Hyundai
First Look: 2012 Hyundai Azera
Hyundai has unveiled the 2012 Azera sedan at the LA Auto Show today. It features a new 3.3-liter engine with direct injection, producing 293 horspower. It also achieves a combined 23 miles per gallon.
Driven: 2012 Honda CR-V
The old phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” has been taken to heart by Honda. After leading crossover/SUV sales from 2007 to 2010 with the third-generation CR-V, the Japanese automaker seems to have the pulse of this market’s buyers. Honda knows customers want a reliable, efficient, affordable, and stylish vehicle, and the third-gen model managed to pull that off with ease. The question is: will the new fourth-generation CR-V manage quite as well?
Hyundai To Unveil Veloster Turbo At Detroit Auto Show
According to Hyundai’s twitter feed, we’ll be getting the souped-up Veloster that we’ve always wanted. Yes, there will be a turbocharged Veloster, and we’ll be seeing it first hand at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. Giving additional credence to this statement are three important initials at the end of the tweet–J, F, and K. That’s the tag of Hyundai’s CEO, John Krafcik
Driven: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
This Sonata may lack the power and involvement of its siblings, but still makes a sound case for itself as an attractive, high-mpg device.
Driven: 2012 Hyundai Veloster
Hyundai can do popular styling—this we know. If we’re judging by word on the street, the response of our readership, and our own personal tastes, we can say with some level of confidence that recent Hyundai newbies like the Sonata and Elantra are widely viewed as attractive cars. Even the slightly less well received Genesis Sedan was only really faulted for being anonymous, which is hardly the kiss of death for sales among conservative buyers.
Winding Road Issue 74 Is Now Available!
In the newest issue, we give the brand new Hyundai Veloster the Winding Road treatment, to see if enthusiasts will like it as much as bystanders on our drive did. Plus, we get to know a bunch of other vehicles in Winding Road Issue 74.
Driven: 2012 Hyundai Accent Five-Door
The last generation of the Hyundai Accent was one of the cheapest new cars money could buy. You could pick up a three-door hatch for under $10,000. A fully loaded model rang in well below this new generation’s starting price of $14,195. So while this new Accent has lost the affordability of the old car, it has made some serious gains in the realms of comfort, style, equipment, refinement, and quality, without giving up too much of the slow-car-fast driving fun of the third-generation Accent.
Frankfurt 2011: Frankfurt Auto Show Wrap-Up
As quickly as it began, the first media day of the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is over. This year’s show featured no shortage of concept cars, including one designed by a racecar driver. As for production metal, there seemed to be something for everyone: exotics, hybrids, station wagons, SUVs, GTs, and sports cars were all well represented at this years show.
Frankfurt 2011: Hyundai i30
Hyundai’s European outfit is preparing to launch its new i30 small wagon. Why is that important to North Americans? Because the i30 is very likely coming over here as the next-generation Elantra Touring (considering the current Elantra Touring is the current i30 in Europe). Regardless of where the i30 ends up, at least on the basis of aesthetics, it should provide a worthy alternative to the five-door Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen.
Base Versus Loaded: 2012 Hyundai Veloster
In advance of our upcoming drive of the Veloster, Hyundai has put the sales configurator online. Of course, we had to go in and see how expensive we could option out this 138-horsepower compact hatchback.
Graphed: 5.0-Liter V-8 Power
There’s something magical about five liters of displacement divided among eight cylinders. Right now, Ford, Jaguar/Land Rover, Hyundai, and Lexus are using them in various vehicles, and we haven’t found one that’s let us down yet. Whether naturally aspirated or supercharged, they all sing a great song and provide a healthy kick in the pants.
Driven: 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid
We recently drove the new Honda Civic lineup, and came away with a basic sense of what the car was like and how it had evolved. That trip, however, covered the whole Civic range, and with a limited amount of time, we had to focus mostly on a couple specific models, while giving the Hybrid only a cursory appraisal. Luckily, we managed to get the 2012 Civic Hybrid in at our Michigan office for some extended time in the vehicle.
List: Ten Cars That Would Make Great Convertibles
It’s no secret that there is near-universal love for convertibles here in the Winding Road offices (with the notable exception of cabriolet-hater John Beltz Snyder). In fact, we have an unwritten rule here at WR HQ, that unless it is raining, the top must be down, regardless of other weather conditions. The problem is, convertibles are, for the most part, a precious commodity.
Graphed: Fuel Economy Of Efficient Vehicles
As we drive the Lexus CT200h (and enjoy it for the most part), we’re reminded of some of the other fuel misers we’ve driven and responded to favorably (again, for the most part). We decided to compare a handful of these cars side by side, to get a visual understanding of how they perform.
Winding Road Video: 2011 Hyundai Equus – Quick Drive
Our picture man, Chris Amos, is at it again, this time with a Quick Drive video of the luxurious Hyundai Equus. The film does a great job of showing off some of the car’s unique details and healthy feature set. Have a look below.
List: 15 Most Involving Six-Cylinder Cars
Winding Road’s inaugural Involvement Index Awards are getting closer and closer. So to whet your appetite for all the index glory that is to come, we present this list of the most involving six-cylinder cars.
Quick Drive: 2011 Hyundai Elantra
To call it Sonata Junior sounds pejorative, but not when you consider the merits of the Sonata, plus those of smaller vehicles. It packs a lot of comfort into a small package, and offers up a lot of the stability and characteristic quality. It feels roomy inside, with a relaxed ride, but still with the rotational gumption befitting its small footprint. Unfortunately, it’s not the best at rewarding the driver or providing useful feedback.
Driven: 2012 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec
In fact, that icy air was endemic of the relative luxury of the Genesis cabin. Though not much changed for this 2012 model year refresh (new wood trims are about the only interior modifications), we were quickly reminded that the big Hyundai sedan was a comfortable place to spend time.
Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Passat
Regardless of engine, the Passat was quite simply one of the best mid-sizers in terms of ride and handling that we’d experienced in some time. The damping walked a perfect line between sportiness and comfort, with very little lateral movement, even under hard cornering. Aggressive brake and throttle inputs didn’t do much to disturb the car either. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most communicative of vehicles. It was difficult to feel out things like grip levels and cornering loads due to the lack of movement through the suspension.
The Winding Road Guide To Beating $4 Gas
For drivers, this escalation in fuel prices sucks big time. But let us not despair. Some of our favorite driver’s cars also happen to best the competition in fuel economy, whether sipping regular, premium, or diesel, and even sometimes with a chaser of electrons from a battery pack.
Secondhand Gems: Korea Vs. Japan: $25K Sport Coupe Battle
A few years back Hyundai unveiled a car called Genesis. The automotive world noticed, because it was arguably the car that took Hyundai to the next level as a primetime player in the automotive big leagues. Though it didn’t necessarily rewrite the rules of motoring nirvana, its four-door design, attractive accommodations, and robust V-8 engine were still plenty good enough to grab the attention of near-luxury sedan shoppers, even before the familiar, reasonable Hyundai sticker price was factored in.
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