Citing unnamed sources close to the automaker, the financial magazine said that Volkswagen gave General Motors a rough estimate of what it is willing to pay for Opel after the German company heard rumors about Hyundai’s alleged interest in the European brand.
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The light cosmetic surgery on the outside brings a revamped front grille with a little bit less chrome on top and around the sides, plus new LED taillights at the back, reshaped mirror casings and a fresh choice of alloy wheel designs including a set of 18-inch multispoke rims.
Michael Sprague, Kia’s VP for marketing and communication describes their relationships to the New York Times likes this:
“Kia Motors America operates as a completely separate sales, marketing and distribution organization in the United States. [Hyundai and Kia share engineering efficiencies] similar in many ways to other global automakers.”
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The agreement between GM Korea and the union includes a raise of basic salaries by 4.7% and, more importantly, a $6,140 (6.5 million won) bonus to each worker.
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Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).
Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.
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Needless to say, a lot has changed over the past few years with Hyundai and in particular its latest Sonata sedan, not only challenging, but this past May even surpassing the Camry in U.S. sales for the first time in history.
Of course, the fact that Toyota’s production capabilities were seriously affected by the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, played a significant role in Hyundai’s accomplishment.
Simon Cowell has one, as does Kanye West, Denzel Washington and Lindsay Lohan. Interestingly, and of more concern to readers of this blog, you might also be the proud owner of a Hyundai.
During the course of a presentation at the South Korean automaker’s Ann Arbor engineering and research centre, Hyundai’s U.S. Chief John Krafcik revealed that some 6% of “Black Card” holders own a Hyundai – a percentage shared with those who own Bentleys and Audis.
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The South American nation’s US$6 billion (€4.19 billion) trade deficit has already led to one Porsche distributor agreeing to export wine and olive products, while similar deals have been struck with carmakers Chery, GM, Peugeot-Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat and Ford.
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The 2011 Hyundai Sonata ranks 2 out of 19 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 11 published reviews and test drives of the Hyundai Sonata, and our analysis of reliability and safety data. Sharply-styled inside and out, and remarkably fuel-efficient, the all-new Hyundai Sonata is winning some positive press -- but its most upscale trims can’t compete with some competitors.
In its previous form, the Hyundai Sonata quietly built a reputation as an excellent value, with long warranty coverage and a lot of options at a low price. Completely redesigned for the 2011 model year, the new Sonata won’t do anything quietly. It’s one of the most unusual looking cars to hit the affordable midsize sedan class in years. It still carries that long warranty, and offers a long standard feature list even on its least-expensive trim levels. But it now combines those conservative values with dramatic styling inside and out. The new Sonata has been on the market a very short time, but Edmunds writes, “So far, it's proving difficult to find any substantial flaws in the considerable armor of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, and the case for it only grows stronger when you consider the price points. This is, quite frankly, a tremendous amount of car for the money.”
Hyundai offers the Sonata with only a four-cylinder engine, even though almost every other car in its class is available with a V6. Still, reviewers say the Sonata offers plenty of power for most everyday needs, and impressive fuel economy as well. Most like the unusual styling outside, and almost all like the contemporary styling inside and the huge amount of passenger space. However, its cloth upholstery and front seats don’t leave many critics impressed.
