sonata began at the site on April 5, 2005. The plant built the Santa Fe from                                                                                                

April 2006 until August 2010. The Elantra sedan joined the Sonata in November 2010.

More than 2,500 Team Members are employed at the plant. Since production began in 2005, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has built more than 1.4 million vehicles.

HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., is an independent manufacturing operation of Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, Korea.  HMMA currently produces the 2012 Sonata and Elantra sedans.  Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide.

KBB.COM NAMES 2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT A TOP BACK-TO-SCHOOL CAR

COSTA MESA, Calif., 08/09/2011

Kelley Blue Book’s http://www.kbb.com/, the leading provider of new- and used-vehicle information, named the 2012 Hyundai Accent to its list of 2011 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars.  Changing up this annual list for 2011, the kbb.com editors chose five new cars and five used cars for the Top 10 list, and ranked their top choices from five to one in each category.  Accent took the number one spot on the new cars list, ranking above Honda Fit, Ford Focus, Fiat 500 and Chevrolet Cruze.

“Like its bigger brothers the Sonata and Elantra, the 2012 Hyundai Accent appeals to a finely-tuned sense of value, putting a lot of equipment into a stylish, roomy package that competes more than favorably with competitors like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Honda Fit,” said the kbb.com experts. “While not pavement-ripping, the 138-horsepower engine will deliver 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the open road. And at a price that’s a bargain, the 2012 Accent demands to be on your back-to-school shopping list.”

Vehicles on kbb.com’s 2011 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars list were chosen with the following criteria in mind: safety, affordability, versatility, reliability, cost of ownership and fuel efficiency, along with the ever-subjective ‘fun-to-drive’ and ‘good-looking’ factors.  Each new car on the list is available for $18,000 or less, using Kelley Blue Book’s exclusive Fair Purchase Price as the yardstick.

“The 2012 Hyundai Accent is tapping into the consumer demand for high-content, fuel efficient cars,” said Brandon Ramirez, product planning manager, Hyundai Motor America. “Like the Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, Accent achieves 40 mpg highway without any additional cost for a high fuel economy package, making it a very attractive car to both students and their parents.”

Accent reinvigorates the subcompact segment, offering the company’s distinctive and upscale “Fluidic Sculpture” design, best-in-class standard fuel economy, exceptional roominess and a full complement of standard safety features.  Accent’s class-leading standard fuel economy is yet another example of Hyundai’s dedication to improving fuel efficiency and is the fourth nameplate in Hyundai’s lineup delivering 40 mpg on the highway.

For the entire Top 10 list, including full editorial commentary and reasoning behind each of the editors’ picks, visit the Top 10 Back-to-School Cars story in kbb.com’s Latest News section at http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/top-10-back_to_school-cars-2011/?scid=3169.

ALL-NEW 2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT OFF TO ROARING START

• BEST SELLING SUB-COMPACT IN ITS FIRST FULL MONTH OF SALES
• BEATS HONDA FIT AND FORD FIESTA
COSTA MESA, Calif., 08/08/2011

The Hyundai Accent was America’s best-selling sub-compact car in July. “The all-new Accent outsold two great small cars we really respect in July – the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.  “In fact, it was the best-selling subcompact in the industry last month, its first full month of sales.  It’s a good indication that consumers are connecting with our new design, 40-mpg fuel economy, and the Assurance Trade-In Value Guarantee.  It’s a great recipe for this economy.”

Hyundai Accent	6,938	Toyota Yaris	1,391
Nissan Versa	5,359	Mazda2	1,072
Ford Fiesta	5,296	Kia Rio	1,011
Honda Fit	4,857	Toyota Scion xD	715
Chevrolet Aveo	3,349

The 2012 Accent’s all-aluminum 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder engine uses the latest engine technology to deliver a class-leading 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque and a best-in-class standard 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating.        

The engine’s most notable feature is its use of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI), a first for the sub-compact category. By precisely controlling the injection of fuel, GDI allows for better fuel economy, increased power and reduced emissions.                                           

 The 2012 Hyundai Accent will be the fourth nameplate in the Hyundai lineup delivering 40 MPG on the highway, including the Sonata Hybrid, Elantra and Veloster, due to arrive in dealerships in a few weeks. Accent’s class-leading standard fuel economy is an example of Hyundai’s dedication to improving fuel efficiency with advancements to traditional gasoline powered vehicles.

Hyundai Best-selling passenger cars in Canada

Hyundai Canada Best-selling July passenger car sales and remaining the leader-to-date.

A new company record for the month with a 10.9% increase over the same month last year.
Year-over-year is up 10.5% to 81,474 units.

In July, no less than 40.4% of sales were from Hyundai vehicles that consume less than 5.0 L/100km.
The Sonata Hybrid intermediate sedan, Elantra compact sedan and Accent subcompact,
consume fuel at a respective rate of just 4.6, 4.9 and 4.8 L/100km on the highway.

