El Rio luce muy bien...

La marca surcoreana Kia renovó por completo su modelo Rio, y aunque detalles claros del carro todavía no son conocidos, entre ellos el interior, nos parece que el nuevo diseño exterior es precioso. De unos años para acá las ensambladoras de Corea del Sur han dado pasos agigantados en cuanto a calidad, diseño, tecnología...y valor de marca. No sería justo considerarlas aún por los desaciertos de hace dos décadas atrás pues estan a la par de sus rivales e incluso, poco a poco van incursionando en segmentos tan complejos como lo son los automóviles de lujo (o sino preguntenle a la hermana de Kia; Hyundai)...El Rio, que tiene un montón de buenos rivales en el segmento de los compactos, parece que dejará de ser uno de los que llegan...y se van sin dejar rastro. En los despiadados mercados europeos - por lo dificil de posicionar un auto en el gusto de los compradores - tiene posibilidad de entrar gracias a su renovada imagen, precios - aún por anunciar pero generalmente interesantes en modelos anteriores - que deberían ser más que atractivos, y motores diesel opcionales de última generación. ¿Le convence el auto a usted? [Más del Kia Rio] KM77

En otro orden: Detroit, ciudad élite de las automotrices estadounidenses, está por rendir honor a Mr. Robocop... Aol Autos

El Rio luce muy bien...

La marca surcoreana Kia renovó por completo su modelo Rio, y aunque detalles claros del carro todavía no son conocidos, entre ellos el interior, nos parece que el nuevo diseño exterior es precioso. De unos años para acá las ensambladoras de Corea del Sur han dado pasos agigantados en cuanto a calidad, diseño, tecnología...y valor de marca. No sería justo considerarlas aún por los desaciertos de hace dos décadas atrás pues estan a la par de sus rivales e incluso, poco a poco van incursionando en segmentos tan complejos como lo son los automóviles de lujo (o sino preguntenle a la hermana de Kia; Hyundai)...El Rio, que tiene un montón de buenos rivales en el segmento de los compactos, parece que dejará de ser uno de los que llegan...y se van sin dejar rastro. En los despiadados mercados europeos - por lo dificil de posicionar un auto en el gusto de los compradores - tiene posibilidad de entrar gracias a su renovada imagen, precios - aún por anunciar pero generalmente interesantes en modelos anteriores - que deberían ser más que atractivos, y motores diesel opcionales de última generación. ¿Le convence el auto a usted? [Más del Kia Rio] KM77

En otro orden: Detroit, ciudad élite de las automotrices estadounidenses, está por rendir honor a Mr. Robocop... Aol Autos

Hyundai Elantra soon to be relaunched in India

The country's largest car exporter Hyundai India has recently announced that it may come-out with a new avatar of its Elantra model in India. Hyundai Elantra model was Phased-out from the Indian market in the year 2007 due to its continuously lowering down sales in the country at that time. After its relaunch in the Indian market, the model will be pitched in against some of the best selling cars of this segment like Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia.




According to Mr Y K Koo, Senior Director of the company, Hyundai is reviewing the relaunch of the Elantra in the country which will be subject to the growth in the market size of the premium segment. He added that the premium segment market in which Elantra fits in is just 3 per cent of total market size of cars in the country, but this market is growing. However, any official statement regarding the timeline of the launch of this vehicle in the Indian market is yet to be made by the company.

Mr koo further added that the whole auto industry grew by 27 per cent in January-May but Hyundai India posted growth of 31 per cent. The company currently sells an array of cars in India across all segments including hatchbacks like Santo Xing, i10 and i20; Sedans like Verna Transform and Sonata. Besides this, the company is also planning to launch its premium SUV Hyundai Santa Fe in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 20 to 22 lakh.

Source:- Hyundai Elantra soon to be relaunched in India - New Cars

Hyundai Domestic sales up by 18.9%

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter continued to be on a growth trajectory with the domestic sales growing by 18.9 % in June 2010 over the same month last year.

