June 5, 2008
Top Selling Minivans in the Unites States for May 2008
The minivan segment saw sales drop 16.6% in May, with Chrysler holding on to two of the top three spots, thanks in part to their gas rebate plan.
Of particular note was the 80% drop in Hyundai Entourage sales, that one can only hope was due to a supply problem -- point being, this is a bad time to be getting into the minivan business, as Volkswagen is about to find out.
The top 8 best selling minivans in the United States for May 2008:
Continue reading"Top Selling Minivans in the Unites States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 12:06 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Chrysler
| Dodge
| Honda
| Hyundai
| Industry Statistics
| Kia
| Nissan
| Toyota
Hyundai Sonata Wins Interior Design Award
DETROIT -- The 2009 Hyundai Sonata was named an “Interior of the Year” award winner in the category of “Best Redesign” at the annual “Automotive Interior of the Year Awards” conducted by Ward’s Auto World magazine.
“This award is particularly gratifying for our team, who started with a world-class car, listened to customer feedback telling us they wanted an improved interior, and went to work to make the 2009 Hyundai Sonata stand up and stand out against every other car in its class,” said Dan Vivian, Hyundai Motor America’s director of Design Engineering.
Continue reading"Hyundai Sonata Wins Interior Design Award"
Posted by Frank at 7:40 AM
| Filed under 2009 Vehicles
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Car accessories
| Hyundai
June 4, 2008
Top Selling Crossovers in the United States for May 2008
With total SUV sales down 19.5% in May, not even the crossover segment was able to escape unscathed -- the smaller ute/station wagon category was also down 5%, as consumers decided they didn't even want mini-SUVs over more fuel efficient cars.
Besides the usual suspects a couple vehicles did well in consumers' quest for smaller wagons, including the Dodge Journey, Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester. Also of note is that GM placed both the GMC Acadia and Saturn Vue in the top 15, which is good news for that new platform, and for the parent company that suffered a big blow for the month.
After the jump, the top 15 best selling crossovers for May 2008:
Continue reading"Top Selling Crossovers in the United States for May 2008"
Posted by Frank at 12:56 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Dodge
| Ford
| GM
| GMC
| Honda
| Hyundai
| Industry Statistics
| Lexus
| Nissan
| Saturn
| Subaru
| Toyota
June 3, 2008
Hyundai All-Time May Sales Record, Up 6%
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 46,415 for the month of May, a six percent increase over the same period last year, and its best May ever.
"We are very pleased with our results for May and the fact we were able to break the record set in 2007 for the month during a period of record-setting oil prices and a sluggish economy," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of national sales.
Continue reading"Hyundai All-Time May Sales Record, Up 6%"
Posted by Frank at 2:39 PM
| Filed under Auto News
| Hyundai
| Industry Statistics
Hyundai Elantra Tops Toyota Corolla in Small Sedan Test
YONKERS, N.Y. -- After testing a group of compacts and subcompacts, Consumer Reports judged the Hyundai Elantra SE best with an "Excellent" overall road test score. But three other compact cars, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus, also achieved "Very Good" ratings in a report on gas-saving sedans published in the July issue.
The Corolla achieved a very impressive 32 mpg overall in Consumer Reports' real-world fuel economy tests. That's among the best gas mileage CR has seen in a conventional gasoline-powered car with an automatic transmission. Only the smaller Honda Fit (32 mpg) and Toyota Yaris (33 mpg) subcompacts do as well or better.
Continue reading"Hyundai Elantra Tops Toyota Corolla in Small Sedan Test"
Posted by Frank at 8:20 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Finance
| Ford
| GM
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| Subaru
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May 29, 2008
Hyundai Announces Genesis Sedan Pricing
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- Hyundai Motor America has announced prices for its new flagship, the all-new Genesis sports sedan, starting at $33,000 for a well-equipped 290-horsepower V6 and $38,000 for the 375-horsepower V8 model.
"When we first showed the production Genesis earlier this year, we committed to deliver the interior package of flagship European luxury sedans, world-class driving dynamics, and pricing comparable to entry-level premium brand vehicles," said John Krafcik, vice president, Hyundai Motor America.
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Posted by Frank at 7:09 AM
| Filed under 2009 Vehicles
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Finance
| Hyundai
Cadillac Tops 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards
TUSTIN, Calif. -- A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.
In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.
Continue reading"Cadillac Tops 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards"
Posted by Frank at 6:20 AM
| Filed under Acura
| Audi
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May 28, 2008
Hyundai Selects Davie Brown Entertainment for 2009 Hyundai Launch
LOS ANGELES -- Davie Brown Entertainment, a leading entertainment marketing consultancy, announced today that it has been retained by Hyundai Motor America to strategically lead all entertainment initiatives within film, television, music, branded entertainment and industry influencer outreach for the 2009 Hyundai Genesis.
