10. 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Whether you’re heading to the Chicago Auto Show and want to know what to check out, or your trip is a bit more virtual, AutoGuide editors have compiled a list of the must-sees at this year’s event.

Head into McCormick Place and hang a left. You can’t miss the all-new 2012 Porsche 911. It might not be a world premiere, or even a North American debut, but the beautifully blue Carrera S is a piece of art. Four inches longer than the outgoing model it’s more substantial and a much sleeker design.

Powered by a 400 hp 3.8-liter flat-six engine the Carrera S can hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds when paired with Porsche’s PDK 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and the optional Sport Chrono Package. It’ll also lap the Nurburgring as fast as the previous generation GT3!

Expanding the Elantra range, Hyundai has unveiled a coupe version of its popular Elantra sedan at the Chicago Auto Show.

Ready to take on the Civic Coupe with styling, horsepower and fuel economy, the Elantra Coupe gets some sporty touches and some added features.

Find out more about the Elantra Coupe in our first look video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

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Hyundai‘s old Elantra Touring was a function-first vehicle, targeted against cars like the Toyota Matrix. Now Hyundai is switching gears, replacing that small wagon with the Elantra GT (that’s Grand Touring), a hatchback built to compete against fun cars like the Mazda3, Ford Focus hatchback and VW Golf.

Unveiled alongside the Elantra Coupe at the Chicago Auto Show, find out more about the new 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT by watching the video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

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Replacing the dull-looking Elantra Touring for 2013 is an all new five-door Hyundai, which along with sporty Euro-hatch looks gets a marketing-friendly “Elantra GT” name.

The GT is powered by the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine found in the other Elantras, though it fails to make Hyundai’s hallowed 40-mpg mark. Instead, estimated fuel mileage is 28/39 city/highway, or 32 mpg average – still a solid number.

It also misses out on standard heated seats, which suggests that the company really is courting younger buyers when you realize the new coupe version gets that feature across the board. Despite that, there is some catchy standard equipment like a chilled glove box and three 12-volt outlets to keep the kids happy on long trips.

The competition ultimately becomes the defining factor for practical cars, and this is where Hyundai often shines. The Elantra offers significantly more passenger and cargo capacity than those it stacks up next to like the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix. Space behind the rear seat is a substantial 23 cu-ft, with a total of 51 cu-ft when you fold the seats flat. Those numbers are essentially on par with the new Subaru Impreza hatch, although if you don’t need all-wheel drive and do want a few extra miles per gallon, the front-drive Elantra stands out.

Safety ratings are obviously unavailable for the 2013 model, but if it’s anything like the predecessor, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave four of five stars, it will be a reasonably safe ride. So far it seems like Hyundai is doing a good job of offering the stuff that sells cars to customers in their segment. You won’t be riding in the lap of luxury, but the savings can buy quite a few steak dinners.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Reveal

Watch video of the Elantra GT below:

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Set to be unveiled later today at the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai is expanding its Elantra lineup with a two-door coupe.

De-dooring the Elantra is part of the company’s strategy to pull younger buyers in who they say are willing to sacrifice practicality for coupe appeal. It’s also a product targeted squarely at the Honda Civic Coupe, which has retained its dominance in the category despite rivals like the Kia Forte Koup and Scion tC.

The coupe is pretty-much the same as the sedan, featuring standard Hyundai sensibilities like heated seats, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and more.

In keeping with the push toward a younger crowd, the Coupe gets a few sport-inspired touches, though people purchasing these cars are anything but track junkies. The same 1.8-liter 148-hp four delivers power to the front wheels with Hyundai’s homemade six-speed manual or automatic.

The Coupe won’t however, join the rest of the 40-mpg club in Hyundai’s lineup, missing the bar slightly with a 39 mpg highway rating. Still, a 33 mpg average isn’t half bad and driving enthusiasts can get there with an entertaining 6-speed stick.

Consumers can choose from two trim levels, the base GS or premium SE. Both come with generous standard equipment, but the nicer accouterments like leather seats remain reserved for SE buyers. The wheels also get an inch bigger for the SE, growing from 16 to 17 inches.  Finally, an optional technology package is again withheld from the lower-end model but includes a 7-inch infotainment system, rear-view camera, an upgraded stereo and other cool stuff like proximity key entry, push-button start and more.

The sportier SE model gets a stiffer suspension that Hyundai says is designed for the car’s lower-profile tires. Despite getting the coupe treatment, the EPA classifies this as a mid-size car, which is interesting because it competes directly with compacts like the Honda Civic coupe and Kia Forte Koup which are both badged as compacts. Hyundai says it will deliver the best of both worlds (two door sex appeal and rear passenger roominess).

Regardless of the extra bulk, the car still manages to wiggle in between the Honda and Kia’s power to weight ratios, meaning customers can walk *erm drive away without feeling much buyer’s remorse.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe Reveal

For more on the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, see our complete coverage here.

Watch video of the Elantra Coupe below:

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It’s no idle boast, especially as many lithium-batteries are said to have a maximum life span of around 7-8 years, yet until now Hyundai hadn’t released any specifics on its lifetime warranty for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid’s battery pack.

As result, there’s been much speculation in regards to exactly what this battery warranty covers and doesn’t cover, though Hyundai, in an attempt to address these rumors has finally set the record straight.

