Hyundai Sonata Most Researched New Vehicle Happy Hyundai

2011 HYUNDAI SONATA SOARS IN KBB.COM’S “MOST RESEARCHED NEW VEHICLES” REPORT
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 12/28/2010

The all-new Hyundai Sonata, a North American Car of the Year finalist, was deemed the “most noteworthy success story” of the year in kbb.com’s “Most Researched New Vehicles of 2010” report. Sonata leapt 24 places to number five overall. Because Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers. Hyundai will sell approximately 200,000 Sonatas in calendar year 2010 and volume is up 65 percent year-to-date (through November).

“Hyundai’s popular all-new Sonata helped to re-shuffle the deck among the top 20 most-researched new cars of 2010, knocking a few vehicles further down on the list compared to where they were last year,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. 

“The research from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com validates a trend we’ve been following throughout the year. Sonata is clearly making more consumers’ shopping lists than ever before,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, product and corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Data from Compete shows that Sonata was the most-shopped vehicle on the Internet six of the last seven months, proving that as awareness and availability of the 2011 model increased, shopping patterns quickly followed suit.” 

The 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional mid-size sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. In addition to the standard 2.4-liter, gasoline direct injection powertrain making 35 miles-per-gallon highway, Hyundai added a 2.0-liter, 274-horsepower turbo and first-ever hybrid to the Sonata lineup. The Sonata Turbo went on sale in September and Sonata Hybrid, achieving 40 miles-per-gallon highway, will reach showrooms in January.

The all-new Sonata was the first mid-size car to receive a five-star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick honor, placing it in a safety position unsurpassed in the industry.

“The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com clearly demonstrates which models are resonating with today’s new-car shoppers, especially when we examine the most-researched new vehicles of 2010,” said Bell.  “Hyundai’s homerun Sonata was not only the darling of the industry this year, but also made a strong impression in the minds of new-car shoppers by leaping ahead to the fifth most-researched new car of 2010.”

Hyundai earns top honors again.. Happy Hyundai Oak Lawn

MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT AUTOMAKER IN AMERICA, HYUNDAI, SAYS LINEUP TO AVERAGE MINIMUM 50 MPG BY 2025

• Since 2008 Hyundai has been the most fuel-efficient manufacturer in the U.S.
• Since becoming the leader in fuel economy, Hyundai market share is up 50 percent
• Hyundai’s next goal: Average at least 50 mpg by 2025 through innovative Blue Drive™ technologies

Hyundai Motor America, the leading fuel economy auto manufacturer in the U.S., announced plans to maintain its leadership and achieve a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rating of at least 50 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025 for its lineup of passenger cars and light duty trucks.
Current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations require automakers to achieve a CAFE rating of 35.5 mpg by 2016. Before those rules were enacted last year, Hyundai had already announced its own plan to reach 35 mpg by 2015. Hyundai’s announcement of this longer-term goal of delivering a minimum 50 mpg CAFE rating by 2025 is consistent with its philosophy of setting stretch objectives that align its resources, challenge its team members, and delight consumers and society.
“We’re committed to setting the pace in this industry on fuel economy, and we’re inspired by the possibilities that our advanced Blue Drive technologies afford,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. “Getting to 50 mpg and beyond seems like a huge leap, but by making this commitment and aligning our R&D initiatives now, we know we can get there.”
Hyundai has shown that customers will flock to high-quality, stylish products offering high fuel economy. The game-changing all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is the first mid-size family sedan to offer only 4-cylinder engines. Sonata achieves an EPA highway rating of 35 mpg, yet leads competitors in power output through the use of advanced gasoline direct injection (GDI). Sonata’s sales were up 48 percent in the first half of 2010, while its transaction prices and residual values now exceed those of most mid-size competitors. The Sonata and its 2.4-liter Theta II GDI engine are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.
“This is our simple formula for success in the automobile industry,” said Krafcik. “Rather than fighting fuel economy regulation, we encourage our Hyundai engineers to deliver more fuel efficiency, faster, accelerating the benefits to our customers, society, and the planet.”
Since becoming the fuel economy leader in the 2008 model year, Hyundai Motor America market share is up more than 50 percent.

