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Hyundai US marketing chief steps down

For the past four and a half years, Hyundai's marketing efforts in America have been steered by Steve Shannon. But now the Korean automaker is going to have to find a new marketing guru, because Shannon has reportedly stepped down with apparently immediate effect.
A career automobile marketer, Shannon came to Hyundai early in 2011 after over a quarter century at General Motors, effectively switching places with Joel Ewanick and Chris Perry, who moved from Hyundai to GM the previous year.
During his 25 years in Detroit, Automotive News points out, Shannon worked with such brands as Buick, Oldsmobile, Saab and Hummer. He was particularly instrumental in launching the Saturn brand and served as executive director of marketing for Cadillac prior to moving to Hyundai.

Hyundai bringing Elantra GT, special edition Veloster to Chicago

Hyundai will be bringing two new products to next week's Chicago Auto Show, a company source confirmed to Autoblog. The first is a freshened version of the Elantra GT – pictured above as a 2014 model – and the other is a special edition of the Veloster hatchback. Our source was mum about specific details, but said that the Elantra GT refresh was simply that – nothing crazy or all-new. In other words, we expect some lightly touched-up styling, and perhaps some improvements to the interior refinement, infotainment and technology, and maybe powertrain. As we reported earlier, the two-door Coupe is no longer part of the Elantra lineup, so these changes might be a way for Hyundai to further differentiate the GT from the sedan. As for that Veloster, it won't be anything revolutionary, either. Hyundai has historically used the Chicago show to debut special editions of the Veloster – take a look at last year's Re:Flex, for example – and we expect the same this time around. Perhaps a new matte paint finish? That's been a popular choice for Veloster Turbo buyers, after all. Whatever may be in store, we'll have the full scoop next week during the Chicago festivities. Stay tuned. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT View 21 Photos Chicago Auto Show Hyundai Hatchback Economy Cars hyundai elantra gt

Hyundai tops VW and Buick in China, survey says

You may be aware of the long-time competition in China between Volkswagen and Buick, but another brand apparently should be in that conversation too: Hyundai. In a recently published annual consumer survey, the Korean company actually took the top spot to beat out its German and American rivals in second and third, respectively. The results were part of the China Brand Power Index that interviewed 11,500 people around the nation and was paid for by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. While Hyundai proved popular with voters, its sales haven't necessarily shown that yet. According to Bloomberg, the brand had falling numbers in China for the first quarter of the year. Even Ford outsold the South Korean automaker in the same period, despite scoring lower on the survey. Meanwhile, Audi ranked as the populace's favorite luxury brand, which is hardly a surprise given the Four Rings' strong sales in China. In January alone the automaker saw a 15-percent boost in volume there. Parent company VW's strong performance was somewhat more surprising, though. State media severely criticized the German automaker in March, and customers protested last year for the allegedly poor handling of a recall.