Hyundai to Challenge “Marketing Conspiracy” with Super Bowl XLV Ads

With its three ads programmed to air during the Super Bowl XLV later in the day (Sunday, February 6), Hyundai wants to show the American public that not all compact cars have “uninspired design, cramped interiors and limited innovation”, as marketing portrays them. Two out of the three advertisements showcase the 2011 Elantra sedan, while the third features the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. Videos available after the break.

The first Elantra spot, called “Hypnotized”, will air during the first quarter and it “questions the idea that compact cars are as good as they can be”. It will be followed in the third quarter by the “Deprogramming” ad, which states, among other things, that “compact cars can be more”.

“We love the Super Bowl’s ability to transform over 100 million Americans into advertising aficionados, so we went with a playful theme that ties a marketing-driven conspiracy theory to our fresh take on the compact car segment, the 40-mpg Elantra”, said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “Building from the first two Elantra ads in the AFC Championship Game, and 10 viral spots online right now, the Super Bowl shifts the campaign into top gear with what may be the biggest group therapy hypnosis session ever attempted”.

Last but not least, the fourth quarter will bring the “Anachronistic City” spot starring the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. By creating a sharp contrast between the car and a variety of obsolete devices, Hyundai wants to highlight its commitment to innovation.

All three ads are the creation of Innocean Worldwide Americas and feature the brand’s 2011 “New Thinking, New Possibilities” vision.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Caught Testing in Dubai

The crew over at the Arabic website Assayyarat dropped these photos of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata in our mail this morning. The prototype model that was captured in Dubai had its front- and rear-end covered in plastic wrapping but we do get a general idea of what the mid-size sedan will look like when it hits showrooms in early 2010. And judging by the raked roofline and the 'stubby' boot design (first-gen Audi A6 ring a bell?), Hyundai is going for a more than welcome 'four-door' coupe look.

The photographer also managed to snap a few pictures of the Sonata's interior that is completely new featuring a swoopy dashboard design with very Volvo-like controls on the center stack and a pair of deeply set gauges which seem to be the industry standard these days.

The Korean automaker's Honda Accord and Toyota Camry fighter is expected to be powered by four-cylinder and V6 gasoline engines while Europeans will also be offered the choice of four-banger turbo diesels including a new 2.0-liter four-pot with 185 horsepower.

Photo Courtesy: Assayyarat

Hyundai Sells Over 200,000 Sonata Sedans in North America this Year, Sets New Record

The well received new Sonata is spearheading Hyundai's North American sales efforts this year, with the South Korean automaker selling more than 200,000 examples of the mid-size sedan in the U.S. and Canada in 2010, setting a new sales record. More importantly, the four-door saloon helped the company deliver more than 530,000 vehicles in the United States and over 110,000 in Canada for the first time ever.

"Sonata has delivered some pretty incredible results for us this year," says John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. "Sonata is the Hyundai brand and it's appropriate that it has led our best year ever. Sonata's innovation has reset the most hotly contested, largest segment in the U.S. car market, with Sonata delivering more year-over-year retail sales growth – about 90,000 units – than any other car in the entire industry."

According to Hyundai, more than 70 percent of Sonata buyers previously owned a car from a brand other than Hyundai with more than 20 percent coming from Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

"This car has meant so much to the success of our brand and our dealers," says Krafcik. "While cars like Camry and Accord spend more than 50 days on a dealer lot, Sonata leads the segment in 'days-to-turn' through the first three quarters. The average Sonata is sold in 16 days."

The Hyundai CEO also added that the Sonata vastly improved its fleet sales record moving from sixth place in its segment last November with a mere 5% retail share, to third, averaging 13-to-16% retail segment share for most of the year, behind Accord and Camry.

In the States, the new Sonata is offered with three engine choices, a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four producing 198HP or 200HP (depending on the version), a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger with 274HP and a 2.4-liter hybrid variant delivering a combined output of 209HP.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Spied by Reader in South Korea

A prototype model of Hyundai's forthcoming 2011 Sonata sedan in plastic wraps has been spied parked on the road somewhere in South Korea by a member of the 'Hyundai-Blog' site. The new mid-size sedan that will be called 'i40' in Europe and other international markets, could be revealed in production form as early as this November at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show and go on sale sometime during the first half of 2010.

While Hyundai's people have done a pretty good job with the camouflage, some details like the more raked roofline suggest that the new Sonata will be much more adventurous in its design than the current car.

Built on a newly developed platform, the next-generation Sonata is said to be slightly larger than the outgoing model resulting to improved space for passengers and their luggage.

A four-cylinder and a V6 gasoline engine is sure to be in the mix while in Europe and other markets consumers will also be able to opt between the Korean firm's new 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter turbo diesels delivering an output of 185HP and 200HP respectively.

Via: Hyundai Blog

2011 Hyundai i40: European Market Sonata Officially Announced

Hyundai has come out with an official announcement on its new D-segment car for Europe, about a week after the first illustrations of the i40 made their way onto the web. The i40, which was known by the codename ‘VF’ during development, is essentially the European market version of the North American and Korean Sonata, and will compete against cars like Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Citroen C5.

The new i40 will make its world premiere in estate form at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011, with a four door sedan model following later in the same year. It was designed at Hyundai’s European R&D facilities in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and according to the South Korean firm, it is the company’s first D-segment model to be specifically developed for the European market.

Hyundai claims that the i40 will further boost European consumer perception of the brand to "a more aspirational position" thanks to the vehicle's design, quality, performance and technical features.

“We have bold ambitions for Hyundai in Europe, and the new i40 will provide the momentum we need to achieve our goals in 2011 and beyond. We expect the quality of the new i40 to continue the development of our image in Europe and attract new customers to the Hyundai brand,” commented Allan Rushforth, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Europe.

“The i40 perfectly combines the four elements that have become core Hyundai values: practicality, performance, efficiency, and styling. Our designers and engineers have produced a car that encapsulates what European motorists look for in a D-segment vehicle,” Mr Rushforth added.

The South Korean firm said that the i40 will be Hyundai's most innovative model on sale in Europe, featuring the latest environmental technologies developed under the company’s Blue Drive eco-program, and a powertrain line-up with "best-in-class performance and fuel economy, and very low CO2 emissions."

While Hyundai did not release any specific details on the engine line-up, it is believed that at launch, consumers will have the choice a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

The company said more information on the i40 will be released nearer the time of car's motor show world premiere in Geneva.

New Hyundai i40: VW Passat and Ford Mondeo Rival Teased Ahead of Geneva Debut

These are the first teaser renderings of Hyundai's new competitor in the European market D-segment, the i40 that will take on the likes of the VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna and Toyota Avensis from next year. It is based on a modified version of the North American Sonata's platform and aside from the estate model seen here, it will also be offered in a four-door sedan version, which will enter the market later towards the end of 2011.

Designed and developed by Hyundai’s German R&D centre in Russelsheim with European buyers in mind, the station wagon's exterior styling is heavily influenced by the South Korean automaker's Genus Concept model from 2006 (scroll down for photos).

Hyundai's mid-sizer will be available in Europe with the same range of petrol and diesel engines as its sister model, the new [EU-spec] Kia Optima.

At launch, the palette of engines will include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of 170-horsepower, and two variants of the firm's 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP. The South Korean firm will further enhance the i40's engine range with a more powerful diesel unit starting from 2012.

The new i40 in estate form will make its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March and go on sale across Europe before summer of the same year.

____________________________HYUNDAI i40____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

____________________2006 HYUNDAI GENUS CONCEPT___________________