2004 Hyundai Tiburon Gt Coupe 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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How the Koreans are cracking the luxury market

South Korea's two largest automotive brands are no longer the same companies they were when they first entered the world stage.
Anyone who visits Seoul after a few years absence is likely going to be in for a shock. What was, not that long ago, a decidedly third-world city is today a thriving, sprawling metropolis increasingly on a par with the world's most modern cities.

Hyundai brings 1,000-hp Genesis Coupe to SEMA, and plenty more [w/video]

Hyundai has a thirst for horsepower. How else could we explain the scene you see above, in which there exists a 708-horsepower front-wheel-drive Sonata tuned by Bisimoto (black and white, above left) powered by Hyundai's 2.4-liter Theta II engine? Or the little red number you see hiding in the background, which, at an even 1,000 horsepower, is "the most-powerful 2.0-liter Genesis Coupe ever built," says Hyundai?
In addition to those two powerhouses, the white Sonata (above right) was styled by John Pangilinan to "[connect] Los Angeles street art culture with automotive enthusiasts," whatever that means, and it joins an ARK Performance-tuned Genesis Sedan meant to go head-to-head with Mercedes AMG and BMW M and another Genesis Sedan tuned by Toca Marketing Group with a twin-turbo'd 5.0-liter Tau V8.
All in, that's five heavily modified vehicles being shown at the 2014 SEMA Show by Hyundai (not to mention any more customs not actually sponsored by the automaker itself), and each of them is pretty successful as far as we're concerned. Check them all out for yourself in the image gallery above, and read all the details in the press release below, where you'll also find a video of the builders discussing each of their creations.

Watch Indian cars fail Global NCAP crash tests miserably

It's taken for granted that cars currently for sale in Western countries pass crash tests, and often merit four- or five-star safety ratings in NCAP or NHTSA tests. This is why these scores attained by Indian market cars are so galling: seven vehicles currently sold in India got zero stars in any category – a horrifying clean sweep. It is understandable that cars sold in a developing market are cheap and equipment levels are low, but acceptable crash safety is something that should be considered essential in all markets. The cars tested in the Global New Car Assessment Programme were Hyundai's Eon, Maruti Suzuki's Eeco and Celerio models, Mahindra's Scorpio SUV and several Renault Kwid models. All of the cars were manufactured in India for the Indian market, and the Mahindra Scorpio was the sole larger car. It was first introduced in 2002, with updates made in 2006 and 2014. Mahindra has long planned to export its vehicles to the United States, with the likeliest version a pickup variant of the Scorpio. Renault's Kwid crossover was tested in three versions. Initially, the Kwid was tested with and without airbags, and on both accounts it scored zero stars in adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. Renault strengthened the bodyshell and the crash tests showed the updated Kwid's structure did not collapse; still, it was rated unstable and that it couldn't withstand further stress. On closer inspection, the structural reinforcements were found to be done only on the driver's side of the passenger cell. Renault has confirmed more safety updates are on their way. "We welcome Renault's efforts to correct this and we look forward to testing another improved version with airbags. Renault has a strong record of achievement in safety in Europe and it should offer the same commitment to its customers in India", says Global NCAP's David Ward. "Global NCAP strongly believes that no manufacturer anywhere in the world should be developing new models that are so clearly sub-standard. Car makers must ensure that their new models pass the United Nations' minimum crash test regulations, and support use of an airbag." The airbag-equipped Kwid was the only model of the seven cars tested that was fitted with one. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This is how the Mahindra Scorpio performed. This content is hosted by a third party.