HMIL’s total sales for June, 2010 stood at 46,254 units as against 47,266 units in June, 2009. The domestic sales accounted for 27,366 units as against 23,016 units in June, 2009 registering a growth of 18.9 % while the exports declined by 22.1% from 24,250 units in June, 2009 to 18,888 units in June, 2010.




For the first half ending June 30, 2010, the domestic sales accounted for 175,121 units as against 135,751 units (Jan-June 2009) registering a growth of 29 % while the overseas sales grew by 9.2 % from 121,074 units (Jan-June 2009) to 132,226 units in Jan-June 2010. The cumulative sales saw a jump of 19.7% with total of 307,347 units in the first half of this year against 256,825 units over the same period last year.

Arvind Saxena, Director - Marketing and Sales, HMIL said, “The domestic market continues to show a steady growth but the exports have slowed down especially in the EU countries in the absence of any fresh incentives from the respective governments there. Our new products have also helped us grow the market here and the recent launch of the Verna Transform should help us to improve our figures in the mid segment further in the coming months. We expect the domestic market to continue to grow in double digits in the second half of this year as well.”

Source:- Hyundai Domestic sales up by 18.9% - New Cars

Hyundai likely to price its 800cc small car @ Rs 1.6 lakh

Hyundai Motors India Ltd., (HMIL), one of the largest car makers in the country which is developing a compact-car for the Indian market, is speculated to be priced at Rs 1.6 lakh, as revealed by some media reports on Friday. The new small car is currently under development at the company's R&D center at Hyderabad where it's engineers are working in tandem with their South Korean counterparts.

The new Hyundai baby is expected to come, powered with a 800 CC engine and will compete against India's best-selling car Maruti Alto after it is launched in the country. The company will showcase this car at the upcoming International Auto Expo in India in the year 2012 , where it is expected to attract a large number of car enthusiasts and visitors.




The car will be developed on a completely new platform though some designing cues could be borrowed from Hyundai's popular small hatchback Santro Xing. Besides this, the company is also reviewing the relaunch of the Elantra in the country which will be subject to the growth in the market size of the premium segment, as per a statement given by Mr Y K Koo, Senior Director of the company. However, the timeline of the launch of this vehicle in the Indian market is yet to be revealed by the the South Korean auto giant.

Hyundai India is aiming to achieve the sales mark of 600,000 units in the calender year 2010 as against the 5.6 lakh units sold in the same period, last year. HMIL's market share was 20.6 percent in the year 2009 and it will go up by 0.1 percent this year, said Mr Hyundai Motors India Limited managing director and chief executive H.W. Park. He said so at the launching ceremony of the new Hyundai Verna Transform in India.

Source:- Hyundai likely to price its 800cc small car @ Rs 1.6 lakh - New Cars

Hyundai reports a decrease in exports to Europe

Hyundai Motors has witnessed a decrease in its exports to the European market, mostly due to the economic downturn in the region, as per a statement given by Mr Arvind Saxena, Hyundai Motors India Limited Senior vice-president Marketing & Sales.

The decline in exports is primarily due to the economic turmoil in Europe. The company is trying to cover up its losses from Europe by exporting products to other geographies such as South America and South Africa, said Mr Saxena. The statement was given by him at the launching ceremony of the Hyundai Verna Transform in Andhra Pradesh.




At present, the manufacturing facilities of the company in Chennai manufacture more than 6,50,000 units in the country. While further elaborating the company's total sales in the country,Mr Saxena added that around 52 percent of the company's sales was in the domestic market and the remaining 48 percent was from exports made to the foreign markets. He further said that company's domestic sales will be increased to 57 percent this year.

Hyundai India, which is the second largest car maker in the Indian market following Maruti Suzuki, is aiming to sell 600,000 units of its cars in the calender year 2010 as against 5.6 lakh units sold in same period last year. According to Hyundai Motors India Limited managing director and chief executive H.W. Park, company's market share was 20.6 percent in the year 2009 and it will go up by 0.1 percent this year.

The company will enhance its dealership network to 320 from the existing 290 centers, by the end of the year 2010.

