Tag Archives: hyundai

European Auto Sales down in 2011 for Fourth Straight Year

For the year American automakers General Motors finished fourth with a flat 8.7% share. Fifth place Ford Motor (8%, a slight decline) made no sales progress either, even though both companies have introduced a series of new models. Sixth place Fiat – the owner of Chrysler courtesy of American taxpayers – continues to struggle along with Italy, off almost a full percentage point in share to 7.1%. One bright spot – Jeep sales are up 63% from an admittedly small base to more than 22,000 units. Continue reading

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First Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty On Hyundai Sonata

The announcement appears to be an opportunistic and pre-emptive use of public relations, given current Chevrolet Volt battery fire concerns. The Chevrolet Volt uses the same supplier – LG Chem – as the 2011 model Sonata Hybrid. Model year 2012 Sonata hybrid versions are just about to go on sale since Hyundai is still clearing out inventories of its 2011 Sonata Hybrid. This is a rare sales setback for Hyundai, which also captured the North American Car of the Car of the Year award for its Elantra compact car at NAIAS, and reflects a larger hybrid sales problem that most automakers have. Continue reading

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President Obama and South Korean President Lee Defend Korean FTA at a Michigan General Motors Small Car Plant

President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak toured the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant on Friday and spoke to several hundred workers and guests in support of the pending U.S-South Korean Free Trade Agreement. The rally came as U.S. long term unemployment remain at record post Great Depression levels. Korea is the fifth largest producer and fourth largest exporter of motor vehicles in the world, and – up to now – its car market has been closed. Continue reading

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Obama Administration Submits Controversial FTAs to Congress. Largest Loss of Jobs since NAFTA Coming?

The AFL-CIO said the “The Korea agreement is the largest offshoring deal of its kind since NAFTA. If enacted, it likely will displace 159,000 U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing. And its glaring loopholes would allow unscrupulous businesses to import illegally labeled goods from China and possibly even from sweatshops in North Korea—potentially without any tariffs at all.” Continue reading

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Korean Auto Sales Surge as Japanese Remain Sidelined

Korean auto sales increased sharply in July while Japanese automakers watched as depleted inventories once again cut into their normal sales levels. Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia posted huge gains and a record month. A combination of high fuel economy and low prices – helped by the Korean Won – saw double-digit sales gains at both automakers. Still, several questions remain about the ability of Korean automakers to continue to grow at the significant rates they have been achieving. Continue reading

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40 MPG Hyundai Models Continue to Set Sales Records

Call it luck or call it planning, but Hyundai’s emphasis on fuel economy and interior room is paying sales dividends. The Korean maker announced today that it had sold its 100,000 40 mpg vehicle this year as rated on the EPA highway cycle. Continue reading

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Ford of Europe CEO Stephen O’Dell Calls for a Comprehensive Industrial Policy and Rejection of Korean FTA

Odell also criticized a proposed Korean trade agreement, which in a different form is also controversial in the U.S. However, Ford in the U.S. supports a pending Korean FTA, which is opposed by all major U.S. unions except for the United Autoworkers. A Ford spokesperson was unable to explain the disparity in the conflicting positions. Continue reading

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Korean Automakers Post Huge U.S. Sales Gains as Disputed Free Trade Agreement Heads for Congressional Approval

Some of the biggest sales gains in May were posted by Korean automakers Hyundai (up 20.7% versus a year ago) and Kia (up 53.4%). Combined, the two Korean automakers sold more than 100,000 vehicles for the month. Korea is the fifth largest producer and fourth largest exporter of motor vehicles in the world.

However, Korea ranks at the very bottom — 30 out of 30 among the largest automotive markets — for auto market access. The average among major developed economies is 40% market penetration by imported automobiles, but in Korea, the total of import vehicles from all global manufacturers in all countries entering the Korean market is around 3.6%. This is about 40,000 vehicles in a market that buys roughly one million vehicles annually. Continue reading

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Hyundai Adds Guaranteed Trade-In Value to Assurance Plan

This latest marketing push is made possible by newly found strength in Hyundai residual values, now among the highest in the auto industry, as Hyundai newest generation of vehicles have increased in sophistication and quality compared to previous models. Continue reading

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Chevrolet Miray Voted Best Concept at Seoul Motor Show

The Chevrolet Miray was named Best Concept Car at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show. Journalists attending the show voted their favorite cars in three categories: Best Concept Car, Best Green Car and Best Passenger Car. The Miray, which made its world premiere in Seoul, received the most votes among concept cars on display.

The Miray roadster is significant because it was developed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in Seoul, increasingly the source of small car work for the U.S. based and taxpayer owned GM. Continue reading

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Chevrolet Miray Hybrid Electric Debuts at Seoul Motor Show

Chevrolet introduced the Miray concept hybrid electric vehicle at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show today. The roadster is significant because it was developed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in Seoul, increasingly the source of small car work for … Continue reading

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UAW Defends Korean FTA as Other Unions Protest Deal

In a late Friday afternoon e-mail to its members and supporters, the United Auto Workers Union defended its endorsement of the revised and still controversial Korean FTA or so called Free Trade Agreement. The defense came after the heads of … Continue reading

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Hyundai Recalling 2011 Santa Fe SUVs for Bad Brakes

Hyundai is recalling all 2011 Santa Fe models built at a Kia plant in Alabama because of bad brakes. Defective rear brake calipers can leak and diminish braking performance. Drivers of the affected Sante Fe models should see a brake … Continue reading

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AFL-CIO Rejects Korean FTA. New Trade Policy Called For

The proposed Korean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. should be rejected by the Congress because its investment and government procurement provisions will encourage “offshoring,” according to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. His statement came after the Detroit Three auto companies … Continue reading

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Detroit Three Continue to Trail Import Brands on Customer Retention Rates. Conquest Rates Are Up Slightly

While customer retention rates among Detroit Three brands as a whole have improved slightly from 2009, domestic makers still trail import brands when an existing vehicle owner considers purchasing the same brand again. Continue reading

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