A Global Research and Development Effort
Hyundai’s plan to achieve an average of 50 mpg or better encompasses a full line of products, from small cars to larger family haulers. It leverages Hyundai’s global Blue Drive strategy, aligning R&D resources at its engineering centers in California, Michigan, Korea, India and Germany to develop more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies. Key enablers are improvements and innovation in powertrains including gasoline direct injection, turbocharging, electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, light-weight materials and design, and more.

2011 Sonata Leads the Way
The 2011 Sonata, which went on sale earlier this year, features a 2.4-liter Theta II GDI 4-cylinder as its base engine, offering up to 200 horsepower and 35 miles per gallon on the highway. By offering only 4-cylinder engines and through other weight optimization efforts, Hyundai engineers were able to reduce the weight of the Sonata by 130 pounds.
This fall, Hyundai will launch the 2.0T 4-cylinder turbo option for the 2011 Sonata and the company’s first hybrid in the United States. The Sonata Hybrid features a 2.4-liter Theta II 4-cylinder gasoline engine mated to an electric motor-boosted 6-speed automatic transmission. The Sonata Hybrid incorporates an industry-first lithium polymer battery, which packs greater power density and stability into a smaller, more package-efficient space.
Sonata’s Hybrid Blue Drive system eschews the typical continuously variable transmission for a more consumer-friendly step-shift 6-speed transmission, which makes the system more cost-effective and more readily adaptable to other future applications. Sonata exemplifies Hyundai’s efforts to bring advanced power train technologies to the mainstream.

Fuel Economy Leadership Since 2008 Model Year
Hyundai achieved fuel economy leadership by topping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy report for the 2008 model year. The EPA 2009 Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends Report indicates that Hyundai has the highest 2008 model year laboratory 55/45 fuel economy at 30.9 mpg. Hyundai passed all major manufacturers in combined passenger car and light duty truck fuel efficiency including traditional leaders like Honda and Toyota. The report demonstrates the effectiveness of Hyundai’s value-driven fuel-efficiency strategy, which focuses on the intelligent application of cost-effective technologies.



Hyundai is poised to maintain its fuel-economy leadership as projected data for the 2009 model year shows Hyundai retaining its edge over the industry. Forecasts show a 2009 model-year fuel economy rating of 30.1 mpg for passenger cars and light duty trucks. Hyundai is also the only automaker to top 30 mpg in the 2009 projections.^[1]

Environmental Protection Agency Fuel Economy Reports

*From EPA Table A-7 2009 Trends Report (Appendix A) http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/mpg/fetrends/420r09014-appx-a.pdf
**Includes ten highest-volume manufacturers. Based on sales projections for the ten highest volume manufacturers. EPA Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975-2009 Report. Honda includes combined Honda and Acura brands. Hyundai excludes Kia brand.

Hyundai To Build A Pick Up truck for North America Happy Hyundai Oak Lawn

Once known only for tiny, cheap economy cars, Hyundai has grown in recent years to build everything from midsize SUVs to luxury cars – but a pickup?  That’s the rumor.
PickupTrucks.com reports, “The Korean automaker, which has made major inroads recently into the American car and crossover markets with critically acclaimed new products, recently held research clinics with truck buyers in California and Texas using a [Dodge] Ram 1500 customized with a Hyundai-style grille and interior tweaks.”  Prospective customers reportedly showed enough interest “to keep the project moving forward.”  Automakers considering moving into a new type of product will often modify a competitor’s version first, to test ideas.
A spokesman Hyundai’s American arm told PickupTrucks.com “pickup trucks are not a high priority for us.”  But that doesn’t explain the focus groups.
Autoblog sees too much risk in the project to make it worthwhile.  “Nissan never made a significant dent in the big truck segment with the six-year-old Titan,” they note.  Meanwhile, “The enormous resources that Toyota has poured into the development and production of the Tundra are considered by some analysts to be one of the causes of the automaker's recent spate of quality problems and recalls.”
But few analysts thought Hyundai could pull of a luxury car or a legitimate rear-wheel drive sports car, either – so the success of the Genesis sedan and coupe took many critics by surprise.
If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals. 

