2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited on 2040-cars

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Hyundai exec admits company studying pickup, no foolin'

Automotive News reports Hyundai may be considering jumping into the US pickup market. Lee In-cheol, ice president of international sales, says the company's product planners and engineers are currently trying to determine what size pickup would be best for our market. Currently, the automaker has no plans to build a truck, but Lee says that hasn't stopped US dealers from asking the company to produce one. The US and South Korea signed a free trade agreement that took effect in 2012 that removes the so-called Chicken Tax from South Korean imports in seven years.
That means that Hyundai or Kia could import a foreign-built truck without incurring the 25 percent tax on the vehicle's value after 2021. Even so, Hyundai isn't committed into jumping into the US full-size pickup market. Instead, the company may build a smaller truck designed to compete in emerging markets.
We've been hearing word about Hyundai's pickup musings for years now, including a rumored partnership with Chrysler to produce Ram-based trucks, but so far, nothing has come of it.

Hyundai reveals new Sonata Hybrid in Seoul

The wraps are off Hyundai's next-generation Sonata Hybrid after an unveiling in Seoul, South Korea, and the latest model brings an improved powertrain and slight styling tweaks. In the Korean domestic market, the Sonata Hybrid relies upon a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine producing 154 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque with a 51-hp electric motor providing the rest of the thrust. Hyundai isn't revealing net system output at the moment, and it isn't saying whether we will get this powertrain in the US yet. Company spokesperson Jim Trainor tells Autoblog that those details will likely be announced at the model's North American debut at Detroit Auto Show in January. Sales are expected to begin in the spring. In addition to the upgraded engine, there's an improved six-speed automatic that houses most of the hybrid components and uses a new clutch to reduce drag. The switch to an electric oil pump also removes some inefficiencies, and the battery pack underneath the trunk has been enlarged to 1.62 kilowatt hours, up from 1.43 kWh. Despite the capacity increase, Hyundai claims there's 10.5 percent more cargo room back there. The Sonata's design gets a slight rethink to improve fuel economy, too. Up front, the redone nose features a new mesh grille in a more rectilinear frame, and out back, there's a set of unique taillamps, a lip spoiler and a unique rear diffuser to go along with the full underbody cover that only the pavement sees. If anything, the new hybrid model looks more traditional to our eyes than the standard gas-powered Sonata, which comes as something of a surprise, especially as the previous-generation Sonata Hybrid was markedly more futuristic and divisive in its appearance. In any case, we expect the looks to remain largely the same for the US version, which will likely arrive wearing a 2016 model-year designation. All of the upgrades, boost fuel economy to 18.2 kilometers per liter on the Korean cycle, the equivalent of about 42.8 miles per gallon. Comparatively, the current Sonata Hybrid in Korea is rated at 16.8 km/l (39.5 mpg). Hyundai will also make a big expansion to its electrified slate next year. In addition to the standard Sonata Hybrid, a plug-in version will come later in 2015 – the automaker's first. More details will arrive about the model in Detroit.

Hyundai lets loose another Super Bowl ad

Another day, another Super Bowl ad from Hyundai. The automaker is planning to show off five spots during the big game, and seems hell-bent on trotting each one out ahead of time to garner the most amount of attention possible. We've already seen three of the ads, and the latest follows one young boy as he amasses a football team to take on a bully. His selections range from a set of body-building twins to a bear wrestler and a freakishly strong good Samaritan. The spot is intended to show off exactly what sort of uses you could come up with for the seven-passenger Santa Fe.
We understand Hyundai's push to roll out its ads ahead of time. Estimations from previous years indicate previewing Super Bowl ads can increase viewership by as much as 700 percent, but there's little call for this slow walk out. The company still has one more spot to show off, and we won't exactly be holding our breath. You can check out the latest ad below as well as the most recent press release.