Finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year have been announced, with Chrysler dominating the truck field, and electric vehicles comprising 2/3rds of the car category.

The Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, both built on the same platform, were nominated in the truck category, as well as the re-designed Ford Explorer.

In the car segment, both the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are nominated, with the Hyundai Sonata 2.0T as the lone traditional car.

The jury deciding on the awards is made up for 49 journalists from the United States and Canada. 50 vehicles are sampled, while only 14 make it to the second round.

Hyundai is celebrating its first ever year in which it sold 500,000 vehicles, with the Sonata leading the charge, moving over 183,000 units. The Elantra and Santa Fe were second and third, respectively.

The company’s previous record  was 467,009 units in 2007, but Hyundai expects to sell about 537,000 units this year. The record year also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Hyundai’s entry into the American market, and we offer our congratulations on this occassion.

Hit the jump to read the official press release

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai‘s previous generation Sonata is still on sale in European markets, and with a new alphanumeric naming convention being established, the next Sonata will apparently be known as the i40 when it makes its European debut at the 2011 Geneva auto show.

So far, the i40w station wagon has been the only variant previewed so far. We wouldn’t be surprised if this car, designed with Europe in mind, made it here as the Sonata wagon, a long-rumored product. We’re not sure if the Sonata sedan will be sold as the European i40 – while the car has the chops to go up against class leaders like the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, its North American size may be an issue in Europe, where space comes at a premium.

Hyundai’s range of diesel engines, expected to be offered on the i40, will also likely not make it over here.

[Source: Hyundai Blog]

The latest batch of Hyundai Azera photos have surfaced, and the vehicle looks to be following in the footsteps of its little brother, the Sonata, by looking nearly identical to its mid-size counterpart.

With its re-design, the Azera moves from its position as a stodgy-looking competitor to the Toyota Avalon and towards a sportier full-size car. Honestly, we can’t see why such a vehicle is necessary when the Sonata seems to be able to do it all, but with no V6 option on the Sonata, the Azera will likely have that role covered, and a 3.8L Lambda V6 is the most likely candidate.

Gallery: Hyundai Azera

[Source: Car Throttle]

Toyota‘s Camry has long enjoyed a plum position as America’s best-selling car. But a strong dip in sales, combined with a resurgent Honda Accord and the success of the new Hyundai Sonata could conspire to knock the Camry off of its pedestal.

Camry sales have fallen by about 8 percent this year, with November sales down by 24 percent compared to 2009. Meanwhile, Accord sales are up 7 percent while Sonata sales are up a whopping 65 percent. Even competitors like the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Impala and Nissan Altima are seeing increases. Some analysts are blaming the perfect storm of Toyota’s recall woes and a long product cycle for the drop in sales. With only a couple weeks to go until year-end, this one should be down to the wire.

[Source: Automotive News]

Hyundai‘s RIDES Magazine Sonata Turbo is apparently inspired by the Mercedes-Benz CLS, but we almost think it looks better than the current generation car (CLS63 AMG notwithstanding).

Maybe it’s the fact that the matte white paintjob looks absolutely wild in person, or that we didn’t expect RIDES Magazine to come up with such a tasteful build for this car, but we’re sold.

Along with a custom bodykit comes 20″ Rennen Modular M9 wheels with a very low offset, Falken FK452 tires, a painted and debadged grille and smoked tail lights. Apparently, MB wasn’t the only German company that was used as inspiration, as RIDES managed to integrate Audi foglamps into the front bumper as well. Inside, the black leather (looking much better than the standard Sonata upholstery) is offset with red stitching and carbon fiber trim, while a pair of JBL subwoofers and amps help the tunes bump. Finally, a custom exhaust and a front mounted intercooler help keep up the “go” quotient.

Gallery: Hyundai RIDES Magazine Sonata Turbo

Hit the jump to see the official press release

[Source: Hyundai]

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Green Car Journal has announced its candidates for its Green Car Of The Year award, with the five car field being composed of some pretty serious competition,

Naturally, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are the leading contenders, with the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid rounding out the field, and the Ford Fiesta being the sole nominee that runs solely on a gasoline engine and no electric components. Regardless, the Fiesta can still get 40 mpg on the highway, making it a worthy candidate.

The winner will be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November

Hit the jump to see the official press release

[Source: Green Car Journal]

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Hyundai‘s Sonata Hybrid just had its launch in San Diego, and while driving impressions are embargoed until next Monday, we do have a bit of good news to report.

According to Dave Thomas of Kicking Tires, the Sonata Hybrid will be eligible for a $1,300 tax credit from the federal government. The tax credit is a little finicky; the rebate is determined by the vehicle’s city mileage, which means the 36 mpg rated Sonata gets a smaller rebate than the 41 mpg rated Ford Fusion Hybrid, but the credit is only available on the first 60,000 hybrid vehicles sold by the manufacturer. Ford, as well as Toyota, have sold far more than that number, leaving them ineligible for the credit.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Hyundai is planning to introduce a “supercar-inspired” Sonata Turbo, taking cues from the Brabus Rocket super sedan. The concept is being produced in collaboration with 0-60 Magazine and Rides Magazine and will feature matte white paint, 20″ wheels and carbon fiber exterior bits.

