5 | December | 2007 | HyundaiAccessoryStore.com

Hyundai Motor America Reports Strong November Sales

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 12/03/2007 Hyundai Motor America today reported a November sales increase of 12 percent over a year ago, led by Santa Fe and Sonata, both up 41 percent for the month. Additionally, the Accent, one of the company’s ultra low emission vehicles (ULEV) that delivers up to 37 miles per gallon, saw sales rise 19 percent. In total, the company sold 31,883 vehicles for the month, compared with 28,417 a year ago.

“This was our second best November ever and considering the current economic uncertainty we are pleased with our results,” said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales. “Strong incentive programs helped our dealers sell our remaining inventory as we move to fill our showrooms with the full lineup of our 2008 products.”

All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by The Hyundai Advantage, America’s Best Warranty. Hyundai buyers are protected by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance protection.

Following is the sales breakdown for the month and the year:

CARLINE	NOV/2007	NOV/2006	CY2007	CY2006
ACCENT	2,238	1,877	34,110	31,976
SONATA	11,831	8,371	120,696	139,364
ELANTRA	3,340	5,307	81,967	91,409
TIBURON	727	935	13,472	16,598
SANTA FE	7,374	5,217	83,319	55,649
AZERA	1,575	1,881	20,351	24,354
TUCSON	3,107	3,788	38,514	48,398
ENTOURAGE	466	1,041	16,726	10,407
VERACRUZ	1,225	0	11,367	0
TOTAL	31,883	28,417	420,522	418,155

2009 Hyundai Sonata – Auto Shows

The 2008 Korean-spec Sonata Transform previews the 2009 Sonata for North America.

For 2008, Hyundai has launched a mid-cycle refresh for the Sonata in Korea where it is known as the Sonata Transform.

The rest of the world will have to wait until the 2009 model year to see the changes. Stay tuned for more details on the U.S.-spec Sonata which will bow in February at the 2008 Chicago auto show.

The Korean Transform receives minor visual upgrades—the design team says it didn’t want to mess with a design it considers to be successful. The bumper, grille, and headlights have been sharpened to help give the car a more edgy image. The Korean facelift also brings new alloy wheel options.

The transformation continues inside, where almost all the interior plastics have been upgraded. A new center console, dashboard, and door panels are all intended to project a more luxurious image than the current pieces. The sedan also gets dual-zone climate control, an auxiliary input jack for music players, and an ionization system that’s supposed to prevent mold growth. If that’s really a concern, we’re all for ionizing whatever we can.

Mechanical changes make up the biggest part of the refresh. A revised front subframe makes the Korean-spec Sonata safer in frontal collisions.

Theta II Under the Hood

The car heralds Hyundai’s next-generation Theta engine family, a version of the four-cylinder “World Engine” that was a joint venture of Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and the former DaimlerChrysler. World Engines are already available in such vehicles as the Dodge Caliber and Avenger, and the Chrysler Sebring.

Hyundai (which took the engineering lead on the World Engine project) introduces Theta II powerplants that deliver more horsepower and torque while maintaining or improving on their previous fuel economy figures. The engine improvements were made possible by a variable induction system and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts.

In total, Hyundai will offer five engine choices for the Sonata Transform, but we don’t expect the 2.0-liter Theta four-cylinder gasoline or diesel mills to be available in U.S. models. Instead, we expect some tweaking to the Korean-spec DOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder (Theta II) that generates 169 hp and 165 pound-feet of torque–the current 2.4L 4-cyl. Theta in the Sonata makes 162 hp and 164 lb-ft-and the 3.3-liter V-6 that produces 239 hp and 228 lb-ft.

Additionally, Hyundai engineers tweaked the Sonata Transform’s five-speed manual transmission for easier shifting, and revised the four- and five-speed automatic transmissions for smoother operation and better fuel economy.

Hyundai will begin shipping export versions of the Sonata early in the new year.

BY JAKE HOLMES, November 2007