In a statement issued from the company, it declared that, “the Hyundai Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee ensures that if the 2012 Sonata hybrid lithium-polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original owner. The coverage is not transferable, and does not apply to lease and commercial vehicles or vehicles serviced outside the U.S.”

Note how the above doesn’t mention the battery system’s integrated hardware, software and controllers. These are covered by a warranty, though in this case it’s the Sonata’s Powertrain warranty which is good for 10 years or 100,000 miles, which ever comes first.

Hyundai’s US CEO John Krafcik, has already stated that Hyundai is able to offer the battery warranty because after extensive durability testing, failure rates for the battery system have proved to be minimal.

That said, if owners do experience major battery failure on their Sonata Hybrids, they might want to consider the car’s mileage and condition before looking to cash in on the warranty program, as depending on the circumstances, it could still work out to be quite expensive.

[Source: Car & Driver]

Recently the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Touring was spied testing in Canada, and it appears that the second generation of its Hyundai Elantra Touring model will make its American debut at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

The new Elantra Touring won’t be the only Elantra variant making its debut as the Korean automaker is also planning to unveil a two-door version of their popular compact. But like the current Elantra Touring model in America, the new one will surely be just like the European Hyundai i30, which debuted at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Interestingly enough, reports are coming in that Hyundai will lose the Touring badge from the model’s name, simply branding it as a five-door hatchback – perhaps trying to get away from the unhip stigma of being a wagon. It is expected to be powered by the same 1.8L engine in the current Elantra model, with 148-hp and achieve 40-mpg on the highway – if you believe Hyundai’s claims. Reports of a 200-hp turbocharged model and a plug-in hybrid variant are still a possibility.

GALLERY: 2013 Elantra Touring Spy Photos

GALLERY: European Hyundai i30 Hatch

In the auto business, 2011 proved to be the year of the Koreans; both Hyundai and affiliate Kia sold a record number of vehicles, while their shares outperformed those of other automakers, including the likes of heavyweights such as General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen.

That said, some of the sales in new vehicles from the Koreans actually cannibalized others within their ranks, notably the Kia Optima (K5 in South Korea), which after its latest redesign saw orders triple, though some of that came at the expense of Hyundai’s Sonata, which only saw demand increase by some 5.2 percent in the same period.

There’s every chance the same thing could happen again with Kia planning to launch the more upmarket K9, designed to go after the same customers as the Hyundai’s Genesis and Equus.

Frank Ahrens, a spokesman for Hyundai said the car-to-car rivalry between the two brands extends to all segments. Further complicating matters is the fact that although Hyundai and Kia are overseen by the same chairman (Chung Mong Koo) and share a development center, they are run as two separate companies and arch rivals at that.

There’s no question that Hyundai’s original 51 percent purchase of Kia Motors back in 1998 rejuvenated the brand and helped it grow into a purveyor of world-class vehicles with competitive prices. All the same, the companies need to sort out their differences now more than ever because it seems global competition is going to intensify in 2012 especially with Honda and Toyota returning to pre-disaster capacity.

This will likely mean Hyundai and Kia will need to develop a successful alignment strategy for their respective product lines, for example: focusing one brand on premium products and the other on volume sales. In doing so, they stand a greater chance of stealing sales from Japanese, American and European rivals instead of each other.

It seems that signs of greater product differentiation between Hyundai and Kia’s offerings are afoot; Kia’s European COO, Paul Philpott, said during a recent interview that “Hyundai will become the mainstream brand with Kia [functioning as] the sportier, dynamic little brother.”

[Source: Bloomberg]

Did you think that every automaker’s secrets were revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? Think again.

At least ten new models will debut at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, which kicks-off this Wednesday, February 8th. Here’s a quick round up of what to expect:

Acura

The ILX Sports Sedan will debut, and replace the TSX. The new ILX will be based on Honda’s Civic platform, and share the powertrain choices. Additionally, the ILX will show off three engines, including a Hybrid. The ILX will be targeted towards a younger crowd, and is being called a “gateway” to the luxury brand lineup.

Joining the ILX will be a new RDX. The popular SUV will be redesigned and will show off a wider track, a longer wheelbase and a new V6 engine. The RDX will be showing off some new technologies as well, including Pandora Internet Radio, and a Text-to-Speech SMS voice texting.

See the rest of our Chicago Auto Show preview below:

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Despite previous reports to the contrary, Hyundai is reportedly still considering launching a premium sub-brand.

The plan would be to branch-off the Genesis name plate into its own marque, creating a mental gap between disparate products, that range from the $12,545 sub-compact Accent, all the way to the $59,000 Equus.

This latest rumbling is more than a rumor too, with the source being none other than Hyundai Motor America sales boss Dave Zuchowski. According to Zuchowski; “There’s a conversation going on within the company that says, ‘Does having the Hyundai badge on the premium vehicles sell more vehicles, or does it restrict us from selling more vehicles?

While no decision has yet been made, the plan would be to branch off the rear-drive models, including the Genesis Sedan, Genesis Coupe and Equus, removing the “H” badge from the cars and swapping out their current names for alphanumeric designations. The proposal, however, does not go as far as a new dealer network, with the cars continuing to be sold within the current dealership structure.

If Hyundai does move ahead with the plan, it could be implemented as early as late next year, when the first of the second-generation Genesis models arrive.

[Source: Automotive News]