Source:- Hyundai reports a decrease in exports to Europe - New Cars

Hyundai India eyes 16% growth in 2010

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), one of the largest car makers in the Indian market, today indicated that it is aiming to achieve the volume growth of around 16 percent in the year 2010. The company will match the industry's growth rate of 15-16 percent. Last year its growth rate was 20.8 percent which was due to the lower comparable base of 2008, said Mr Arvind Saxena, HMIL Director of sales and marketing. The company sold around 600,000 units last year.

HMIL has recently launched the new Hyundai Verna Transform in India which was in line with its strategy of rolling-out a new and an upgraded model yearly. The new sedan is available with two engine variants including 1.6 litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel. The Hyundai Verna Transform is priced between Rs 6.56 lakh and Rs 9.22 lakh (ex-showroom).




According to company's Managing Director H.W. Park, the company has sold about 82,000 Verna's since its launch in 2008. He added that the car's engine has been retained butthe exterior and interiors have been changed to give it a sporty as well as a luxurious look. At present, the company manages to sell about 2,000 units of Verna, monthly.

On the question related to the foray of Kia Motors in India Mr park said that it is a sister company run by independent management and he cannot comment on their plans.

Moreover, HMIL plans to launch a 800cc compact-car in India at the upcoming Indian auto expo 2012. The car has been designed and developed after taking into consideration the requirement of the Indian buyers. After its launch, the model will lock horns with Maruti Suzuki's best-selling small car Alto, in India.

Source:- Hyundai India eyes 16% growth in 2010 - New Cars

Hyundai Getz to call it quits in India

Hyundai Getz, the oldest premium hatchback of India which is currently struggling with continuously lowering sales in the country, is all set to be phased-out from company's portfolio in India. According to market watchers, the company now wants to fully concentrate on its other popular cars of this segment like Hyundai i20, which is receiving an overwhelming response from the Indian buyers.

The sales of Hyundai Getz have been witnessing a steep fall since last few months after the launch of Hyundai i20, as the Indian buyers prefer i20 over Getz since it has new generation features and a unique design.




The Getz model was launched in India in the year 2004 in the price segment of Rs 4.5 lakh, to target the buyers who are planning to upgrade to premium cars from the popular small cars of that time like Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, and Hyundai Santro. However, Since the launch of Maruti's most popular premium hatchback Maruti Swift in 2005, the sales of this Hyundai hatchback has been continuously falling. While in contrast, Maruti Swift is enjoying a golden phase in the Indian market with crossing the 5,00,000 lakh units sales mark in April 2010.

There were news reports earlier this year that Hyundai India may decide to upgrade Getz in compliance to the new BS-IV emission norms. However, due to its sluggish performance in the Indian market the company dropped the plan for the same.

Source:- Hyundai Getz to call it quits in India - New Cars

Hyundai Santa Fe to be launched in India by Oct 2010

Hyundai India, the largest car exporter from the Indian market, said on Thursday that it may come-out with an upgraded version of its Elantra model in India. It should be mentioned here that Hyundai Elantra model was discontinued from the Indian market in the year 2007 due to the continuous slow down in its sales in the country at that time. The model was pitched in the highly competitive segment against some of the best selling cars of this segment like Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Skoda Octavia.

Besides this, the company is also planning to launch its premium SUV Hyundai Santa Fe in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 20 to 22 lakh.

The company is reviewing the relaunch of the Elantra in the country which will be subject to the growth in the market size of the premium segment, as per a statement given by Mr Y K Koo, Senior Director of the company. However, the timeline of the launch of this vehicle in the Indian market is yet to be revealed by the company. The premium segment market in which Elantra fits in is just 3 per cent of total market size of cars in the country, but this market is growing, added Mr Koo.

Mr koo further added that the whole auto industry grew by 27 per cent in January-May but Hyundai India posted growth of 31 per cent.

Hyundai India has recently rolled-out its latest Verna Transform in the Indian market with an aim of taking its monthly sales to 2000 units from existing 1500 units a month. Hyundai Motors has infused about Rs 70 crore in the development of the new Verna Transform.

