The Sonata Hybrid has been on the move this year with improved fuel economy and design tweaks, but is it enough in the crowded segment to make a difference?

Hyundai hopes so, and has invested in a more powerful and lighter lithium polymer battery that boosts output by nearly 40 percent while taking up less trunk space.

The Korean company says polymer was chosen because its lifespan exceeds the industry 10 year/100,000 norm and, as such, offers an exclusive lifetime battery warranty.

Like other gasoline-powered sedans that have added a hybrid, the Sonata has been a success in its sixth generation in the U.S. after its debut overseas in 1985. It takes aim at the more efficient Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry hybrids.

Along with its 270-volt battery, the Sonata is equipped with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Atkinson cycle hybrid engine that together produce up to 199 horsepower to propel its six-speed automatic transmission.

The interior is roomy, nearly upscale and is available in a well-equipped trim level with lots of standard features you would likely pay extra for, including push-button start, Bluetooth technology, dual zone climate control and satellite radio.

Sonata hybrids are available as a Base model for around $25,000 and Limited for $30,000. The test car I drove for a week was the latter model, additionally equipped with a $1,000 panoramic sunroof that opens to the heavens for all five passenger seats.

For the extra dollars, the Limited adds leather seats, larger wheels, navigation, 7-inch touch screen, rearview camera and an upgraded Infinity audio package with nine speakers.

Seating is comfortable but could use some extra bolster support for front seats and seatbacks where padding is a little thin. The dashboard layout is modern with just the right amount of graphic gauges and easy access buttons to keep tabs on what’s going on inside the cabin and under the hood.

The Sonata hybrid is in its third year of production and engineers have been working on improving fuel efficiency measures each year. EPA tests show a combined 37 miles per gallon, with 36 and 40 miles per gallon in city and highway, respectively.

I found the Sonata does its best on the open road, cruising at legal speed along freeways. My pampered test kept the sedan at 65 miles per hour. Engine noise was minimal and, once up to speed, the car’s EV dash light monitor, detecting full electric drive, lit up more frequently, making me feel even greener than the illumination.

To be fair, there were a few passing maneuvers but no aggressive pedal movement along gently rolling landscape. Following 100 miles, a fill up showed highway fuel economy at 34 mpg.

Around town, with frequent stop and go driving, the Sonata automatically switched drive mode from electric to gasoline while moving from stop lights and through traffic.

The resulting lag in power at acceleration left me waiting in center lanes instead of turning left into oncoming traffic from a distance. The power switching back and forth from electric to gas resulted in a not so good city rating of 26 miles per gallon, although other drivers might achieve better results.

Overall, the Sonata offers a good value for the money and leads the industry with a lengthy warranty to protect consumers long after the sale.

March sales are the second best month in history
Elantra sets all-time record, up 33 percent

COSTA MESA, Calif., April 2, 2013 — Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 68,306 units, down just two percent versus the best volume month Hyundai ever recorded last year, and up more than 30 percent over February levels. The first quarter of 2013 was the best in Hyundai’s history.

“March felt just great,” said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales. “We definitely benefitted from better inventories of Elantra thanks to the addition of the third shift at our Alabama plant, improved weather conditions in our important Northern markets and more robust retail activity reflecting a steady recovery in consumer confidence. Elantra led the pack with an all-time monthly sales record of 26,153 units, up 33 percent year-over-year. Sonata Hybrid also set a new all-time sales record with 2,006 sales, up 13 percent versus last year.”

Fleet mix was 17 percent for the month and stands at 16 percent for the year, among the lowest in the industry.

“This March was an incredibly strong month for us, the second best sales month in our history, just two percent below our all-time record from last March,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “While our plants continue to stretch to hit our demand levels, we still have one of the tightest inventory levels in the industry. This month, you could see the impact of improved Elantra availability, but our dealers remain constrained on Sonata, which continues as one of the fastest turning mid-size cars in the industry.”

According to data from Cars.com, the traditional five highest volume mid-size sedans (Accord, Camry, Altima, Fusion, and Malibu) have 72 percent more dealer stock than Sonata.

Sales in March of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles totaled 6,715, up eight percent for the first quarter. More than 80 percent of Hyundai’s dealers are now participating in the CPO program, which has been a key component in driving Hyundai residual values to record high levels. Hyundai Elantra, Azera, and Santa Fe Sport are all ALG Residual Value award winners for the 2013 model year.