"Davie Brown is the perfect marketing partner to assist us in a targeted entertainment marketing campaign for the Genesis," said Monique Morin Kumpis, experiential marketing manager, Hyundai Motor America.
Continue reading"Hyundai Selects Davie Brown Entertainment for 2009 Hyundai Launch"
Posted by Frank at 7:17 AM
| Filed under 2009 Vehicles
| 5th Wheel
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Hyundai
May 27, 2008
Kia to focus on small cars at Georgia plant
Kia officials have announced they will focus on building small cars at the plant they are building in West Point, Georgia. Kia is planning to build the Sorento SUV at the plant starting in 2009, but has scrapped plans to make a pickup truck, according to Automotive News. There is also the possibility Kia may build a similar Hyundai at the plant.
Kia has not announced which car they will build there, but could it be the new Soul vehicle?
Related: Kia bringing Soul to the U.S.
Posted by Frank at 9:37 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Tech
| Hyundai
| Kia
May 20, 2008
GM's Jamie Hresko touts quality gains
by Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President, Quality
So, I’m watching the NFL draft a few weeks ago and it hits me. It occurred to me that there is a complete incongruity (thank you word-a-day calendar) between hope and reality.
Don’t get me wrong, hope is very important. Hope, however, is not active. It doesn’t drive results. Do you think any of the draftees just sat on the bench hoping to play … hoping to be spotted … hoping to be picked? Of course not. They worked hard. They had a plan. They actively pursued their goal of playing football well.
Continue reading"GM's Jamie Hresko touts quality gains"
Posted by Frank at 7:12 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Buick
| Cadillac
| Chevrolet
| GM
| GMC
| Hyundai
| Pontiac
| Saab
| Saturn
May 14, 2008
Video: 2009 Hyundai Sonata
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata is a significant refresh from the model first introduced in 2006 -- and it's still reasonably priced, with a four cylinder engine that gets 22/32 mpg.
Posted by Frank at 7:33 AM
| Filed under 2009 Vehicles
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Hyundai
May 12, 2008
2008 Fuel Economy Guide Available for Download
The EPA has issued a comprehensive PDF guide to fuel economy of all 2008 vehicles, which you can download by right-clicking here.
In today's gas market, buyers are more sensitive than ever about buying cars that get good mileage, and more important, they want the government ratings to be as accurate as possible -- nobody wants to buy a vehicle that gets 10% worse mileage in the real world than the sticker rating.
To address this situation, the EPA has started using an updated test to assign more accurate MPG ratings to new vehicles, and you can learn about that by watching the video in this post.
Posted by Frank at 3:04 PM
| Filed under 2008 Vehicles
| 5th Wheel
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May 8, 2008
Hyundai Entourage and Santa Fe named top picks for retirees
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- Hyundai Santa Fe and the Entourage were recognized by Forbes.com as two of the “Best Cars for Retirees” based on features that help mature drivers stay behind the wheel longer.
In order to determine the list of “Best Cars for Retirees” Forbes.com factored in NHTSA and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash-test ratings, AAA’s suggestions from "Smart Features for Mature Drivers" guide and additional features that appeal to mature drivers.
Continue reading"Hyundai Entourage and Santa Fe named top picks for retirees"
Posted by Frank at 8:49 AM
| Filed under 5th Wheel
| Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Hyundai
May 6, 2008
Microsoft and Hyundai-Kia Developing In-Car Infotainment
SEOUL, South Korea -- Today, Microsoft Corp. and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group (HKAG) entered into a long-term agreement to co-develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems.
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and Mongku Chung, chairman of HKAG, were present as Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit, and Hyun Soon Lee, president and chief technology officer of HKAG, signed the agreement in Seoul.
Continue reading"Microsoft and Hyundai-Kia Developing In-Car Infotainment"
Posted by Frank at 8:23 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Car Audio
| Car Tech
| Car accessories
| Hyundai
| Kia
May 4, 2008
Top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008
Americans rediscovered cars in April 2008, with small cars in particular accounting for nearly one in five of all vehicles sold in an otherwise down month.
Toyota had four vehicles in the top twenty, General Motors had three; Nissan, Hyundai and Kia had two apiece. And Dodge has a hit with the Caliber, which made the list at number 9.
With people paying nearly $4 per gallon of gas nationwide, it appears that the free market has achieved what environmentalists have been clamoring about for years -- to conserve fuel by buying smaller vehicles.
The top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008:
Continue reading"Top twenty best selling small cars for April 2008"
Posted by Frank at 10:56 AM
| Filed under Auto Marketing
| Auto News
| Chevrolet
| Dodge
| Ford
| GM
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| Kia
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