2010 Hyundai i10 to receive 800cc Turbo

New 3-cylinder power plant will come with about 90 bhp with CO2 emissions below the 100 g/km mark

Hyundai will be introducing a new 800cc, turbocharged 3-cylinder engine into its i10 mini car next year. The new engine will sport about 90 bhp and will have CO2 emission below 100 g/km.

A similar powerplant was put on display by Hyundai with the Hyundai i10 Blue CNG concept that premiered at the 2008 Geneva motor show. But that engine was powered by compressed natural gas, emitting only 65 g/km while still having 97 bhp output. Hyundai have probably decided that this i10 i-Blue, as it is likely to be called, would fare better in the market as a straight-up petrol/gasoline powered vehicle.

The i10 i-Blue will be debuting sometime in early 2010 and will likely have a sticker price that tops out the i10 range, placing it above the current range-topping 1.2 Style which costs 8,300 pounds in the U.K. (9,758 euros).

But don't expect prices to be too high, as Hyundai benefits from low production costs on the i10, built in India, and will likely defray those costs further by using the 800cc, turbocharged 3-cylinder engine in other models, including those of sister brand Kia.

Source: autocar.co.uk

Hyundai Genesis Coupe: On the upswing

The plan was to make a legal U-turn in front of my house. The street is so wide that I'm almost able to make the swing without backing up; unfortunately there's not quite enough room. At this pivotal point - in both the turn and in getting used to today's test car, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - I discover that it's not so easy finding reverse in the six-speed manual transmission. Oh, I know where reverse is but moving the gearshift lever through the spring-loaded gate, especially on this maiden trip, isn't so easy. The Hyundai engineers must have had the same trouble because once reverse is found, the car reacts audibly, not with a crunch of gears but with a beep. The sound is much like the reverse alarm on a school bus or big dump truck.

Fortunately, driving the Genesis Coupe isn't about reverse or U-turns. It's about using those six speeds to go forward, whether they're attached to the 2.0-liter turbocharged four or the available 3.8-liter V-6. Our test model is the 2.0T Track, the top of three trim levels with this four-cylinder engine. Base sticker price: $26,750. Hyundai tacked ALL the available options on this tester — an iPod cable ($30) and signature Genesis carpets ($95) — plus the obligatory destination charge $750 to get a final price of $27,625. One more option — a navigation system — is scheduled to be available later this year. So, too, is an R-Spec version of the coupe aimed at the tuner market.

Prior to the Genesis coupe, Hyundai's last sporty offering was the Tiburon, a funky vehicle that found its niche. However, that niche was too small to keep it viable. The Genesis Coupe shouldn't have that limitation. For those who like to catch things on the upswing, this may be the vehicle. It has the feel of something special, possibly being one of life's beat-the-crowd victories like picking the next hot college, getting in on the ground floor of a stock that takes off, or being among the first to have what's going to be a hot-selling car.

The coupe follows the successful debut of Hyundai's Genesis sedan, which was named North American Car of the Year and topped the list in J. D. Power and Associates first-ever Inaugural Vehicle Launch Index, a measure of new car quality, marketing and sales. So, if you've driven the sedan, you think you know what to expect in the coupe, right?

Hardly. Hyundai calls the coupe the sport sedan's "evil twin." The term is apt because where the sedan bespeaks comfort and luxury with a bit of sportiness, the coupe is mostly about performance, handling, and styling. Our "track" model has 19-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, a spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, xenon lights, fog lights, limited-slip rear differential, aluminum pedals, and red cloth inserts in the leather seats. The coupe uses the same basic platform as the sedan. The difference comes with big shoulders (bulging fender wells), strong sides and wide stance. I see hints of Mustang, Solara, Porsche and others, but the result is clearly a new vehicle, though a view from above shows that, when parked alongside a 2004 Solara, a coupe is a coupe is a coupe.

"Like a lounge," said Mrs. G of the curving interior design with red cloth, black leather and vinyl, and silver-toned plastic. "The seats are really comfortable and there's lots of legroom." A different view? "I think the seats look hideous," said my daughter, "though they are comfortable." My take is that they make a statement and it certainly isn't understated. The Genesis hits the market at a time when two nice coupes - the Solara and Pontiac G6 - are being discontinued.