SALES-WEIGHTED FUEL ECONOMY

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, 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 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. On May 16, 2013, Hyundai Assurance will be expanded to include Assurance Connected Care for all Blue Link equipped vehicles. Assurance Connected Care provides Hyundai owners with proactive safety and car care services made possible by the Hyundai Blue Link telematics platform standard for three years. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.

Contact At Holyoke Public Library

Terry Plum, President
Holyoke Public Library
335 Maple Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
413-322-5636 tel
413-532-4230 fax
hplcampaign@gmail.com

Gary Rome Hyundai and HPL announce “drive into the Future” Raffle to Benefit Library Construction Project. 

Holyoke, MA…On Friday June 22 at 10:00 a.m., the Holyoke Public Library (HPL) and Gary Rome Auto Group will officially announce that they have teamed up together to raffle a 2013 Hyundai to benefit HPL’s Next 100 Years Campaign to renovate and expand the library facility. This launch event will be held at the Library construction site at 335 Maple Street featuring Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Gary Rome and HPL officials. Members of the press and general public are welcome.

The “Drive into the Future” Raffle will provide the winner with a 3-year lease to a new 2013 Hyundai Elantra as a first prize. Raffle tickets may be purchased for $10 each, or 3 for $25, and the drawing will be held in December, 2012.

“We are extraordinarily grateful to Gary and the team at Gary Rome Auto Group for their generosity and support in this wonderful partnership,” said Library President Terry Plum. “Having such a terrific local business come forward at this time is extremely helpful, and we look forward not only to raising funds for the campaign, but also to spreading word throughout the area about how incredible the new library will be.”

The Library, which is now under construction, will be a blending of old and new, serving as a state-of-the-art information technology and community center facility while retaining the current building’s historic grandeur. The project will increase usable square footage in the library by 264% and provide ample space for children’s programs, technology and literacy training services.

“The Holyoke Public Library is critical to the future of Holyoke, and we want to play a strong role in bringing this important campaign across the finish line,” said Gary Rome, President of Gary Rome Auto Group. “This is about giving back to our community, and making the future brighter for all of our children and families.”

Of note, the Rome family has been doing business in Holyoke for over 90 years and has actively supported numerous local charities that help children and families in the community.

Interested individuals may contact the Holyoke Public Library campaign office at hplcampaign@gmail.com for further information about purchasing tickets or other aspects of the Next 100 Years Campaign.

DETROIT — When we first heard details on the Hyundai Veloster three-door hot-hatch we wondered if it was the new CRX that Honda didn’t build. With two six-speed transmissions to choose from, a kicking power-to-weight ratio and up to 40 mpg the answer is yes.

Hell yes.

The near-production 2012 Hyundai Veloster shown at the Detroit auto show is a curious FWD hatchback offering three doors (one on the driver’s side, two on the passenger’s) and a liftgate in a design that incorporates the aggressive lines of the Sonata and Euro-market i40 Wagon with a rear end inspired by … a motorcycle helmet.

The aggressive and sporty look is backed up by a 1.6-liter direct-injection four-banger with dual continuously variable valve timing. It offers a relatively potent 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. Though not as powerful as the 180-horsepower Scion tC (the most powerful car in this class), the Hyundai weighs 2,584 pounds compared to the Scion’s 3,060 pounds — a difference of nearly 500 pounds.

“Somehow I think Colin Chapman would be pleased,” Hyundai USA boss John Krafcik said at the press conference unveiling the car.

You have your choice of two transmissions, both with six speeds: a lightweight manual for purists and a new Hyundai-developed dual-clutch transmission for everyone else. Hyundai estimates the combination of the DCT, small engine and low weight will produce a stellar 40 mpg.

No one’s driven the Veloster yet, at least no one who can talk about it, so all comparisons to the venerable Honda CRX and the new Honda CR-Z hybrid must occur in the purely hypothetical realm. But it doesn’t take a genius to see the Veloster smokes the CR-Z with better fuel economy, more power, lower weight, better transmissions and a more attractive aesthetic.

Hyundai, like Honda with the CR-Z, is marketing this car as “fun to drive.” It made a point of noting the McPherson struts and coil springs up front and what they call a V-torsion beam rear suspension out back. We think that’s marketing speak for a variation on the twist-beam torsion bar. The car rolls on 17-inch alloys with 18-inchers available.

Ultimately, the Veloster may compete against cars from Mini instead of Honda, since it offers more power in a package that weighs slightly more than the three-door Cooper but less than the five-door Clubman. Look for the Veloster this summer with a price starting around $17,000.