Source:- Hyundai Santa Fe to be launched in India by Oct 2010 - New Cars

New Hyundai 800cc car on its way to India

Hyundai Motors India limited, the largest car exporter and second largest car maker in the country, plans to launch a 800cc compact-car in India at the Indian auto expo 2012. Considering the fact that the car has been designed and developed keeping in mind the Indian market, the next Auto Expo in 2012 will be the ideal platform to unveil the car, as per a statement given by a Hyundai official to a leading news daily in India.

The new small car is under development at company's R&D center in its domestic market. After its launch in the Indian market, the new Hyundai 800 CC car will compete with country's best selling car Maruti Alto. A few months back, the company had indicated that it has plans of launching a small car in India which will be priced between the Tata Nano and Maruti Alto.

Recently, an official of the Hyundai India was reported as saying that there is minimal contribution in terms of engineering from India, but there has been a lot of input like component development, market research and customer feedback from the country.

On the other hand, Mr HW Park, the CEO and MD of the Hyundai India has said that the company is on course and the development is on its way. However, he refused to give the time frame of the launch.

Source:- New Hyundai 800cc car on its way to India - New Cars

Hyundai Verna Transform launched in India

Hyundai Motor India launched an upgraded version of its popular car model Verna that is christened Hyundai Verna Transform, on Wednesday. The new sedan is launched in two engine variants of 1.6 litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel. The Hyundai Verna Transform is priced between Rs 6.56 lakh and Rs 9.22 lakh (ex-showroom).










The brand new Verna Transform has been equipped with new designer front grille, new front bumper with bold curves, round shape fog lamps, chrome tipped exhaust, new rear combination lamp, ORVM with LED turn indicator, new air dam and sharp eye shaped headlamps.



"The Verna Transform is all set to boost Hyundai's already superior line-up of products in India by raising the benchmark in the sedan segment," Hyundai Motor India Managing Director and CEO H W park told reporters here.

Hyundai Motor India enjoys the second largest position in India when it comes to car manufacturing. It's popular car models are Hyundai i10, Hyundai i20 and Hyundai Santro. Hyundai managed to sell over 80,000 units of the old Verna since its launch in September 2006.

Hyundai Verna Transform launched in India - New Cars

Hyundai Verna Transform to launch tomorrow

Hyundai India, the largest car exporter and the second largest car maker in the Indian market, announced on Monday that it will launch the all new Verna Transform in the country on Wednesday (June 23rd). Hyundai Verna Transform, which was launched in Hyundai's domestic market, South-Korea in the year 2009, is basically a face-lifted model and comes equipped with new-generation features.



Hyundai Verna Transform went on sale in Korea in 2009. The company hasn't disclosed any details related to the modification that could have been made in this car to make it feasible for the Indian road conditions. The new- generation Verna Transform has borrowed some styling cues from one of the company's most successful coupe model Genesis, though the front grill has been designed uniquely. With this, the head lamps and the bumper of the new model have enhanced its bold and aggressive looks.



It is speculated that the India bound Verna transform will be launched with a modified exterior, comprising of features like, a different radiator grill, quadra-exhaust, headlamps and bumper while the interior is expected to be featured with some new generation features like electronic speedo and tacho meters, mp3 player/radio and pod connectivity facility.

The senior officials of Hyundai India, Mr. H.W Park, MD & CEO and Mr. Arvind Saxena, Director, Marketing & Sales will be present at the launching ceremony of this model (in Mumbai).

Source:- Hyundai Verna Transform to launch tomorrow - New Cars

Hyundai Verna Transform may hit Indian roads soon

Hyundai Verna Transform, which has recently been launched in the South Korean market, is speculated to hit the Indian roads soon, as the company may look to compete promptly against other popular cars of this segment including Fiat Linea, Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda City and the upcoming Sedan, Volkswagen Vento (polo). However, there has been no official statement given on this regard from the company's side.



The latest Verna Transform has borrowed some styling cues from one of the company's most successful coupe model Genesis, though the front grill has been designed uniquely. With this, the head lamps and the bumper of the new model have given it a completely new look which enhances its bold and aggressive looks.



