First Test: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

The only real thing "wrong" with the old Elantra, really, was that it was about as interesting to look at as a bar of soap. That didn't stop Hyundai from completely reworking its bread-and-butter compact, and the result is an impressive pole vault from forgettable to formidable. The new 2011 Hyundai Elantra gets a liberal helping of Hyundai's new "scoopy and swoopy" styling, as one Hyundai employee put it, making the Elantra unmistakable while still drawing a familial connection to its recently updated Hyundai stablemates. It may seem odd that the new Elantra's headlights nearly touch the A-pillars, but like many individual styling elements, the whole car comes together nicely into a sort of shrink-wrapped Tucson, only better. Actually, shrink is the wrong word. The Elantra has grown by 2 inches in length and added an inch to its wheelbase. What's impressive is that Hyundai was able to do all this and still drop the curb weight by 187 pounds compared to the last Elantra we tested, making the car feel quite nimble on the road. As you might expect, the ride is smooth and comfortable, though the handling is best described as less than sporty. Still, the steering is quick and accurate, if not communicative. As seems to be a trend in new Hyundais, the power steering feels remarkably similar to a video-game steering wheel we used to have in the office-elastic and artificial. But when chucking the Elantra around the corners, its handling is very neutral once the rear end settles in, and the car grips better than you expect. Objectively, it's nearly dead even with the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze - one of its main bogies -- on the skidpad and our figure eight. With the new "Nu" 1.8-liter engine under hood producing 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque (10 more horsepower than before, but 5 fewer pound-feet) and that feathery curb weight, Hyundai is claiming a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. Matched with a new in-house-developed six-speed automatic, the Elantra hits 60 mph in 9.1 seconds, 1.1 seconds quicker than before, and 0.5 seconds slower than the turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze. It's not fast, but the six-speed automatic's gear ratios keep the engine in its powerband and make the car feel quicker on the road than the numbers indicate. The Nu engine is a nice piece, delivering smooth and linear power all the way to redline without ever sounding overworked. Hyundai's new, in-house-built six-speed is just as impressive, with smooth upshifts and well-chosen ratios, though it occasionally balked on downshifts. A six-speed manual is available, but with its vaguely defined gates, manually shifting the auto was almost more fun. Hyundai is eager to point out that regardless of transmission or model, the Elantra will return 40 mpg highway, something the Cruze can't say. A starting price of just $15,550 is something else the Cruze can't say, nor can any other car in the segment. Even those that meet the Elantra's fuel economy numbers can't touch its base price. But while the Elantra may not require a special, more expensive "Eco" or "Super Fuel Economy" package to get 40 mpg, it's worth noting that some of the Hyundai's price advantage is erased when you pack on options like air-conditioning, cruise control, and an automatic transmission.   On the other hand, Hyundai has reached the 40-mpg milestone without exhausting its bag of tricks. Where the new Ford Focus already employs direct injection, the Nu engine doesn't yet, nor does it have variable valve-lift technology, a turbocharger, or auto stop-start -- all of which could further boost its fuel economy. Many of those tricks are being saved until costs come down and demand for even better fuel economy  increases. As has also been a trend lately, Hyundai's hard work has now given the Elantra, like an increasing number of its stablemates, a legitimate shot at class leader status. But while it's got the price to beat the Cruze, the fuel economy to beat the Mazda3, and the style to beat the Kia Forte and the milquetoast Corolla (even post-face-lift), there's still the small issue of the sporty new 40-mpg Ford Focus on the way, and the refreshed Honda Civic waiting in the wings. There's precious little time, then, for the Elantra to upend the compact segment before it gets a lot more competitive. But if recent sales trends are any indicator, we wouldn't bet against Hyund Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1012_2011_hyundai_elantra_test/specs.html#ixzz1A6Oj7X3d

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Goes Cross Country on Just Two Tanks of Gas We have a not-so-bold prediction for 2011: automakers are going to have more than one pissing contest over who’s the greenest. And a good hypermiling journey is just the way to get that year started. Hyundai wrapped up a 2,300-mile trip between San Diego and Jekyll Island, Georgia this week and is more than happy to announce that the Sonata Hybrid made the journey on just two tanks of gas–and not even full tanks: there was about 2.5 gallons leftover at the end. Of course, Hyundai had the help of hypermiling guru Wayne Gerdes, so don’t expect to just take off for the coast and make it with one pit stop–you’ll undoubtedly get more modest mileage. But, with his own expertise and the Sonata’s lithium-polymer-powered parallel hybrid powertrain, Gerdes averaged 60 mpg and made his only stop about 1,200 miles in.  [via Motor Trend]