Hyundai hasn’t announced any performance improvements beyond bolt-on intake, exhaust and turbo enhancements, but the “Ferrari F430 inspired” interior should make it obvious that function follows form with this concept.

Hit the jump to see the official press release

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai’s seemingly unstoppable rise to the top has hit as stumbling block, as the company is forced to recall 140,000 of its mid-size Sonata sedans over a steering issue.

The Sonata, which recently hit third place in the mid-size sedan sales charts, is being recalled due to “the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections [that] may have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened.” The defect could result in the parts separating, leading to a steering malfunction and possibly a crash.

Dealers are expected to send notices out in October, but in the mean time, customers can call the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-633-5151, or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

[Source: NHTSA]

The Hyundai Sonata has officially bumped off the Nissan Altima to take 3rd place in the mid-size sedan sales race. The Sonata sold 21,399 units in August, closing in on the Honda Accord, which sold 22,506 units. The Toyota Camry enjoys a comfortable lead, selling just over 30,000 units in August. The figures exclude fleet and rental sales.

The Sonata has bested tough rivals like the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu. Buyers are apparently enticed by a strong warranty, low MSRP and generous equipment levels. About 75% of Sonata customers are “conquest buyers” who have traded in other brands for a Hyundai.

[Source: Detroit News]

Hyundai is set to build the new Elantra at their Alabama factory, as it joins the Sonata and Santa Fe at the plant. The new Elantra is already on sale in South Korea, but is set to debut in U.S. spec at this November’s 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

In a press release, Hyundai CEO John Krafcik said “Hyundai‘s philosophy is to build our vehicles where we sell them, and with the addition of the Elantra to our U.S. production mix we now manufacture our three most popular models right here in the U.S.”

The move to produce the Elantra in the United States allows Hyundai to price the car even more aggressively as it aims to capture an ever larger market share in the United States.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Hyundai is embarking on a $150 million expansion of its Orange County, California headquarters, allowing it to double in size from 700 to 1400 employees.

“This investment ensures that Orange County will remain  U.S. hub, with our headquarters in Fountain Valley, for the foreseeable future,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “The new building will give us the flexibility to grow with our brand, reflect our modern design sensibility, and showcase our commitment to sustainability.”

The move to expand its facilities and double its workforce amid a recession indicates Hyundai’s confidence in their continued growth. Their new building will also be LEED certified, an increasingly common move among new structures in North America. Employees will move to a temporary work space while the company constructs its new offices.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Ward’s Auto is reporting via their Twitter feed that Hyundai North America President and CEO John Krafcik told reporters that their North American arm will have a fleet average fuel economy rating of 50 mpg by 2025.

Hyundai is currently planning the launch of their first hybrid, the Sonata Hybrid, for this fall, with more models to follow. The upcoming Veloster is rumored to be able to achieve 40 mpg. However, a 50 mpg fleet average is an extremely ambitious target and will almost certainly take some kind of radical developments in the field of internal combustion engines, as well as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles to achieve. Hyundai’s new Sonata, available only with four-cylinder engines, is selling briskly and is able to return better fuel economy ratings than the competition thanks to a focus on reducing curb weight. Hyundai seems to be one of the few manufacturers committed to this strategy, one that should give them an advantage going forward.

[Source: Wards Auto]

Suzuki is so confident that you will like their new Kizashi sedan, that they are offering customers $250 if they test drive a Kizashi and then purchase one of its rivals.

Included in the offer are the four-cylinder versions of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima or Chevrolet Malibu. Curiously, the Hyundai Sonata was excluded, possibly due to it winning rave reviews in nearly every press review since its launch.

Customers will have to go to a Suzuki showroom, fill out a form, test drive a Kizashi, and then, if they buy a rival within three days, they get a $250 debit card.

The $250 offer is a bit of a risky gambit for Suzuki, since it acts like an incentive to buy a rival vehicle. However, Suzuki figures that the Kizashi will sell itself, and truthfully, Suzuki needs all the publicity it can get. With a low marketing budget and little brand recognition (ask people if they’ve heard of the Kizashi and you’ll get blank stares), the Kizashi could end up being a fantastic vehicle that’s torpedoed by factors beyond its control.

[Source: USA Today]

Speaking at a press event in Korea, Hyundai CEO John Krafcik let it slip that the Hyundai Sonata Turbo will start at just under $25,000, undercutting its V6 segment rivals by about $3,000.

