Hyundai North America CEO John Krafcik reaffirmed, in an interview with Fox News, that the Korean automaker doesn’t intend to join the truck market but will look instead into the six and seven passenger crossover segment.

With vehicles in over a dozen automotive segments, Hyundai is seeing success in both the pre- and post-family stages, but is struggling in the family life stage, where their Veracruz sits. In 2009, the Entourage minivan was discontinued which left the Santa Fe as their only three-row vehicle. In 2011, the Veracruz sold a disappointing 9,146 units which utterly fails to compete with the 130,235 Kia Sorentos sold last year, it’s obvious that Hyundai has their work cut out for them in that particular market.

“We’re not a big truck player. I like to say brands define themselves as much by what they choose not to do as what they chose to do. We could be a truck player if we wanted to, we choose to focus on more fuel efficient segments of the market,” Krafcik said.

So it appears that Hyundai will probably be working more on crossovers and possibly SUVs but for now, we won’t see trucks bearing their badge anytime soon.

[Source: Fox News]

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]

Hyundai hyped its Veloster and the automotive media had high hopes for the innovative odd four-door hatchback, but when the reviews came out, the praise was missing. Good? Yes. But great? Hardly.

Still, Hyundai is calling the Veloster an early success, capturing the highest percentage of the “compact sporty car” market in its first full month on sale. Veloster sales accounted for 31% of this niche market, topping the Scion tC and Fiat 500, each taking 15% of the pie, and even topping the MINI Cooper, which accounts for 29 percent of the segment.

Perhaps more impressive is how high demand is for the car, with Hyundai indicating that it takes a Veloster just 8 days to move off a dealer lot. By comparison, the next closest competitor is the Scion tC, which sells in 22 days. The CR-Z, the car Hyundai pegged the Veloster at most, hoping to draw-in a legion of disappointed Honda enthusiasts, takes a brutal 139 days to sell.

According to J.D. Power numbers the highest percentage of Veloster buyers are already Hyundai customers (20%), suggesting either that the car is helping to retain customers, or that it is cannibalizing sales of other models. The most popular conquest brands are Chevrolet, Honda and Ford, with the most popular trade-in models for the Veloster being the Honda Civic and Mazda3.

Hyundai claims one major reason for the car’s success is its value, with an average transaction price of $20,902 compared to $21,154 for the tC, $21,383 for the CR-Z and a spendy $25,950 for the MINI Cooper.

Similar good things are happening in the rest of Hyundai’s 40-mpg lineup says Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik during a recent presentation at the Hyundai Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI, with the Accent with just 20 days of cars in stock while over 70% of buyers are conquests from other brands. “The only reason the Accent isn’t the best seller in the segment is because can’t produce them fast enough,” he said.

Much the same can be said for the Elantra, which has “surpassed expectations” says Krafcik, saying it’s the fourth most shopped car in the entire industry, behind the Accord, Sonata and Camry.

As it stands, the supply issue is a major concern, for Hyundai and its dealers, with near-excessive demand for Hyundai’s well-priced high-mpg models like the Veloster.

GALLERY: Hyundai Veloster

Read AutoGuide’s Hyundai Veloster Review Here and discuss this story at Veloster.org

With the debut of a new 5.0-liter Tau V8 in the Genesis Sedan R-Spec and rumors that it will find its way under the hood of the Genesis Coupe, Hyundai isn’t necessarily committed to eight-cylinders. That’s not surprising as the industry moves towards forced induction options like turbocharging and supercharging in order to deliver ideal power levels with reduced fuel consumption.

At a recent product preview and engineering tech session at Hyundai Motor America’s technical center in Ann Arbor, MI, powertrain boss John Juriga admitted that a turbocharged version of the company’s 3.8-liter V6 (offered in both the Genesis coupe and sedan) is a possibility for the future. “The 3.8 is a contender for turbocharging for some high-output applications,” he said. In fact, Juriga did one better, going on to comment that such an engine already exists and is undergoing testing. Speaking with AutoGuide, Jurega qualified that statement, commenting that the Hyundai engineering team is constantly exploring new engine options and that the existence of a prototype is no guarantee that such an engine will make it into production.

Expanding on Juriga’s comments, HMA CEO John Krafcik indicated that the Korean automaker is currently at a crossroads as to its future engine plans for its high-performance and premium models. Krafcik referenced the brand’s two SEMA Show Genesis Coupe concept cars, one powered by a 5.0-liter V8, the other by a supercharged 3.8-liter V6. The two cars, he explains, were built to generate feedback, to see which method of power delivery is preferred, with the more traditional high-displacement V8 versus the forced induction option.

“We’re looking for feedback from you folks,” said Krafcik, speaking to the assembled journalists. AutoGuide was obviously more enamored with the V8 option when we got a chance to see both cars at the SEMA Show, although a turbocharged V6 option, versus a supercharged one, might change that. Let us know what you’d rather drive in the comments section below.