Hyundai unveils 2011 Sonata Hybrid

Hyundai has announced that its all-new 2011 Sonata will be the first vehicle to offer gasoline direct-injection (GDI), twin-scroll turbochargers and full-hybrid powertrains. Unveiled at the New York auto show, the Sonata Hybrid is Hyundai’s first hybrid in the US market. Its Hybrid Blue Drive can operate on an electric motor, gasoline internal combustion engine or a combination of the two depending on driving conditions and driver demands. It's also the only hybrid using lithium polymer battery technology. Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive uses the company’s compact new six-speed transmission, modified with hybrid starter-generator, electric motor, and low-friction oil pump, which eliminate the need for a torque converter. Hyundai says its Hybrid Blue Drive is the only system currently using lithium polymer battery technology – choosing this form of power storage over nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion applications. Lithium polymer incorporates the benefits of lithium-ion (as used in laptops and cell phones) and provides robustness, power-density and package flexibility, all of which suit automotive applications. “The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is the new kid on the block, but it’s not a follower,” says John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “Its full parallel hybrid configuration and breakthrough lithium polymer batteries offer a new take on traditional hybrid design, while its unique design sets it apart from the mid-size hybrid pack.” According to the EPA, Hyundai has led the US industry in fuel economy for 2008 and 2009, and is currently the only automaker with average fleet fuel economy of more than 30mpg. “Hyundai applies advanced technologies to vehicles to provide the best solutions for the everyday driver,” said Krafcik. “Unlike traditional hybrids that trade off highway fuel economy for higher city ratings, the Sonata Hybrid delivers best-in-class highway fuel economy, while still delivering about a 40 percent improvement in city fuel economy compared to a Sonata equipped with the Theta II GDI engine. We think this is a better balanced approach for the majority of car buyers.” Efficiencies in the city and on the highway Hyundai says the Sonata Hybrid will deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of 39mpg offers and city fuel economy of 37mpg. It says government studies have shown that the typical US driver operates in a highway mode 57 percent of the time, therefore, the company’s approach to delivering impressive fuel economy in highway mode differentiates Sonata Hybrid from other mid-size sedan hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid. While the Sonata Hybrid delivers the standard hybrid fuel economy gains in the city like its competitors, Hyundai says it provides drivers with greater fuel economy on the highway, where its competitors fall short. Sonata Hybrid in electric mode hits a top speed of 62mph. Its gasoline engine engagement depends on the vehicle’s state of charge, acceleration and speed. Its two propulsion units develop a total output of 209hp at 6,000 rpm and delivering 195lb-ft of torque. The Sonata Hybrid is also the lightest vehicle in its class (3,457lbs, 263lbs lighter than the Fusion Hybrid), thanks to its lithium polymer battery pack and other weight loss gains. Reduced weight boosts performance and energy efficiency. Hybrid Blue Drive At the heart of the Sonata Hybrid is the proprietary parallel hybrid drive system that uses the power from the electric motor more efficiently to directly control the vehicle, allowing it to be operated at much higher speeds than the competition in EV-only mode. That’s because the wheels are turned by power coming straight from the gasoline engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand. The Hybrid Blue Drive runs on the fuel-efficient 2.4L Theta II engine (169hp at 6,000rpm and 156lb-ft of torque at 4,500rpm) mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW (151lb-ft) electric motor to extract the best fuel economy. In the Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive system, the Theta II with multi-port fuel injection (MPI) operates on an Atkinson Cycle, a strategy that increases fuel efficiency in internal combustion engines through changes in compression and power strokes in the four-stroke engine. It is typically only used in hybrid systems where the high-torque electric motor boosts low-end power, which is traded off for internal combustion engine efficiency. All of the Theta II major driveline and cooling system components have been optimized to reduce friction. Hybrid Power Control (HPC) management software automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt, cutting emissions to zero. During deceleration, braking regeneration comes into play and the system also features “smart brake” technology in which braking input overrides accelerator pedal input. The all-aluminum, 16-valve engine also features Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) on both camshafts and newly developed engine components to reduce friction. This optimized Theta II engine achieves 10 percent better fuel consumption over a conventional Theta II engine. Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive uses the company’s proprietary six-speed automatic transmission, replacing the torque converter with an electric motor and high-efficiency oil pump. This technique uses a traditional step-shift six-speed transmission rather than a CVT to provide a more traditional shift feel that is preferred by customers and sometimes artificially replicated in CVT applications. Hyundai say this is a cheaper option, robust and a simple solution. In another measure to improve fuel efficiency, the top three gear ratios in the transmission have been extended to ensure the engine runs at lower RPMs, the electric motor-assisted steering system reduces demands on the engine. Lithium polymer batteries Sonata’s hybrid system stores its electrical charge in a 270V Lithium polymer rechargeable battery (5.3Ah/270V) that is 20-30 percent lighter than a nickel-metal hydride battery (95.9lbs versus the Camry Hybrid’s 123.9lbs) and offers 1.7 times more energy density. This gives the Sonata Hybrid less weight and more space and the company says that the Lithium polymer batteries hold their charge 1.25 times longer, too. Its self-discharge rate is less than a third of a nickel-metal hydride battery. Compared to Lithium-ion batteries, Lithium polymer has lower manufacturing costs, is more resistant to physical damage and can handle more charge-discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade. On the outside Rather than using a liquid electrolyte, which requires a robust metal casing, lithium polymer batteries use a polymer gel as the electrolyte, which allows the use of a thinner and lighter aluminum-walled pouch. Inside each lithium polymer cell, the cathode, separator, and anode are laminated together, enabling much simpler and more reliable manufacturing. This allows the battery pack to be about 20 percent smaller than a lithium-ion battery pack. Hyundai designers have given the Hybrid model a modern, eco-friendly design, with “at-a-glance” differentiation from the non-hybrid Sonata models. It has unique headlights and taillights; aerodynamic bumper fascias; aerodynamic rocker panels; bold hexagonal grille; eco-spoke wheels; air dam and aero side sills; exclusive hybrid paint color; interior refinements; supervision cluster with eco-display options; unique interior color choice and unique seat patterns. There's also a Technology Display featured on a 4.2-inch LCD screen located between the odometer and tachometer, or visible on the optional seven-inch navigation screen. It shows driving mode; energy flow within the vehicle; engine and motor movement; fuel level; battery power levels and charge status; electric vehicle mode indicator and average and instant mpg. No word yet on pricing or availability.

