Hyundai continues its juggernaut-like growth breaking one record after the other. In 2010, the South Korean carmaker not only replaced Toyota as Europe’s best-selling Asian brand and passed the 500,000 sales mark in the US for the first time since entering the market in 1986, but the company also posted record sales and impressive profits.
Not including affiliate Kia Motor's results, Hyundai alone recorded global sales of 3,612,487 units (domestic plants: 1,730,682, overseas plants: 1,881,805) in 2010, which represents a 16.3 percent increase from a year earlier.
Sales revenue rose 15.4 percent to 36.8 trillion won (US$ 33 billion) from a year earlier thanks to the introduction of new cars and an improved product mix, while operating profit also soared 44.4% to 3.2 trillion won (US$2.8 billion). Net profit increased 77.8 percent to 5.3 trillion won (US$4.8 billion).
South Korea's largest automaker has set even higher goals for 2011, stating that it plans to "reinforce its internal competitiveness" and achieve a global sales target of 3.9 million units.
Hyundai is continuing its ambitious plan to further increase global sales with the start of production at its first factory in Russia located at Saint Petersburg. The company’s sixth newest overseas assembly plant will make the Solaris, a subcompact sedan we will come to know as the new Accent.
“This is a historic moment, not only for Hyundai, but for Russia, as we are the first foreign automaker to operate a full-cycle manufacturing plant here,” said Gui-Il Chun, General Director of HMMR, a fully-owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. “We are now truly part of Russia and we will focus on supplying customers with the best products at the best time.”
The Korean firm's Saint Petersburg factory currently employees more than 1,300 workers, but Hyundai has stated that it aims to create some 5,300 jobs by 2012, together with eleven parts suppliers. The plant’s annual capacity is said to be around 150,000 vehicles, while this year’s production target is 105,000 units.
The plant's first car, the Solaris, will be offered with a four-cylinder gasoline engine available in 1.4- and 1.6-liter displacements. Hyundai said the subcomact sedan has been adapted to cope with Russia’s vicious weather and tough road conditions. Aside from raising the car's ground clearance to 160mm, the company's engineers also added a large four-liter washer fluid reservoir with fluid-level sensor to warn drivers when a refill is required, a more robust 60Ah battery for improved cold-start performance and a heater duct for rear-seat passengers.
Hyundai has been advertising the all-new generation of its Grandeur for quite some time now, but today, the automaker officially launched the large sedan in its home market. The new Grandeur, which will be badged as the 2012 Azera in the States, arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005.
Codenamed HG, the 2012 Grandeur is result of three-and-a-half years and 450 billion won (about US$415 million) of research, development and testing. Positioned between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan, the new Grandeur measures 4,910mm (193.3") long, 1,860mm (73.2") wide and 1,470mm (57.9") tall. It rides on a 2,845mm-long (112") wheelbase, which is 65mm (2.6") longer than the outgoing model.
The South Korean market model is offered with a choice of two gasoline engines, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Theta II GDI with 201-horsepower and a new 3.0-liter V6 Lambda II GDI producing 270-horsepower. Both engines are linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.
The new Grandeur comes with a suite of safety systems including VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), plus a standard nine-airbag system that includes a driver’s knee airbag.
Other notable features include Hyundai's Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which automatically keeps a safe distance from a car ahead and provides automatic stop and restart functions in response to traffic flow, and a Smart Parking Assist System that utilizes a sensor to measure parallel parking spaces, controlling the steering wheel to semi-automatically park the car.
Hyundai said it aims to sell 100,000 units of the Grandeur this year (80,000 in the domestic market and 20,000 outside of Korea) and 120,000 units in 2012 when the car arrives in more markets.
The South Korean automaker has not yet provided details on the North American market Azera.
Along with some new photos, Hyundai also released a video showing the evolution of the Grandeur / Azera from the presentation of the first generation in 1986 to the current fifth gen model.
The all-new Hyundai Veloster revealed at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit earlier this week will make its way to Australia, the South Korean automaker announced today. Hyundai said it still working on the timing of the launch but added that it will most likely go on sale in Australia towards the end of the year with details of Australian specification and pricing to be revealed at a later date.
In North America, the new Veloster will be available with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with direct-injection pushing out 138-horsepower. Power is transferred to the front-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional double clutch transmission.
Unlike the MINI Clubman, Hyundai has confirmed that the Veloster will have the single rear door placed on the left-hand side for right-hand-drive markets such as Australia and the UK.
On Monday, we got our first taste of the all-new 2012 Hyundai Veloster at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, we have the first video footage of Hyundai's unconventional small sports car, which is distinguished by its asymmetric body with a single door on the driver's side, two doors on the other and a rear hatch.
Power for the front-wheel drive Veloster comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 138-ponies, hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a double clutch transmission. Hit the break to watch the first video of the Veloster on the road with some bonus handbrake/slideways action towards the end of the clip.
Sharing the spotlight with the Veloster coupe at Hyundai's Detroit motorshow stand is the Curb, a conceptual study for a small crossover model positioned under the Tucson. Labeled by Hyundai as a compact Urban Activity Vehicle (UAV), the Curb is aimed at young city dwellers.
Penned by the designers at Hyundai's California studio, the Curb's styling is said to have evolved from the firm's “Fluidic Sculpture” design language seen on the latest Sonata and Elantra.
“We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink's truck,” said Jason Brown, Hyundai designer. City driving was going to be its forte, not crossing the Rubicon trail, but we wanted it to have urban armor for daily driving on city streets. It needed to empower its passengers in this setting.”
Another Hyundai designer, Arash Badeanlou boldly stated “The world has never seen lines like this on a car before," adding "it is as if the architect Santiago Calatrava inspired it.”
The Curb, which is the seventh vehicle (hence the HCD-12 codename) to be designed at the company’s California Design Center, is motivated by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection tech, mated to Hyundai's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) [wonder what the VW Group has to say about the abbreviation...]. The force-fed motor develops 175 horsepower and 169 lb. ft. of torque. Hyundai said that by adding Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology, the Curb would deliver 30+ mpg in the city and 40+ mpg on the highway.
