Category Archives: Hyundai
Consumer group cries foul on Hyundai’s 40-mpg claim
Right when it looks like Hyundai can do no wrong, we have this: A consumer protection group is asking the United States Environmental Protection Agency to look into claims that the Elantra has exaggerated fuel economy numbers.
Consumer Watchdog sent the EPA a letter citing a litany of public criticism of the compact Elantra’s real-world fuel economy, and asking the EPA to “re-test the 2011 and 2012 Elantra models in its own facility, to seek an explanation for the MPG disappointments of so many Elantra buyers.”
Except that many Elantra buyers are actually satisfied with their mileage. When we asked Hyundai for a response to the allegations, its public relations staff pointed us to a J.D. Power APEAL study showing that, “Elantra owners are the happiest in the entire compact segment competitive set in terms of fuel economy.”
Hyundai did note that real-world fuel economy results often differ from EPA label values, but stopped short of writing the whole thing off as “your mileage may vary.” According to Hyundai, when Consumer Reports put the Elantra through its tough city cycle test regimen, the results were consistent with other compact cars, all of which underperformed compared to the EPA test. Hyundai said the Elantra achieved 20 mpg, which was higher than Honda Civic at 19, Ford Focus at 18, and Chevrolet Cruze at 17. “These results show rank-order consistency with the EPA results of Elantra (29), Civic (28), Focus (28), and Cruze (22),” said Hyundai.
2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to get 350-hp V6, 275-hp turbo four
We already know that the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will make its debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, but now, details about what’s behind that newly sculpted, Veloster-inspired front fascia have finally surfaced.
According to Car and Driver, the four- and six-cylinder engines found under the coupe’s newly designed hood are coming in for significant upgrades. The 3.8-liter Lambda V6 now uses direct-injection technology (just like in the updated 2012 Genesis sedan), but instead of matching the four-door’s 333 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque, Hyundai has further massaged this engine to the tune of 345 hp and 295 lb-ft of twist. That means the Korean coupe will put down more horsepower than many of its American and Japanese six-cylinder rivals, specifically the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Nissan 370Z.
There’s good news for turbo-four enthusiasts, as well. Hyundai’s 2.0-liter inline-four receives a new twin-scroll turbo unit and an upgraded intercooler, meaning there’s now 271 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque on tap. Both the four- and six-cylinder engines are now available with eight-speed automatic transmissions, but those who prefer to row their own gears will almost certainly still be able to opt for a six-speed manual gearbox with either engine.
Hyundai lets slip two official shots of 2013 Genesis Coupe
The Korean-language Hyundai blog has let slip a few more photos of the 2013 Genesis Coupe, giving us an even better idea of what the vehicle will look like once it receives a formal introduction at the Detroit Auto Show in January. From the looks of things, the performance coupe will fall in line with the Hyundai corporate design language, complete with a more complex front fascia that borrows heavily from the Veloster. The vehicle’s stylized headlights are a sharp touch, however, and LED fog lights nestled low in the front fascia help give the vehicle a splash of class as well.
Speaking of reworked lighting, the tail lamps have been significantly redesigned, as well. The finished product appears significantly more aggressive than the current model. What other changes can we expect to see? Hyundai hasn’t tipped its powertrain hand just yet, but we expect to see the current engine line to carry over, albeit with slight upgrades. There is some word that Hyundai may offer a supercharged version of the 3.8-liter V6, and we fully expect the revised six-cylinder powerplant from the Genesis sedan to be fitted under the coupe’s hood. We’ll know for sure come January.
Hyundai confirms Veloster Turbo, upgraded Genesis Coupe headed for Detroit
This isn’t really shocking news – we’ve known that Hyundai has been working on a turbocharged version of its new Veloster for quite some time – but it’s nice to have official confirmation directly from CEO John Krafcikon the company’s Twitter account and via a live announcement at SEMA. The highly anticipated 2013 Veloster Turbo will debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, reportedly alongside a refreshed Genesis Coupe.
The Veloster Turbo will – surprise, surprise – be powered by Hyundai’s new 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that was recently announced in Korea. That engine’s previously announced spec is 204 horsepower – 66 more horsepower than the standard Veloster’s naturally aspirated inline four. Assuming the model gets some other upgrades along with it, the turbocharged hatchback should be a pretty enthusiastic steer.
As for the updated Genesis Coupe, Car and Driver says that Krafcik has confirmed the base 2.0-liter turbo-four and naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 will get power increases (the V6 will likely get the same 333-hp treatment that the 2012 Genesis sedan received), and from the spy shots we’ve seen, we can expect the coupe’s styling to be more akin to that of the smaller Veloster. We’ll have the full details come January.
Hyundai announces new 204-hp turbo four. Is it headed for Veloster?
The 2012 Hyundai Veloster has plenty of hot hatch potential, but its frugal, 1.6-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder just isn’t going to cut it for those more concerned with speed than fuel economy. While a turbo model has long been rumored, we’ve now got confirmation – sort of.
While Hyundai hasn’t said anything official about the turbo Veloster, it has unveiled a new turbocharged 1.6-liter engine at a conference in Korea this week. Hyundai says it spent 52 months and over $60 million developing the new mill, which meets California’s ULEV-2 and Euro 5 standards.
The 204-horsepower Gamma four-cylinder gets its extra 66 horses thanks to a twin-scoll turbocharger and an air-to-air intercooler. The turbo, which is integrated into the exhaust manifold, also boosts the Gamma’s torque to a tire-squealing 195 lb-ft.
With a curb weight of just 2,600 pounds, the Veloster could be quite a pocket rocket with this engine fitted underhood. Let’s hope a limited-slip differential is also in the cards.
We expect some sort of official announcement from Hyundai regarding the Veloster Turbo as early as November 1 at SEMA. To read the release announcing the new turbo engine, click through the jump.






