Hyundai's Having a Ball, Sonata and Tucson Driving US Sales to the Moon

According to US Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, Hyundai is looking to set an "all-time" sales record in September partially thanks to high demand for the new Sonata sedan.

Krafcik told Autonews that September "looks fantastic [for Hyundai]. The industry looks decent -- I wouldn't say great -- but I think we're going to be fine." That's because the two latest Hyundai models to arrive have been the well received Sonata and the crisp Tucson.

Due to the firm's recent product /quality blitz, sales for 2010 have risen 17% so far and should help Hyundai pass its 500,000 unit United States sales goal this year. This follows an industry-wide drop in sales after various clunker programs in which Hyundai benefited significantly, so good for them.

These sales also include the company's very conservative goals for its Lexus-fighting Equus. Regarding the Equus' target market of full-size luxury shoppers in the market for something fresh, Krafcik continued, "We recognize that's a tough segment...We're going in with a 2,000 to 3,000 units a year sales objective, which would give us a 6 to 7 percent share."

Other than the top-line Equus, the Genesis Sedan and Coupe will receive mild updates to stay up to date; on the low end, expect the Sonata and Tucson to hold down the fort until the new Accent, Elantra sedan, Veloster small coupe (see the latest spy shots here), and Azera saloon appear in the next year or so.

Expect to see more and more of these out-of-left field Hyundais in the future as the Koreans begin to take advantage of Japanese automakers' lack of direction.

By Phil Alex

Source: Autonews (sub. req.)

READ MORE - Hyundai's Having a Ball, Sonata and Tucson Driving US Sales to the Moon

2011 Hyundai Equus specification announced

Hyundai have revealed extra information regarding engines and specifications for the all-new 2011 Equus. The Equus will be offered in just two trim-levels, Equus Signature and Equus Ultimate.

The Equus Signature features a 4.6 litre 385bhpTau® V8 petrol engine w/ 6 speed automatic, 608w Lexicon® sound system w/17 speakers, electronically controlled air suspension with continuous damping control, Vehicle Stability Management with pre-collision warning, Smart Cruise Control, bi-xenon headlamps w/ LED day-time running ligths, front and rear parking sensors w/rear-view camera, premium leather seating, Alcantara suede headliner, heated and cooled front seats w/ drivers massage function, heated wood and leather steering wheel, and other lavish luxuries.

The Equus Ultimate adds a grille-mounted front camera, power bootlid, electrically reclining rear seats with powered headrests, cooled rear seats, rear seat massage and leg support function, rear seat refrigerator and rear seat entertainment system.

"When you're spending this much for a new car, you don't want to feel like you've been short-changed on engineering, technology or features," said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. "Equus Signature has the technology and content of fully-optioned flagship models from Lexus and BMW, while Equus Ultimate delivers a specification approached only by our competitors' low-volume, special-order models."

Hyundai's novel perspective on intelligent luxury, features "Your Time, Your Place," the industry's first at-home vehicle demonstration program, the Valet Service program, which provides at-home pickup for Equus service and maintenance and the industry's first iPad-based interactive owner's manual.

A 5.0 litre Tau 429bhp V8 petrol engine will join the range at a later date, mated to an all-new in-house 8 speed automatic. Prices are expected to start around $58,000.

EQUUS SIGNATURE KEY STANDARD FEATURES:

4.6 litre DOHC Tau V8 engine, 6 speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC® , electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS), electronically controlled air suspension with continuous damping control (CDC), 19” chrome alloy wheels with P245/45R19 (front) / P275/40R19 (rear) tyres, four-wheel disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and EBD, electronic stability control (ESC) with TCS and brake assist, vehicle stability management (VSM) system with pre-collision warning, 9 airbags; x2 front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, driver knee airbag, and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags, electronic active front head restraints with power controls, electronic seatbelt pretensioners, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), lane departure warning system (LDWS), smart cruise control, adaptive high intensity discharge (HID) headlights with LED turn signal indicators w/auto-levelling, fog lights and automatic headlights, front and rear parking assistance system w/rear-view camera, electric-folding heated auto-dimming mirrors w/ turn signal indicators and approach lamps, twin asymmetrical exhaust tips integrated with rear bumper, proximity key entry w/push-button start, illuminated scuff plates, inside door handles and door armrest, premium leather seating surfaces and Alcantara® suede headliner, 12 way power driver seat plus lumbar adjustment and 10 way power front passenger seat, driver seat massage system, heated and cooled front seats, heated, wood-trimmed and leather-wrapped steering wheel, power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, integrated memory system (IMS) for driver-side seat, mirror and steering wheel, leather-wrapped dash and real wood interior trim, electroluminescent cluster (Supervision) with 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, electronic parking brake with automatic vehicle hold, power windows with auto-down/up, navigation system w/ DIS and multimedia controller, Apple iPad interactive owner's manual, 608w Lexicon 7.1 Discrete surround-sound system with 17 speakers, iPod/USB and MP3 auxiliary input jacks and iPod connection cable, XM® Satellite Radio & NavTraffic® with trial subscription, Bluetooth® hands-free phone system, dual automatic temperature control with air quality system, windshield-wiper de-icer, rain-sensing wipers and auto-defogging windshield with humidity sensor, electrochromic auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror with HomeLink® and compass, acoustic laminated windshield , front and rear side windows, power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof, 60/40 power reclining and heated rear seats, power rear sunshade and rear side-window sunshades, luggage net, premium-grade floor mats, premium-grade trunk cargo mat and first-aid kit (PIO).

EQUUS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:

Tau V8 engine, rated one of Ward's "Ten Best Engines" for 2009 and 2010

First-class seating available on Equus Ultimate (competitors' best seating options come only on the long-wheelbase variants)

Standard Smart Cruise Control

Standard Lane Departure Warning System

Standard heated steering wheel

Standard power reclining rear seats

Standard heated rear seats

Standard premium Lexicon 7.1 Discrete surround sound audio system with 17 speakers

Available rear console refrigerator (only available on some competitors' LWB models)

EQUUS ULTIMATE ADDS ULTRA LUXURY FEATURES:


Equus Ultimate adds or replaces:

50/50 split rear seats (four-passenger seating) with reclining function, rear passenger leg support and massage system, cooled rear seats, rear-seat entertainment system w/ 8” monitor, thermoelectric rear center console refrigerator, rear-seat power up/down head restraints w/ manual tilt, rear-seat illuminated vanity mirrors, forward-view cornering camera and a power trunk lid.

The Equus Ultimate replaces the 60:40 rear seat of the Equus Signature with a 50:50 power reclining seating configuration. The seat-back of this 50:50 seat massages and vibrates with heat - the perfect relaxation therapy for extended cruising. It is operated by its own remote control unit.

Equus offers four exterior colours and three interior theme choices. Exterior colours are White Satin Pearl, Black Noir Pearl, Granite Gray and Platinum Metallic. Interior themes are Cashmere with genuine Birch Burl wood, Jet Black with genuine walnut wood and Saddle with genuine walnut wood.

READ MORE - 2011 Hyundai Equus specification announced

New Cars

Hyundai, the South Korean automaker-that-could, plans to offer more personalized service and deliver the royal treatment to owners of its upcoming $50,000+ Equus luxury sedan that will slot above the Genesis in the firm's U.S. lineup.

First of all, those interested in buying the car won't even have to bother going to the dealership. As part of Hyundai's "Your Time, Your Place" program, a salesman will bring an Equus right in front of your door for demonstration purposes and a test drive.

If you decide to buy the car, then you'll be eligible for another perk, Hyundai's Valet Service program, which provides at-home pickup for Equus service and maintenance. And while your car is in for a fix, a dealer "valet" will drop off a Genesis so you can move around. Did we mention that Hyundai has also replaced the car's manual with an Apple iPad?

And if you're wondering how will Hyundai be able to offer so much to its Equus customers, the answer is simple; low volume. According to Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik, the firm doesn't expect to sell more than 2,000 to 3,000 Equus sedans a year in the States.

READ MORE - New Cars