RideLust

Hyundai’s Genesis sedan is only three years old, but it’s already on it’s second refresh, which is business as usual at the Korean automaker. As someone once said, “the Koreans are the only people on the planet who can make the Japanese look like slackers,” and nowhere is this more evident than in the regular updates of their vehicles. Most automakers wait three to five years between model updates, with only minor changes year to year. Hyundai, on the other hand, will incorporate fairly significant changes from year to year, based on the accomplishments of their engineering and manufacturing teams. Read More…

When Hyundai launched their flagship Equus in the U.S. market last year, a lot of skeptics doubted that the Korean automaker could capture any sales in the premium luxury market. After all, Hyundai wasn’t even launching the Equus as a unique brand; instead, buyers would set up a showing through their local, Equus-certified Hyundai dealership. Worse, the Equus had no identity of its own, and wasn’t even branded as a Hyundai on the outside of the car. Read More…

When the Hyundai Genesis Sedan was released back in 2008 the motoring press wasn’t really sure what to do with it. You see even though it was a beautiful car with all the bells and whistles you could want from a luxury sedan, it was still a Hyundai with a $40,000 + price tag when equipped with the V8 option. Over the last three years Genesis sales have been languishing a bit and I doubt it’s the rock star that Hyundai hoped it would be. That still hasn’t stopped the Korean auto maker from going even further though with the debut of its 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. The R-Spec promises enhanced steering, better handling and more power thanks to its 429 hp / 323 lb-ft of torque 5-liter V8, but the big question is, will it make consumers bite? Inside Line just did a little road test with the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec and even though it’s a great car, I’m just not sure I’d pony up $47,000 for it.
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The 2011 Genesis Coupe Image: Hyundai Motors

When Hyundai announced that only their V-6 Genesis sedan would be getting a bump in horsepower for the 2011 model year, Genesis Coupe fans cried “foul”. After all, more horsepower in a car with sporting intentions is never a bad thing, and the current Genesis Coupe’s 3.8-liter V6 only makes 306 horsepower. That’s not exactly “class leading”, especially when rivals Ford and Chevy have bumped the output of their own V-6 engines in recent years. Read More…

Kia’s manufacturing facility in West Point, GA, is currently busy cranking out their Sorrento crossover alongside Hyundai’s Santa Fe SUV. There’s still some capacity leftover, so the Korean automaker has announced plans to begin building their new Optima sedan in the Georgia plant. Even better, this move will create an estimated 700 new jobs within Kia’s plant, which will have a ripple effect on the local economy. Kia says the overall net effect will be 7,500 more jobs for local suppliers, but that estimate may be generous; still, I give a big thumbs up to any company creating jobs in the current economy. Read More…

The 2012 Hyundai Accent 5 Door. Image: Hyundai Motor America

When Hyundai released their redesigned 2011 Sonata, it set the benchmark for content and value in the mid-side sedan class. Later, when they launched their all-new Elantra, the car did exactly the same thing for the compact car class. Now Hyundai’s redesigned their popular Accent subcompact for 2012, and it’s about to set the standard for what a subcompact sedan or five door hatchback can be like. Consider the numbers: the new Accent has best-in-class fuel economy at 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, but it still gives you more horsepower (and more horsepower per liter) than any direct competitors. If interior room is your thing, the Accent gives you 21.2 cubic feet, which is more than any other subcompact competitor. It’s also more than compact competitors, including the Honda Insight, the Toyota Matrix, the Audi A3, the Dodge Caliber, the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, the Subaru Impreza 5 door and the Mazda 3 5 door. Read More…

Hyundai's Sonata Sedan. Image: Hyundai Motor America

When the U.S. economy tanked in late 2008, Hyundai stepped up to the plate with their Hyundai Assurance program. While it included Hyundai’s standard 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and five year roadside assistance program, it also included a provision that allowed a buyer to return the car to Hyundai if he lost his job. At a time when companies were shedding employees like a dog sheds fur in the summertime, Hyundai’s Assurance program was guaranteed piece of mind. Combined with improved product quality and revised styling, the program helped Hyundai move a boatload of cars. Since (in Hyundai’s eyes, anyway) the economy in the United States is improving, the automaker is ending the job-loss protection at the end of this month. Read More…

Hyundai is really pulling out all the stops with the new 2011 Equus, a car that is meant to compete with the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. You see Hyundai’s goal is to offer a full-sized world class luxury sedan, for the price of a mid-sized European luxury sedan. It’s actually not a bad strategy, and one that so far, they’re pulling off quite well. For example, a 2011 Mercedes-Benz S550 will run you $93,000, where a 2011 Hyundai Equus comes in at a whopping $30,000 less. Now granted that badge on the hood doesn’t say Mercedes on it, but from a luxury and equipment standpoint, the two big sedans are actually quite similar. In fact Hyundai is going so far as to entice new buyers by surrounding them in all sorts of techno-goodies. Hell, just take a look at their standard issue iPad owners manual. Ladies and gentleman, if that’s not trick I don’t know what is!
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You’ve got to love a carmaker with a sense of humor. The ad below is really for the Hyundai Elantra, but the car is barely seen in the ad until it gets binned by a giant, inflatable gorilla. Maybe the funniest thing of all is that the gorilla is atop a mildly disguised Kia dealership, and the woman appears to be buying a 2007 Kia Spectra. Last time I checked, Hyundai was the parent of Kia, so they’re really making fun of their own cars; I guess that’s safe, since Kia isn’t likely to slap Hyundai with a lawsuit for portraying their (previous generation) cars in a negative light. Read More…

I’ve already given you a fairly detailed review of the new Hyundai Elantra, but I recently had a chance to spend a week with one, as opposed to a single day behind the wheel. This time it was a GLS model with the Preferred Equipment Package, which will most likely be Hyundai’s best-selling version. The GLS comes with cloth seats, not leather, but still includes a long list of standard equipment. On the safety and handling side, four wheel disc brakes are standard, as is electronic stability control and traction control. You’d expect ABS to be standard, but the Elantra also gives you Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution; if those aren’t enough to avoid trouble, the Elantra comes with front, front side impact and side curtain airbags. Read More…