The all-new Hyundai Sonata, a North American Car of the Year finalist, was deemed the “most noteworthy success story” of the year in kbb.com’s “Most Researched New Vehicles of 2010” report. Sonata leapt 24 places to number five overall. Because Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers. Hyundai will sell approximately 200,000 Sonatas in calendar year 2010 and volume is up 65 percent year-to-date (through November).

“Hyundai’s popular all-new Sonata helped to re-shuffle the deck among the top 20 most-researched new cars of 2010, knocking a few vehicles further down on the list compared to where they were last year,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

“The research from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com validates a trend we’ve been following throughout the year. Sonata is clearly making more consumers’ shopping lists than ever before,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, product and corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Data from Compete shows that Sonata was the most-shopped vehicle on the Internet six of the last seven months, proving that as awareness and availability of the 2011 model increased, shopping patterns quickly followed suit.”

The 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional mid-size sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. In addition to the standard 2.4-liter, gasoline direct injection powertrain making 35 miles-per-gallon highway, Hyundai added a 2.0-liter, 274-horsepower turbo and first-ever hybrid to the Sonata lineup. The Sonata Turbo went on sale in September and Sonata Hybrid, achieving 40 miles-per-gallon highway, will reach showrooms in January.

The all-new Sonata was the first mid-size car to receive a five-star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick honor, placing it in a safety position unsurpassed in the industry.

“The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com clearly demonstrates which models are resonating with today’s new-car shoppers, especially when we examine the most-researched new vehicles of 2010,” said Bell. “Hyundai’s homerun Sonata was not only the darling of the industry this year, but also made a strong impression in the minds of new-car shoppers by leaping ahead to the fifth most-researched new car of 2010.”

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 about 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

We’re giving away 4 tickets to go see Usher in concert on December 18, 2010 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. In order to enter, simply “Like” the Gary Rome Hyundai Facebook page, then check our FB page. Leave a comment on the Wall post titled “Leave a Facebook comment, enter to win 4 Tickets to Usher” to enter the giveaway. Done. Feel free to “Like” the post itself so your Facebook friends can see the giveaway, and remember to allow direct messages in your Facebook privacy settings.

To enter the Usher Tickets giveaway:

* “Like” the Gary Rome Hyundai Facebook page. Leave a comment on the Facebook Wall post titled “Leave a Facebook comment, enter to win 4 Tickets to Usher”
* You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S.
* Limit 1 entry per person.
* The entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Wednesday, December 15.
* At that time, we’ll select 1 winner from the eligible commenters to receive 4 Tickets to Usher at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.
* Make sure your Facebook privacy settings allow for direct messages to receive notification in the event you win.
* Winner must be able to pick up tickets in person at the dealership in Holyoke, MA.
* Standard giveaway rules apply for everything else.

All you need is an XM capable device or Radio and just tune in. http://www.xmradio.com/freepreview

We can all learn a lesson from Hyundai. They don’t sit around and wait for others to define their vehicles: They tell us who the competition is, and thus define their vehicles. Witness the latest new Hyundai: the 2011 Hyundai Equus. Hyundai tells us to compare it to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7-Series and the Lexus LS. Hmm… we’ll see. The 2011 Hyundai Equus will arrive in two different configurations, Equus Signature ($58,900) and Equus Ultimate ($65,400), each with a 5-year/60,000 mile basic warranty, a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, and EPA fuel economy estimates of 16 MPG city/24 highway.

First Glance: Haven’t we seen you somewhere before?

I have to get this out of the way first. I think that the name “Equus” is a terrible mistake. “Equus” is Latin for “horse,” which is how we come to the English words “equestrian,” “equine” and others. Fine so far. But “Equus” is also the title of Peter Shaffer’s iconic 1973 play about a young man who blinded six horses with a spike after they witnessed his sexual failure in a barn. The play’s Broadway production won a Tony Award in 1974. A 1977 film adaptation directed by Sidney Lumet featured Richard Burton. The play has been revived many times over the years, usually as a star turn. In 2007, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) played the troubled young man to much acclaim on London’s West End. My point is that this is not some obscure little play. This is a major work, and it has a perverse, violent, psychosexual context that no car manufacturer would want to attach to their new vehicle. I know that the Equus name is revered in South Korea, as the previous version of this executive sedan was been a big success over there. But bringing a new vehicle to the US and ignoring the literary and cultural context of the name strikes me as insensitive. One big demerit before I even drive your vehicle, Hyundai.

