Auto Blitz: Hyundai Elantra

Showing posts with label Hyundai Elantra. Show all posts

Hyundai wants to be more American than Ford, GM, and Chrysler by Building 80% of its U.S.-sold cars in the States

Hyundai, in another bold move to continue attracting American consumers and impressing the public, will soon be building up to 80% American-sold cars in the US (as long as the Elantra makes as big a splash as the Sonata). That would make the little Korean-that-could as "American" as Ford, GM, and apple pie. While this sounds impressive, the numbers are a bit skewed.

For example, the 80% (or "closer to 70%" if listening to J.D. Power analyst Jeff Schuster) is significant when strictly discussing percentages. If discussing volume, the major US automakers still hold the cards. CNN Money reports that if GM were building 66% of American-sold cars here, the number would triple Hyundai's current volume.

For some reason (maybe it's a revolution) Hyundai is just all up in everyone's face lately. Whether it's forging the way Stateside with its new Sonata and Tucson or diving head-first into the Russian market with its new Solaris small sedan, the South Korean automaker just appears in the news non-stop like it's no big thing.

Case in point: the all-new and very Soanata-esque Elantra (called Avante in South Korea) is going to be built in good ol' Alabama at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) plant.

Hyundai has finally confirmed what's been rumored for months; that the all-new 2011 Avante saloon, the predecessor of which we came to know as the Elantra, is heading to North American shores.

"The new compact sedan will also make its way to overseas markets including U.S. starting the end of the year," Hyundai said in an official statement, without disclosing any more details. Unless the company changes its plans, expect to see Hyundai's baby Sonata making its first public outing in the States at the Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November.

There's not much to say about the new 2011 Hyundai Elantra that hasn't already been said, but thanks to a Carscoop tipster, we can show you a new video of the domestic market version, which is called the Avante and goes on sale in South Korea in the beginning of August. In global markets, the Avante will be pitted against the sedan variants of the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Be sure to check out our previous post on the new Elantra here after you watch the video after the jump.

Next week, Hyundai will begin South Korean sales of the all-new 2011 Avante, which is the home-market version of what we could come to know as the next generation of the Elantra compact sedan, with prices ranging from 14,900,000 Won to 19,500,000 Won or about US$12,600 to US$16,500 at today's exchange rates.

In anticipation of the launch, Hyundai released a slew of new photos along with a more detailed spec sheet. The South Korean market version of the car is powered by an all-new Gamma 1.6-liter Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) four-cylinder engine producing an output of 140-horsepower at 6,300 rpm and a maximum torque of 17.5 kg-m (171Nm or 126.5 lb-ft).

If you have been wondering what the interior of the all-new 2011 Elantra, or as it is known in its home market, the Avante MD, looks like, here's the first official photo of the compact sedan's cabin.

As expected, the overall design of the dashboard continues the same "sculpted" theme seen on the new Sonata's interior, enhanced with more edges and swoopy lines. It also gets an instrument panel with a pair of tunneled main gauges (speedometer and tachometer), as well as unique controls for the HVAC system on the center console and plenty of faux metal trim.

We're not exactly sure what's going on here -other than some men in suits trying to park the all-new 2011 Hyundai Elantra, but since this is the first video we've seen of the compact saloon out in the open, we thought we'd share it with you.

Leaner and longer than the current model with a styling that draws cues directly from the new Sonata, the next Elantra made its world debut at the Busan motorshow in Korea in April 2010 and is set to go on sale as the Avante MD in its home market before the end of the year. Hyundai's VW Jetta rival will be offered with a new 140-horsepower 1.6-liter foru cylinder petrol engine with direct injection technology.

At this year's edition of the Busan Motor Show in April, Hyundai gave us our first look at the rakish new Elantra sedan, known as the Avante in its home market. However, the South Korean company only showed us its outer parts as the display model's windows were all blacked out.

Now, Hyundai is teasing us with a conceptual rendering of the Elantra's interior that, like the exterior, promises a dramatic revamp relative to the current model Judging from the sketch, the 2011 Elantra's cabin design will continue the same "sculpted" theme seen on the new Sonata's interior.