The Sonata Turbo puts out 274-horsepower and a combined 32 mpg from its 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Hyundai intends for the vehicle to be a faster and more efficient alternative to V6 powered competitors like the Chevrolet Malibu, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Krafcik also announced that the Hyundai Veloster, Hyundai’s long awaited sports coupe based on the Elantra compact, will use a 1.6L direct injection four-banger to put out 140 horsepower while getting 40 mpg on the highway. With the Veloster taking straight aim at the Honda CR-Z, the Hyundai offers a significant power advantage, and better estimated fuel economy on the highway.

[Source: Automotive News]

With the new Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion nipping at its heels, Honda‘s scheduled refresh of its bread-and-butter Accord is coming right on schedule.

The biggest changes are fuel economy related, with four-cylinder automatic transmission models now returning 23 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, bumps of 2 and 3 mpg respectively. V6 coupes with the automatic transmission get paddle shifters, and EX models get USB audio inputs and backup cameras on models equipped with navigation.

While recent Honda products have come under fire for having “lost their way”, the Accord has managed to weather the storm and deliver a quality product. However the Sonata threatens to unseat it by delivering an equally good package at a much lower price. The new upgrades should help the Accord withstand the product onslaught from the Koreans and Americans as well.

[Source: Honda]

Gallery: 2011 Honda Accord

Hit the jump to see the official press release

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Nobody could ever accuse the previous generation Kia Optima of being interesting or fun cars. But that looks set to change when the new model debuts with bold new styling and a 274-horsepower 2.0 four-cylinder turbo engine.

While previous pictures of the Optima have only been taken in studios with favorable lighting and re-touching, these candid shots of the car in a parking lot still look great, especially in black.  Cues from Kia’s new design language and present throughout, and the car has a very sharp, Audi-like quality to the exterior. The interior, unfortunately, does not look at good, but recent Korean offerings have been on par with other Japanese offerings, and to match the superlative German interiors would require Kia to negate the significant savings their cars offer over the competition.

The Optima will go on sale towards the end of 2010, and while pricing hasn’t been announced, expect it to undercut its rivals, including the Sonata, by a fair margin.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Check out Optima Forums for more information.

Hyundai‘s Sonata has won high praise from many automotive journalists, Autoguide included, for its distinctive styling, refined manners and great value.

But enthusiasts are still waiting on the hottest Sonata (who ever thought we’d see those words together?), the 274 horsepower Sonata turbo, set to debut later this fall. Since its debut at the New York Auto Show, Hyundai has been somewhat tight-lipped about their fastest family sedan, but a press briefing in Korea this past week, Hyundai released a couple interesting details.

The Sonata turbo will be able to match the performance of a manual transmission BMW 328i, getting to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, and obtain fuel economy numbers of 22 mpg in the city and 34 mpg highway. While the Sonata turbo will only have an automatic transmission, and likely weigh close to what a 328i weighs, we can’t help but feel that Hyundai’s acceleration times are a tad conservative. Of course, the Sonata is also going to be at least $5,000 cheaper.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Autoguide previously reported that the Buick Regal GS was a sure bet to return to Buick showrooms, and now Autoblog has confirmed that the Regal GS will be back, posting the contents of an email from GM employee Dayna Hart that states “At wave 1 of our drive program for Regal we just confirmed that the Regal GS will be added to the Buick portfolio. We are not providing any additional details at this point.”

Expect the Regal GS to make more than the show car’s 255 horsepower now that the Hyundai Sonata Turbo is putting out 276 horsepower. Those nice Recaro seats also on the show car? They might not make the cut. Even though the Regal GS is Buick’s “hot rod”, the average age of a Buick buyer is 65, and even if the Regal GS buyer is 15-20 years younger on average, they’re still likely to be at the point in their lives where getting in and out of high-bolstered bucket seats is an annoyance rather than a novelty.

Get more info on the new Buick Regal at RegalForums.com

[Source: Autoblog]

A new report by J.D. Power and Associates claims that 49% of American car buyers opted for four-cylinder powertrains in cars and light-trucks purchased during the month of April. Concerns over fuel economy and gas prices helped spark a trend in consumers picking the smaller engines in the first quarter of 2010, with 46.5% choosing them, versus 41.9% last year.

Manufacturers are also hoping on the four-banged only bandwagon. Hyundai‘s Sonata and Buick‘s all-new Regal are both available exclusively with four-cylinder engines, and offer turbocharged variants for those who want six-cylinder power. The Regal has historically offered six or eight cylinder powerplants, but GM and Hyundai feel that technologies like direct-injection, six-speed gearboxes and turbocharging will give consumers the perfect blend of power and fuel economy.

With most four-cylinders developing the same power as the V6 engines did a decade ago, the reasons for buying a V6 sedan look increasingly redundant, and consumers are beginning to take notice. After all, who needs a 300 horsepower V6 family car when the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo puts out 274 horses and 34 miles per gallon on the highway?

[Source: USA Today]