Walking around the outside of the Equus, it’s easy to see the designers’ inspiration. There’s some Mercedes-Benz in the front end (link goes to photo), some Maybach in the haunches, a little 7-series in the trunk lid. 19″ wheels fill each fender well. The whole look is elegant, if a little generic. The Hyundai flying “H” logo only appears on the trunk, not on the hood, where a new Equus ornament faces the world.

In the Driver’s Seat: Home, James

In South Korea, the Equus has been Hyundai’s flagship executive car since its first generation in 1999. True Type A businessmen use drivers, so that their commute time can be work time. As such, the back seat of the Equus Ultimate is set up like an executive jet, with two cushy seats separated by a large center console. The right side seat is the power seat — it even has a fold-out footrest. The front right side seat powers far forward to allow for maximum comfort and space in the rear. Every luxury option is standard on the Ultimate trim level, including heated and cooled seats, a refrigerator, rear-seat entertainment system and gold bullion storage compartment (or is that a glove box?).

The driver’s and front passenger seats are not bad, either. Everywhere you look and touch, you are rewarded with quality materials, assembled with care and skill. I’m not generally a fan of wood trim in cars, but the wood in Equus is nice, even if its buried under a thick layer of clear coat.

The interior is so polished and elegant that complaints are few and minor, and I have only one: I’m not crazy about the font that they use on the controls and dash buttons — it’s not as sophisticated as the rest of the design.

Lexicon provided the audio and video technology aboard the Equus, and it’s really great. You get home theater quality sound inside the cabin, with the new Lexicon Discrete LOGIC7 Surround Sound audio system that delivers 600 watts through 13 channels. Particular attention was paid to the sound quality in the rear seat, where the executive might be riding.

On the Road: Floating through life

Hyundai is great at benchmarking other successful brands, and engineering toward duplicating or bettering their results. Lexus has been the industry leader in cabin quietness — until now. Equus’s interior sound levels are the quietest that I’ve ever perceived. Road noise doesn’t sneak in, no matter how pebbled the path. Very impressive.

Under the hood you’ll find a great big 4.6 liter V8 engine with up-to-date technology like continuously variable valve timing and variable induction. Recognizing that its buyers might be thriftier than most luxury buyers, Hyundai has tuned the V8 to perform with either premium or regular gas, with only a slight performance penalty for the cheaper stuff. A ZF-sourced six speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels. The Equus weighs in at just under two and a half tons, about what I expect for a big luxury sedan, and acceleration and performance are grunty, but not overwhelming.

The Equus’ air suspension provides a smooth ride, especially when paired with the continuous damping control that adjusts shock-absorber performance. A newly developed electro-hydraulic power steering system provides excellent feel when turning. Some electric power steering systems feel numb, but the interaction of electric and hydraulic systems keeps the steering feel live in most driving situations.

Call it a gimmick, but it will probably sell a few Equii: the vehicle’s manual will be loaded on an Apple iPad, instead of printed on paper. I love the idea, I’ve never had to worry about the batteries running low on my Toyota’s paper manual when I was trying to figure out how to use the jack. Is this a smart use of technology, or too smart for its own good?

Journey’s End: Who’s zooming who?

Equus is significantly less expensive than comparably-equipped competitors, which Hyundai names as the Lexus LS 460 L ($70,925), Mercedes-Benz S550 ($91,600) and BMW 750Li ($86,400). I don’t expect Equus to compete with the S-Class and the 7-series, no matter how much Hyundai believes that it will. A buyer who is considering a $90,000 S-Class is buying something more than an executive sedan — they’re buying into the Mercedes-Benz brand experience.

Hyundai has some great ideas about how to improve the brand experience for Equus, like delivering the vehicle to potential buyers’ homes for test drives, specially-trained Hyundai dealers providing sales and service, and valet service for maintenance and repair. Hyundai has been preparing its buyers for a luxury experience for years, with the vast improvement in the Sonata and the introduction and success of the Genesis. But Hyundai is not Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Hyundai isn’t even Lexus… yet.

I think the real competition for Equus is price point where you can get more for your money with a Hyundai: The BMW 550 Gran Turismo ($63,900) and the Mercedes-Benz E550 ($57,100) had better look out, because buyers looking for luxury and space might find the sweet spot in Equus long before they approach the $85,000 – 90,000 mark.

Bottom line: Equus represents another major step forward for Hyundai. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

— Jason Fogelson
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