The company claims that Verna Transform offers fuel-economy of 18 km/l. It is expected that the India bound Verna Transform will be equipped with new generation features like illuminated instrumentation panel that can be turned blue/green , upgraded music system and Bluetooth connectivity. It is expected that the Verna Transform will be launched in the Indian Market, in the price range of Rs 8 to 10 lakh, though Hyundai hasn't disclosed the pricing details for this model for the Indian market.

Source:- Hyundai Verna Transform may hit Indian roads soon - New Cars

Hyundai Verna Transform could hit Indian roads soon

Hyundai Verna Transform, a revised version of Hyundai Motor's flagship car Verna was recently launched in South Korea. The car is expected to go off-the shelf later this month in its home market. There are speculations that the Korean auto major might launch this new version in other markets as well. Verna Transform is assumed to hit the Indian roads by the year end.




The new face-lift in the sedan seems to be more than mere cosmetic changes. News is that this C-segment sedan has gone through a number of technical enhancements along with upgraded exteriors and interiors.

Hyundai Verna Transform is gifted with a 1.6L four-cylinder engine, that offers more fuel economy than the existing models. There is a eco lamp added on the dashboard that is for the driver to be able to drive in the most economical way. This lamp would turn green to indicate high efficiency, while a red light would sign towards a lower economy.

Source:- Hyundai Verna Transform could hit Indian roads soon - New Cars

Hyundai Sonata crosses 5 million units sales mark

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motors announced on Monday that it has crossed the mark of 5 million units in the worldwide sales of its luxury sedan Hyundai Sonata. The Sonata model was first introduced in year 1985 in the company's domestic market and since then it has been through a series of up-gradations and changes. The company had recently unveiled the sixth-generation Sonata which has received an overwhelming response globally.

Among these 5 million units sold worldwide, about 2.7 were sold in Hyundai's domestic market only, while the remaining were sold in foreign auto-markets including US where the company has sold about 1.3 million units so far. The Sonata is the very history of South Korea's mid-size sedans that enjoyed the great affection of customers for the past 25 years, even called the best sedan of South Korea, as per a statement given by company's executive.

Hyundai Motors enjoys top position in the South Korean market with two of its most popular sedans Avante and Accent, crossing 5 million sales mark globally. The company has started selling its new Sonata 2011 by this week, which claims to offer incredible fuel economy. The Sonata is available in two engine options including 2.0L and 2.4L, and comes with a starting price tag of $ 17,670.

Source:- Hyundai Sonata crosses 5 million units sales mark - New Cars

New market hunt by Maruti, Hyundai

Maruti and Hyundai, the leading auto makers of the country, are hunting for new export markets to make up the loss incurred by currency fluctuation (euro) and withdrawal of key incentives by European countries. Both the auto makers registered huge looses due to the above mentioned factors in the current year.

Maruti experienced fall in export target to Euro zone, 80 per cent of overseas income comes through this zone, by 5 per cent to 1.4 lakh units for the year ending March 2011 as against the previous year while Hyundai's experience remained the same, as the company lost 2.3 per cent of export volumes in May, 2010 compared to the corresponding period.

The losses made the companies to search for new destinations. Hyundai, Director, Marketing and sales, Arvind Saxena told that the company is looking forward to Australia, South Africa, West Asia and Vietnam as potential market places;however, they are not as good as Euro zone if compare. On the other hand, Maruti is mulling over to consider Brunei, Taiwan, Algeria, Hong Kong, and Chile and South Africa. Apart from that the company is planning to deal more in dollar that has been more stable than euro in the last one year.

It is to be noted that car exports increased 33 per cent to 4.46 lakh units in the end of FY 2010. Whereas the exports growth in first two months of the current fiscal was 20 per cent year-on-year.

Source:- New market hunt by Maruti, Hyundai - New Cars

Hyundai's plant restored to normalcy, strike called-off

The Chennai plant of Hyundai India, which had been going through a complete production halt since last few days, today restored to normalcy as representatives of both workers and management reached to a truce. The breakthrough meeting was held at the house of Tamil Nadu's labor minister.

Mr R Sethuraman, senior VP, finance and corporate affairs, Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL), told to the reporters after summing-up the marathon meeting that the company is happy to say that it has signed an MoU with the striking employees. The strike has been called off. The union’s demand to re-instate 67 people has been agreed, he added.



