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Next Hyundai Elantra to debut at LA Auto Show

The next-generation Hyundai Elantra will debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, a company spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog. This comes just two years after Hyundai revealed the refreshed 2014 Elantra, pictured above, at the 2013 LA show. This will be an all-new Elantra, and while we don't have any more details as of this writing, we might have already seen the new sedan in leaked, Korean-spec form. Just last month, Indian Autos Blog posted this photo of what's said to be the 2016 Elantra, scheduled to make its debut in South Korea in the near future. And since Hyundai has a habit of debuting its new cars in Korea before bringing them to the US, there's a chance this new sedan might be destined for our shores. Of course, that's all speculation at this point. We'll know more later this year, likely before the new Elantra's official unveiling in Los Angeles this November.

Hyundai ups price of 2014 Sonata Hybrid slightly to $26,000

Hyundai is hoping prospective car buyers won't quibble with a 1.3 percent price hike for its Sonata Hybrid this year. Heck, the South Korean automaker brought the price down a year ago, so everyone's theoretically almost even. Or so they hope. Hyundai is boosting the base MSRP on the 2014 hybrid sedan by $350 to an even $26,000, with the top-of-the-line version now priced at $30,750. The company's probably feeling pretty confident after coming off its best sales year ever in the US. Last year, Hyundai boosted unit sales by 2.5 percent to almost 720,800 units domestically. Oddly, Sonata sales fell enough last year for Elantra to become Hyundai's new best-selling model in the US. And the company doesn't break out sales of the Sonata Hybrid (don't feel bad, sister company Kia doesn't break out hybrid sales figures for its twin Optima either). A year ago - and after a very public lowering of fuel economy numbers - Hyundai increasing the Sonata Hybrid's fuel efficiency while cutting its price, and even arranged for bigger cargo space to boot. Specifically, the 2013 model-year Sonata Hybrid increased fuel efficiency to a 36/40/38 miles per gallon split while cutting its price by $200 to a base MSRP of $25,650. Check out Hyundai's press release on the 2014 Sonata Hybrid below. 2014 Sonata Hybrid Refreshes Interior With New Standard Premium Features and Maximizes Electric-Only Driving Efficiency Hyundai Continues Industry-Exclusive Hybrid Lifetime Battery Warranty FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America has announced pricing for the 2014 Sonata Hybrid, starting at $26,000 for the extraordinarily well-equipped Sonata Hybrid and $30,750 for the range-topping Sonata Hybrid Limited. Hyundai Motor America will continue to offer an industry-exclusive Hybrid Lifetime Battery Warranty on the 2014 Sonata Hybrid. 2014 SONATA HYBRID PRICING Model Engine Transmission MSRP Sonata Hybrid 2.4L Atkinson 4-cyl. Hybrid 6-Speed A/T $26,000 Sonata Hybrid Limited 2.4L Atkinson 4-cyl. Hybrid 6-Speed A/T $30,750 Freight Charges for the 2014MY Sonata Hybrid are $810 and not included in the prices above. The 2014 Sonata Hybrid continues to demonstrate Hyundai's commitment to innovation with its advanced Hybrid Blue Drive architecture, which features a powerful 35 kW electric motor, 47 kW Lithium Polymer battery pack and an optimized hybrid operating strategy.

Hyundai's zombie obsession is just good business

In case you somehow missed it, Hyundai has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with The Walking Dead, the critically acclaimed zombie apocalypse show that entertains the masses while they're waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones. Fans of the show will recognize Rick, Michonne, Carol, Maggie and Glenn's mint green Hyundai Tucson, a staple vehicle for the crew of survivors, but the relationship between manufacturer and show goes far beyond that. There's a whole line of Zombie Survival Machines, as well as a special-edition production model (shown above). Heck, even Hyundai's post-LA Auto Show party featured actors staggering about as startlingly realistic walkers (TWD's name for zombies).
So what is it about the dead that quickens the pulse of Hyundai's marketing department? Ward's Auto has a great interview with Steve Shannon, the brand's US vice president of marketing. In it, Shannon describes the sudden nature of the tie-in between the show and the automaker, while describing how the company's corporate overlords in South Korea saw the results of the deal. It's an interesting insight into automotive product placement, as well as Hyundai's marketing philosophy and plans for the future (spoiler alert: the Tucson, which has had a role in the show for several seasons, was seemingly abandoned at the end of season four).
Head over to Ward's and have a look.