Proving that the V8-powered Genesis Coupe is in fact possible, Hyundai unveiled the RMR500 concept at the SEMA Show recently, built with its motorsports partner Rhys Millen Racing. Powered by the brand’s new 5.0-liter Tau V8, as found in the Genesis Sedan R-Spec and with a few modifications, it makes an incredible 450-hp.

During a Q&A session today at the automaker’s technical center in Ann Arbor, MI, when asked if the company was serious about bringing such a car to market, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik replied: “How could you not be serious about that? How could you not be serious about a 450-hp Tau-V8 powered Genesis Coupe?”

Stopping just short of confirming the V8 Genesis Coupe, Krafcik did exclaim, “I want that for my next company car.”

Hyundai recently revealed photos of its facelifted 2013 Genesis Coupe, which will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. While specific details aren’t yet available, the 2.0T base engine is expected to increase from 210-hp to 274-hp, while the 3.8-liter V6 is expected to jump from 306 to 333-hp thanks to direct-injection technology. If Krafcik’s comments are any indication, those waiting for a V8-powered Genesis Coupe, might not be waiting in vain.

GALLERY: Hyundai Genesis Coupe RMR500

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik will keep his company’s focus on being a fuel economy leader, and has ruled out a high-performance sports car, even as he discussed the various ways in which the new CAFE regulations can be gamed to produce low fleet fuel economy ratings.

With large vehicles being held to less stringent standards under CAFE (as well as a different formula for measuring MPG than the one used for consumers), Krafcik said that auto makers may not have as strong an incentive to produce compact, fuel efficient vehicles.

Giving the full-size truck market as an example (full-size trucks will be able to comply with more lax regulations) Krafcik told Ward’s Auto that “every well-intentioned action has an unintended negative consequence. This is a classic one. Because of the new CAFE guidelines, the most fuel-efficient segment for pickup trucks, the small ones, aren’t going to be available in the U.S. market. That’s crazy.”

While Hyundai had the best fleet average fuel economy of any auto maker in the 2010 model year, Krafcik said that hitting the 2025 target of a 54.5 mpg fleet average will be tough. Krafcik also ruled out the idea of a high-end sports car, stating “… it would be expensive, and what would it really do for us?”

[Source: Ward's Auto]

While Hyundai has made great strides in the compact and mid-size segments, with the new Elantra and Sonata, arguably the car that put it on the map was the sub-compact Accent. While a less-than-great piece of engineering in the past, it did serve a purpose. With the second generation of the Accent, Hyundai has infused the car with many of traits of its larger siblings in the hopes of leading the segment with style, features and fuel economy. The plan is that this new value equation will result in big sales. It has.

In its first full month on sale the Accent topped segment leaders, with 6,938 units sold. “The all-new Accent outsold two great small cars we really respect in July – the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. In fact, the sales numbers weren’t even close with the Accent handily out-selling the second-place Versa at 5,359 units, while the Fiesta came a close third with 5,296 units.

Krafcik credits the car’s fuel economy, design and built-in-value. “It’s a good indication that consumers are connecting with our new design, 40-mpg fuel economy, and the Assurance Trade-In Value Guarantee,” he said. “It’s a great recipe for this economy.”

GALLERY: 2012 Hyundai Accent

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2012 Hyundai Accent Review

Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik announced a five-door Hyundai Accent is coming to the U.S., boldly saying it will “kick the Fiesta’s butt.”

The announcement came in a Q&A session with readers on Jalopnik after one reader asked if Hyundai will introduce a five-door Accent.

Such bold talk is rare from a manufacturer, especially from its CEO, but we’re glad to hear it.

The five-door Hyundai Accent is expected to debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show, but we have an idea on what it will look like after it was unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China last month as the Hyundai Verna.

[Source: Jalopnik via Autoblog]

With Hyundai‘s recent sales success, the Korean automaker is considering expanding its product offerings to include new models in the luxury segment that would rival the most popular and high-volume vehicles currently offered by Japanese and German competitors. While Hyundai already offers the Genesis Sedan and the new Equus flagship model, the two vehicles being studied include a direct rival to the BMW 3 Series and as well as a crossover that would target the Lexus RX350.

To do this Hyundai is likely to officially spin-off the Genesis name into its own brand says Hyundai Motor America President John Krafcik. Three plans are being considered, with the most likely being to sell the luxury models in the same dealership as the current Hyundai lineup, using the dealer-within-a-dealer strategy. The two other options include keeping the cars branded as Hyundais, or building all new dealers to support the new models, just as Toyota did with Lexus and Honda with Acura.

Krafcik is eager to expand, but says the decision won’t be made any time soon with the key factor being the success of the Equus – a full-sized luxury sedan aimed at vehicles like the Mercedes S-Class but costing 30 percent less at $58,000.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

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]

MONTGOMERY, Ala., 9/20/10- An all-new Hyundai Elantra will join its larger sibling, the Sonata, in production at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) starting in late fall this year. This change, along with the recent move of the Santa Fe to a production facility in Georgia, will further increase Hyundai’s overall U.S. production capacity, which was already producing over half of total U.S. sales volume.