The representatives of both HMIL and workers signed an MoU, in which the HMIL has agreed to review the cases related to dismissal of 35 employees on humanitarian aspects. A six member committee, comprising representatives of HMIL, government and workers will review the issue on a case-to-case basis.

According to Mr Sethuraman, the consultation process is expected to take a month. The company has accepted the main demand of the union to restore 67 workers. It has assured that 32 workers would go through the legal route. It has sealed on this, he added.

Hyundai India, which is facing a stiff competition from the new entrants in the compact car-segment including Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo, will now concentrate on producing at its maximum capacity at Chennai. The company is a major player in the compact car segment in Indian and sells some of the most popular cars in this segment including Hyundai Santro Xing, Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20.

Source:- Hyundai's plant restored to normalcy, strike called-off - New Cars

Hyundai India resumes shifts, strike continues

Hyundai India, which is struggling with a complete halt of production at its Chennai Plant due to the ongoing workers strike, has resumed the operations at this plant. The company failed to solve the issue in the meeting called before the Labour Commissioner on Tuesday. The production at company's two adjacent factories at Chennai has been stalled since Sunday.



The worker's strike came at a time when Hyundai India is facing a stiff competition from the new entrants in the compact car-segment including Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo. The company is a major player in the compact car segment in Indian and sells some of the most popular cars in this segment including Hyundai Santro Xing, Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20.

As per the news reports, the management of Hyundai is not ready to move from its stand on the issue with showing company's disciplinary aspects, while on the on the hand the on-strike workers are stick on their demand of re-instating their 67 colleagues. As per a company statement, the 67 employees had been dismissed for gross misconduct leading to damage of company property and violence against fellowworkers.

Source:- Hyundai India resumes shifts, strike continues - New Cars

Hyundai's Chennai workers again on strike

Hyundai India, country's largest car exporter and the second largest car-maker, is again struggling with disruption of its overseas and domestic marketing plans as workers at its Chennai plant went on strike third time in a period of less than 12 months.

The workers of the company's Chennai plant completely halted the production on Monday following the suspension of four of their colleagues by the management of the Hyundai Motor India (HMIL). As per Mr R Sethuraman, HMIL senior vice-president, finance and corporate affairs, the strike has the potential to cause a daily loss of Rs 66 crore.



The news came at a time when Hyundai India is facing a stiff competition from the new entrants in the compact hatchback segment like Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo. The company is a leading player in the compact car segment in Indian and sells some of the most popular cars in this segment including Hyundai Santro Xing, Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20.

The representatives from both management's and worker's side are scheduled to meet on Today, where the company will try to find a complete solution of this long standing labor problem. The company has two adjacent manufacturing facilities at Chennai which are fully-owned by the Hyundai India's Korean parent.

Source:- Hyundai's Chennai workers again on strike - New Cars

Hyundai India sales jumped 15.52 in May 2010

Hyundai India, the country's second largest car maker, on Tuesday reported a sales increase of 15.52 per cent in the domestic market in May 2010. The company managed to sell 27,151 units of its cars in this month as against 23,503 units sold in May 2009. The cumulative sales of the company stood at 46,808 units during the month as against 43,624 units sold in the same month last year, accounted for a sales increase of 7.30 percent.



However, the company witnessed a decrease of 2.32 percent in its exports during the month at 19,657 units as compare to the 20,121 units sold in same period last year. Mr Arvind Saxena, Director (Marketing and Sales), HMIL, said in a statement that although the market continues to grow, company was constrained by its planned annual maintenance shutdown (at the Chennai plants) this month which restricted its numbers as we had to divert our export production to meet the demand for the domestic market.

Total sales of the A2 segment, which accounts for most of the sales of the company (Santro, i10, i20 and Getz Prime), stood at 42,460 units in May, while the sales of the A3 segment (Accent and Verna) stood at 4,310 units. With this, the sales of the A4 segment (Elantra), was only one unit. While the A5 segment (Sonata Transform) of HMIL registered sales of 37 units.

Source:- Hyundai India sales jumped 15.52 in May 2010 - New Cars