For more information on New Hyundai or uop to minute news visit Happy Hyundai of Oak Lawn your #1 Hyundai Dealer in customer satidfaction in Chicago Land. http://www.myhappyhyundai.com/

Supercar-Inspired Sonata Turbo to Make SEMA Debut Happy Hyundai

To build excitement around the recently launched 2011 Sonata Turbo, Hyundai Motor America teamed up with RIDES and 0-60 magazines to trick out one of the first turbos off the assembly line of its Alabama plant for a debut at this year’s SEMA show. Inspired by Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche, the modified Sonata 2.0T will feature performance parts from leading aftermarket companies and custom fabrication work from RIDES’ and 0-60’s team of expert builders.
“The Sonata Turbo is an ideal platform for us to bridge the worlds of performance, aesthetics, luxury, technology and style,” said Ben Harris, executive publisher, RIDES and 0-60 magazines. “The design we’ve chosen will accentuate the car’s lines and style, using influences from exotic supercars.”
The vehicle’s exterior modifications will be modest and tasteful, using influences from the four-door Brabus Mercedes CLS Rocket sport coupe to broaden and draw attention to the vehicle’s body lines from the factory. Key elements consist of 20-inch concave monobloc wheels, matte pearl white paint and a slew of carbon fiber components including the roof, grill, interior trim, side mirrors and rear diffuser. To complete the design, fabricators will incorporate custom LED fog lights into the bumper.
Inspiration for the sporty interior design came from the Ferrari F430, with strategically placed stitched leather throughout and carbon fiber trim accents. Those strapped into the leather driver’s seat will take pleasure in performance upgrades including turbo and intake enhancements, and a quad tip dual exhaust.
The Sonata Turbo will be shown in the Hyundai Booth between November 2-5, 2010 (Booth #24387), among other vehicles from Hyundai Motor America. Outside of SEMA, the 2011 Sonata Turbo will be arriving in dealer showrooms later this year, with 274 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque.
RIDES MAGAZINE
RIDES is the premiere urban automotive enthusiast magazine and represents the worlds of “Street, Speed, Sound and Style.” Bridging the worlds between enthusiast and consumer magazines, RIDES captures the essence of today’s automotive lifestyle. From the hottest cars, trucks and customizations to celebrity cars, the ultimate in high-end performance, old school classics, new car reviews and the latest trends, if it represents the best in automotive, it’s in RIDES. RIDES is published by Harris Publications, one of the country¹s largest special interest enthusiast publishers with over 70 different titles, including such young men’s magazines as XXL, 0-60 and Antenna.
0-60 MAGAZINE
0-60 is a new generation of car magazine for today’s performance enthusiasts who are looking for the latest in speed, power and fast cars. 0-60 fills the void between mainstream and enthusiast titles, connecting the reader with the latest in everything performance related. From the aftermarket to the OEMs, 0-60 looks at the cars, products, and go-fast bits that help create a bold, aggressive driving experience. 0-60 is published by Harris Publications, one of the country¹s largest special interest publishers with over 70 different titles, including such young men’s magazines as XXL, RIDES and Antenna.

HAPPY HYUNDAI
Chicago's only Hyundai dealer to be #1 in Sales and Service for customer satisfaction. Stop by Happy Hyundai in Oak Lawn to see why we are your best choice for your next car. You can visit us on the web at http://www.myhappyhyundai.com/

Performance Parts Genesis Coupe at Happy Hyundai Oak Lawn