“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.,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

The all-new 2011 Elantra sedan will make its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, while sales are scheduled to begin early next year. The new Elantra shares the same game-changing recipe of distinctive design and class-leading fuel economy that has made the 2011 Sonata the most shopped vehicle in the entire industry the last four months (source: Compete), and the 6th best-selling vehicle in the industry in August.

Sonata is the best-selling vehicle in Hyundai’s U.S. lineup, with sales of 128,484 though the end of August, a 50% increase over the same period last year. Elantra sales through the same period of 90,960 are up 21% over the same period last year.

HMMA has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality plants in Hyundai’s worldwide operations and is an outstanding example of Hyundai’s focused commitment to quality. This year Sonata was again ranked in the top-three in quality by the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study in the competitive mid-size sedan category. The HMMA-built Sonata was also recently awarded Auto Pacific’s first-ever President’s Award in recognition of its record-setting consumer performance in 48 categories ranging from the basics of comfort and convenience, to performance and environmental friendliness.

More than 1,200,000 vehicles have rolled off the HMMA assembly line since production began on May 20, 2005.

“We’re thrilled to be adding another pillar of the Hyundai lineup to our production mix here at HMMA,” said Ashley Frye, director of production, HMMA. “We’ve been extremely proud to build both Sonata and Santa Fe on our assembly line, both of which have been hugely successful models for Hyundai in the U.S. and we hope to carry that momentum with us as we embark on the new 2011 Elantra.”

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]

Hyundai has pledged to donate $100,000 each to 68 hospitals and non profit organizations to help fight pediatric cancer. Dealers will contribute $200 from each vehicle sale to the cause, and most of the financing is said to be arriving in this way.

The program, known as Hyundai Hope on Wheels will oversee the distribution of the nearly $ 7 million to the various charities. ”While we’ve made progress over the last few decades and now have an 85 percent cure rate, cancer still takes more lives than any other childhood disease,” said Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik. “This September, in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Hyundai will shine a nationwide spotlight on this cause and provide more than $6 million in grants for pediatric cancer research and support programs. We love taking on big challenges at Hyundai, and we can think of no more worthy challenge than finding a cure for all forms of pediatric cancer.”

Hope on Wheels will have donated close to $23 million by year’s end,

Hit the jump to see the official press release

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai Hope on Wheels Launches September Initiative Dedicated to Childhood Cancer Awareness

Hyundai Hope on Wheels Commemorates National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Announces More Than $6 Million in New Grants to Fight Childhood Cancer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA – September 2, 2010 – Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a partnership of Hyundai dealers across the U.S. and Hyundai Motor America, today marked the beginning of National Childhood Cancer Awareness month with a press conference to launch a new nationwide initiative to support the fight against childhood cancer and announce the donation of $6.8 million in “Hope Grants.” Hyundai executives, leading pediatric oncologists, families with children impacted by cancer, Hyundai dealers and elected officials gathered at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. to unveil the list of 68 hospitals and non-profit organizations that will each receive a $100,000 Hope Grant. The grants will be used to fund direct research projects and support meaningful initiatives undertaken by doctors, nurses, social workers, child life specialists and other professionals who work with children with cancer.

“While we’ve made progress over the last few decades and now have an 85 percent cure rate, cancer still takes more lives than any other childhood disease,” said John Krafcik, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “This September, in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Hyundai will shine a nationwide spotlight on this cause and provide more than $6 million in grants for pediatric cancer research and support programs. We love taking on big challenges at Hyundai, and we can think of no more worthy challenge than finding a cure for all forms of pediatric cancer.”

“For the last 12 years Hope on Wheels has supported the fight against childhood cancer in partnership with Hyundai dealers, Hyundai Motor America and others,” said Oscar Leeser, Hyundai dealer Principal, Hyundai of El Paso. “The more people learn about the toll this disease takes on children and families, the more they want to help fight it, which is why we’ve dedicated this September to raising awareness about childhood cancer. On behalf of the more than 800 Hyundai dealers across the U.S., we’re proud to continue to fund new research projects and support organizations that help kids fight cancer.”

Throughout the month of September, Hope on Wheels will visit each Hope Grant recipient to present the donations and hear from the children, families, doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, child life specialists, counselors and other professionals that are fighting childhood cancer. By the end of this year, Hope on Wheels will have awarded more than $23 million dollars to children’s hospitals and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to support the fight against childhood cancer.

The complete list of Hope Grant recipients and more information on Hyundai Hope on Wheels is available at www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org. Find Hope on Wheels on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @hopeonwheels.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels

Hyundai Hope on Wheels™ is the united effort of more than 800 Hyundai dealers across the U.S. to raise awareness about childhood cancer and celebrate the lives of children battling the disease. By the end of 2010, Hope on Wheels will have awarded more than $23 million dollars to children’s hospitals and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to support the fight against childhood cancer.