A Korean newspaper has reported that Hyundai plans to build the North American market version of its new Elantra saloon (otherwise known as the Avante) at its Alabama plant starting from April 2011 in order to reduce costs.

The report from The Chosun Ilbo, which cites a Korean Hyundai spokesman as its source, goes on to say that the Elantra will replace the current Santa Fe SUV at the Alabama factory adding that the Santa Fe's replacement, which is due in mid-2011, will be moved to sister company Kia's plant in Georgia.

Earlier today, Hyundai pulled the wraps off the all-new 2011 Avante, or as we will come to know it, the next generation of the Elantra sedan. Along with the first details and photos, the South Korean automaker also released an animated film on the new Elantra that you can check out right after the jump.
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All-New Hyundai Elantra / Avante Sedan Unveiled at Busan Motor Show

Only days after the unveiling of the new Accent small sedan (Verna for South Korea) in Beijing, Hyundai rolled out the next generation of its Elantra saloon - badged as the Avantre in its home market- at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show today.

Boasting a much sportier look than its rather dull predecessor, the new Elantra continues Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design philosophy in a package that most automakers would describe today as a "four-door coupe".

There are no photos of the new Elantra's cabin, but we assume that the interior styling will be heavily influenced by the larger Sonata.

Here we go again: as was the case with the spy photos we showed you back in February, this single picture of a small Hyundai sedan snagged without any camouflage somewhere in South Korea has us wondering if it's the next generation Accent (marketed as the Verna in Korea) or the Elantra.

Either way, the compact-size four-door saloon looks like a mini-Sonata sharing the same "Fluidic Sculpture" design with its larger brethren. Apparently, Hyundai has learned its German lessons well - and by that we mean the "one design fits all size mantra".

As always, you can have your say in the comments section below.

Most of the times we receive spy photos from our partners, we don't have any questions or doubts about the type and make of the vehicles that we're dealing with. But once in a while, some scoops baffle us.

These spy shots were labeled as the next generation 2011 Hyundai Elantra. And while we have no doubt that it's a Hyundai, we are not at all convinced that what we're looking at here is the new Elantra. In fact, we believe that there's a possibility it may be the saloon version of the next generation Accent.

Evidently, you're wondering what made us consider the new Accent.

Well, compared to other spy shots of the Elantra here in the U.S., this camouflaged prototype that was spied in Germany appears to be more compact in dimensions and it features a less swooping roofline. Furthermore, the shape of the window frame at the rear door is also different.

A third option is that this may be the Euro-spec Elantra, but for the time being, we're leaning towards the Accent.

You can compare these photos with spy shots of the Elantra from other sites by clicking the links below, and tell us what you think.

Accent or Elantra, one thing is for sure: the styling of the prototype model is clearly inspired by the larger Sonata, and that should be something from a design standpoint.

2011 Hyundai Elantra Scoop Links: Autoblog, Worldcarfans, Edmunds

Hyundai Adds Optional In-Dash LG Navigation System to 2010 Elantra

For the mid-2010 model year, Hyundai is upgrading its U.S. market Elantra with the introduction of an in- dash LG Electronics navigation unit that will be offered optionally on the GLS A/T trim-level and in conjunction with the Premium package on the top-of-the-line SE A/T model.

The navigation system's features include a 6.5-inch high resolution touch-screen, Bluetooth and iPod/USB connectivity plus a 200-watt AM/FM/XM Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with internal amplifier and 8GB of internal flash memory.

The system's map covers the continental United States and has available POIs (Points of Interest) for shopping, entertainment and dining with route guidance provided by audio and 2D map prompts.

The touchscreen navigation-equipped Elantras arrive in U.S. dealerships this month with prices set at $17,995 for the GLS A/T (+$1,100 over the standard GLS A/T) and at $19,845 for the SE A/T Premium + Navigation (+$2,000 over the SE A/T), not including a $720 freight charge.