Hyundai Donates $2.1 Million to Childhood Cancer Research With 2010 Hope on Wheels Tour

Ceremonies at the New York International Auto Show and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Mark Launch of 2010 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Tour FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America and its dealers will launch the 2010 Hyundai Hope on Wheels tour today during Hyundai's press conference at the New York International Auto Show.  With newly-named Hope on Wheels National Youth Ambassador Brianna Commerford, 12, standing by, Hyundai CEO John Krafcik will announce the 2010 tour, which will visit more than 40 children's hospitals across the country.  This year's tour will donate $2.1 million to support childhood cancer research.   (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091001/HYUNDAILOGO) Hope on Wheels National Youth Ambassador Brianna battled Stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma when she was just ten years old.  Now healthy and in remission, Brianna wants to share her story to spread awareness and help bring hope to other children facing cancer.  Brianna will serve a two-year term as the Hope on Wheels National Youth Ambassador. "At Hyundai, we believe in doing what others might think is impossible," said John Krafcik, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America.  "With the dramatic increase in survival rates that we've seen over the past several decades, we believe that a cure for pediatric cancer is now within reach.  Hyundai is focusing the bulk of our philanthropic efforts on funding childhood cancer research through Hope on Wheels so that one day no child will ever have to face cancer." The first official hospital donation event of the year will take place later today as Hope on Wheels donates $125,000 to the Hope & Heroes program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. This year, Dr. Jennifer Levine and Dr. Julia Glade Bender have been selected to receive the donation, which will support their research.  Children receiving treatment at the hospital and their families will join Brianna and New York area Hyundai dealers for a special Handprint Ceremony at the Hyundai booth.  The children will place their handprints in colorful paint on the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, the official vehicle of the Hope on Wheels Tour, to commemorate their brave battles with childhood cancer.   "Since 2004, Hyundai has been a dedicated donor to the children's cancer research program at the Herbert Irving Child and Adolescent Oncology Center," said Dr. Michael Weiner, director, Herbert Irving Child and Adolescent Oncology Center at New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center. "We are proud to be a recipient of Hyundai's generosity and ongoing support for children with cancer." Later this month, U.S. Hyundai dealers will gather at the company's manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama for their annual national dealer meeting.  The company and dealers together will present a ceremonial check for this year's $2.1 million donation to Brianna on behalf of all the children helped by childhood cancer research.  The second hospital donation of the 2010 tour will be made to the Children's Hospital of Alabama in the amount of $40,000.   "On behalf of Hyundai dealers across the country, Hope on Wheels is honored to continue its support for childhood cancer research in 2010 and recognize the brave children who are battling this disease," said Oscar Leeser, President of the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Foundation and dealer owner of Hyundai of El Paso in El Paso, Texas.  "We are proud to be able to award research grants to the Hyundai Scholars – they are the pediatric oncologists whose unwavering dedication to research helps to care for children facing cancer and gives them hope for a healthy future." This year Hyundai Hope on Wheels marks its 12th year of commitment to supporting childhood cancer research efforts.  Hyundai and its dealers have donated more than $14 million to children's hospitals nationwide and collected hundreds of handprints from children fighting childhood cancer.  Every time a new Hyundai vehicle is sold in the U.S., $5 is donated to Hope on Wheels.  More information and the complete list of 2010 Hyundai Hope on Wheels tour stops is available at www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org.   HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 780 dealerships nationwide. HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS Hyundai Hope on Wheels™ is the united effort of all 780 Hyundai dealers across the U.S. to raise awareness about childhood cancer and celebrate the lives of children battling the disease.  Hyundai Hope on Wheels has donated more than $14 million to childhood cancer research since 1998 and is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.   SOURCE Hyundai Motor America