Hyundai tops Brand Keys customer loyalty survey

Hyundai has been on an extended roll these last few years, and car buyers have apparently noticed. The Korean automaker’s sales have been steadily climbing, and new products like the Sonata and Elantra only help matters. Winning new customers is obviously a large part of Hyundai’s recent success, but it’s important to keep current owners in the fold as well.

Hyundai is apparently doing just that, as Brand Keys has named Hyundai the brand with the best customer loyalty. Brand Keys President Robert Passikoff pointed out Hyundai’s ability to meet customer expectations, adding that the car maker “scored the highest levels of loyalty when it comes to the Automotive category.”

After Hyundai, the top six automakers were Ford at number two, followed by a tie for Honda and Nissan and another dead-lock for BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Hit the jump to read over the press release.

Source:Autoblog

Hyundai’s Model Naming Conventions: From 0 to Fubar in 4 Years

Hyundai is one of the world’s biggest automakers, and the most visible of South Korea’s business and industrial acumen. So you would think a company that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Toyota and pre-bailout GM would be pretty consistent with its model naming conventions, right?

Well, not exactly. When Hyundai first launched the i30 hatchback in Europe, Australia and other markets, it seemed that familiar nameplates such as Elantra and Sonata would soon be dead and buried. Not so. In fact, the i30 CW (basically, the station wagon version of the i30), is still sold in the U.S. as the Elantra Touring.
And there's another thing. When the “i” and “ix” naming convention was introduced by Hyundai, it seemed to me that the “i” names would be for cars and the “ix” for the brand’s SUVs. This too was not to be. In Australia, the Hyundai Sonata is sold as the i45 and the upcoming ix20 is a B-segment MPV, not a mini SUV.
So what gives, Hyundai? Why can’t you keep the names internally consisted? Audi never had this problem. A’s for cars and Q’s for SUVs. Oh, I forgot about the TT and R8. Damn it, guys! It can’t be that difficult to stay consistent. It irks me, as I’m a pedant and a stickler for uniformity.
So that’s my two cents. We now return you to your regular scheduled blog.
 

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New Hyundai i40 Mid-Size at Geneva Motor Show 2011

Making its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, is the estate version of Hyundai’s all-new, Europe-specific D-segment model, the i40. Designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, with European buyers in mind, the i40 will fill the gap left by the outgoing Sonata model in the South Korean automaker's range and will compete against the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. A four-door sedan version will be introduced this year, with most bets going towards the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September.
The i40 Estate will go on sale across Europe in the summer with engine options including a 1.7-liter turbo diesel emitting as little as 113 g/km of CO2 and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit. Strangely, Hyundai has not yet released any other details on the i40 series. When the Koreans decide to share, we'll post an update. In the meantime, scroll down to check out the gallery and a video from Hyundai's Geneva Motor Show booth.


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2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Facelift

As Hyundai continues its ascent to the top, the South Korean automaker-that-could is getting bolder every day. This time the company entered new grounds at the Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling facelifted Genesis sedan that gets a new sporty variant for the for the 2012 model year.  

The new model sports the R-Spec moniker and comes with a new 5.0-liter direct injection V8 engine pushing out 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 lb. ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm, which makes it the company's most powerful series production model ever. The V8 is mated to Hyundai's all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. While the Koreans did not release acceleration figures, Hyundai did say the car's fuel economy is estimated at 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Genesis R-Spec also boasts a more aggressive chassis tuning with larger stabilizer bars, suspension tweaks, larger brakes and a different steering calibration, plus 19-inch wheels that can be fitted optionally with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 summer performance tires.
The sportiest member of the Genesis family receives some very subtle styling cues such as the unique headlights with dark chrome inserts, specific alloy wheel designs and the black R-Spec embroidered floor mats. The Genesis R-Spec will be offered only in three exterior colors: Black Noir, Titanium Gray, and Platinum Metallic, each with Black leather interior and an all-black leather steering wheel.
As for the rest of the Genesis range, the big news for the 2012 model year is the updated 3.8-liter V6 engine that receives direct injection (GDI) technology and several other upgrades boosting output by 15 percent, from 290 to 333 horsepower, and peak torque from 264 lb.-ft. to 291 lb.-ft. According to Hyundai, fuel economy increases over seven percent from 27 mpg to 29 mpg on the highway.
Both the 3.8-liter V6 and the 4.6-liter Tau V8 with 385HP will be offered with Hyundai's new eight-speed automatic transmission, which helps increase the V8's fuel economy over seven percent from 25 mpg to 26 mpg on the highway.
Other changes for the 2012 Genesis sedan include refinements to the 3.8 and 4.6 model suspension damping calibrations, and the fitment of larger brakes, plus some modest styling revisions to the headlamps that gain LED accents and daytime running lights, front grille, bumpers, tail lamps, and exhaust tips.

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