HYUNDAI EQUUS RECEIVES J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES 2011 APEAL AWARD

• Equus Tops Large Premium Car Segment
• Hyundai Ranks Ahead of All Asian and Domestic Non-Premium Brands
• Hyundai Achieves Biggest Rank Increase in Industry With 33 Point Gain
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 07/27/2011

J.D. Power and Associates designated the 2011 Hyundai Equus as its most appealing large premium car in the 2011 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM  as Hyundai soared in the annual owner survey.  In its 16th year, the APEAL study examines owners’ assessments of the design, content, layout, and performance of their new vehicle. Vehicles and their brands are scored on a 1,000 point scale.

The Equus exceeded 900 points in this year’s study, achieving the highest APEAL score of any model in the industry. Equus outscored all other luxury premium sedans and performed considerably better than the segment average in the categories of vehicle exterior, storage, and audio/entertainment/navigation.

“The Equus has the distinction of being the highest-performing model in the 2011 APEAL Study,” said J.D. Power and Associates.  “The Hyundai Equus has achieved an impressive introduction into the marketplace from a performance, execution and layout perspective.”

Overall, Hyundai was the most-improved nameplate in the industry and moved up 13 rank positions and 33 points to place 15th in 2011.  This is the highest Hyundai has ever ranked in the APEAL Study, finishing ahead of all the Asian and U.S. domestic non-premium brands.  The improvement is driven primarily by two of its redesigned models, the Sonata and Elantra, which improve by 57 and 35 points, respectively.  

“We are thrilled with the recognition of Equus and the Hyundai brand as a whole in this year’s J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study,” said Frank Ferrara, executive vice president, Customer Satisfaction, Hyundai Motor America. “With the success of our Equus flagship and the unique appeal of our dynamically designed and fuel-efficient Elantra and Sonata, we’re continuing our quest to satisfy all types of American car buyers.”

Additionally, in the tightest race in the study, the Hyundai Sonata finished second by just two points – 818 v. 816 – in the midsize car segment.

Hyundai sets a new all-time July record

• Hyundai sets a new all-time July record
• Seventh consecutive month setting an all-time monthly sales record
• Thirty-eight percent of vehicles sold in July achieve 40 MPG
COSTA MESA, Calif., 08/02/2011

Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 59,561 vehicles in July, a 10 percent increase compared with the same period a year ago.  This represents an all-time sales record for both the month of July and the first seven months of the year for Hyundai, breaking the marks set last year.   This also marks the seventh consecutive month that Hyundai has set an all-time monthly sales record.

“With the recent launch of our all-new Accent, Hyundai now has the freshest and most fuel-efficient sedan lineup in the industry with Sonata Hybrid and Elantra sedan rounding out our current trio of 40 MPG vehicles, with the 40 MPG Veloster right around the corner,” said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s executive vice president of national sales.  “We are confident going into the third quarter that the company is on track for its best year ever.”

Year to date, Hyundai sales are up 23 percent versus 2010 in total, and up 36 percent at retail.  Sales to fleet accounts represent nine percent of the total sales year-to-date and 10 percent for the month of July.  Thirty-eight percent of Hyundai vehicles sold in July achieved 40 MPG fuel economy ratings.

“Consumer demand continues to be robust across the board for Hyundai, particularly with our imposing sedan line-up of Accent, Elantra, and Sonata Hybrid all delivering on our 40 MPG promise,” said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s executive vice president of national sales.  “Accent sales are up an astounding 75 percent in the first full month of deliveries and our new sub-compact is expected to become the top selling nameplate at retail in its segment for July.”

Genesis’ sustained growth trajectory continued with July representing the 25th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases with a lift of 53 percent over last July.  Equus, our premium luxury sedan, is up 37 percent versus June and set an all-time sales record.  The U.S.-built Sonata and Santa Fe also saw increases of 17 and 15 percent, respectively.        

CARLINE	JULY/2011	JULY/2010	CY/2011	CY/2010
ACCENT	6,938	3,960	30,956	31,038
SONATA	20,884	17,836	135,898	107,085
ELANTRA	15,181	18,215	118,482	75,779
SANTA FE	8,119	7,047	42,940	51,423
AZERA	144	218	1,239	1,799
TUCSON	3,479	3,698	27,016	23,387
VERACRUZ	997	823	5,162	4,177
GENESIS	3,517	2,309	18,971	15,200
EQUUS	302	0	1,694	0
TOTAL	59,561	54,106	382,358	309,888

Sales-Weighted Fuel Economy (mpg)	July	2011 CYTD
Car	37.2	36.5
Truck	28.6	28.7
Hyundai Brand	36.3	35.8

	July	2011 CYTD
40-MPG Sales	22,791	117,968
Mix of Total Sales	38%	31%

Hyundai continues its industry-leading approach to fuel efficiency data transparency, achieving a corporate average fuel economy level of 36.3 MPG in July, and 35.8 MPG for the year-to-date, while selling 22,791 vehicles (Elantra sedan, Sonata Hybrid, and 2012 Accent) with 40 MPG fuel economy ratings.

"The team at Hyundai is proud to show how receptive American car buyers are to fuel-efficient vehicles right now, with 38 percent of our sales hitting 40 MPG this month,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America’s president and CEO.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA REPORTS JULY SALES