It will compete with other newcomers such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, and the redesigned Nissan 370Z. The Hyundai plan is for the V-6 version to compete with the Infiniti G37, but we feel the 2.0T will be a strong seller at a significantly lower price point. One point to consider in buying (or reviewing) a vehicle is "Does it have a lot of bang for the buck?" The Genesis Coupe does, especially in this configuration. Fit and finish is fine, and the trunk space seems enormous. While the coupe technically is a four-passenger vehicle, be advised that the rear seat is only for the very limber or tiny folks. We climbed back there to take some photos of the dash and could have settled in for a short ride, if necessary — but it wouldn't be a joyride.

The instruments are lit with "Hyundai blue," a nice match with blue lighting playing off black and white background and red needles. Mrs. G pointed out a curiosity. The vanity mirror had a light, but one had to switch it on manually instead of having it switch on automatically when the mirror was opened. For the driver, Hyundai has a plug at the bottom of the center stack that accommodates the keyless entry fob. That works fine if you don't have it on a ring with other keys. If you do, they sprawl over the console and would be destined to scratch the plastic. We averaged 24.5 miles per gallon in local driving and feel that we'd have done significantly better on a real road trip.

At night, the xenon lights brightened a wide swath, a welcome feature on summer nights with lots of pedestrians around town. Many of those pedestrians gave the Genesis Coupe a second look, no doubt caught by a combination of the styling and nice tone from the twin exhaust tips. Others asked in surprise,

"That's a Hyundai?" The answer is "THAT's a Hyundai."

Malaysian PM views A/H1N1 flu a serious threat.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Friday that Influenza A/H1N1 had become a serious threat to the nation.

The prime minister also advised the people to take precautions measures to prevent the spread of the virus, the Malaysian news agency Bernama reported.

This included not attending unnecessary gatherings as gathering would only expose the participants to additional risk of contracting the virus, Najib said.
According to the Malaysia Health Ministry website, as of 8 a.m. Friday, Malaysia recorded 15 fatalities of the disease and the total cases of the flu had risen to 1,525.

Najib said at a press conference after opening the Malaysian Sports Industry convention here that personal hygiene must be maintained at all times, reminding people of taking preventive measures like washing hands and wearing masks.

On the other hand, Malaysia Information, Communications, Arts and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said that his colleague from the Health Ministry could disseminate information on the disease via relevant advertisements.

He said in a press conference on the country's national day celebration that when preparing for the celebration, public health issues would not be ignored.
The flu should not be a hindrance to celebrate Malaysia's National Day as long as proper approaches were executed, added Rais.

(LEAD) Hyundai Group chief on way to Pyongyang over detained worker: sources

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The chief of Hyundai Group was expected to visit Pyongyang on Monday to discuss the release of an employee who has been detained by North Korea since March, sources said. Speculation has been growing that North Korea may free the worker, only identified by his surname Yu, within the week, in line with its recent pardoning of two American journalists granted during former U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit, opening a diplomatic channel between the two countries. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun "recently proposed her Pyongyang visit to discuss the matter of Mr. Yu and received North Korean approval," one of the informed sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Hyun will travel by land over the demilitarized zone, the sources said.

The South Korean worker with Hyundai Asan Corp., the North Korea business arm of Hyundai Group, was detained on March 30 at a joint industrial park in the North's border town of Kaesong where he had been working for years. In a May 1 statement, North Korea said an investigation was underway, saying Yu "malignantly slandered the dignified system in the DPRK (North Korea) ... perpetrating grave acts of infringement upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and in violation of the relevant law." Seoul officials said they also heard from North Korea that Yu was accused of trying to persuade a local woman to defect to the South. In contrast to the American journalists who were allowed phone calls to family and consular contact, North Korea has not granted any outside access to Yu during his detention.

The informed sources said it was yet to be decided whether the visiting Hyundai chief will be granted an audience with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as she was during her Pyongyang visit in 2007. Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung, reached by phone early in the morning, said the ministry has yet to officially decide whether to approve Hyun's visit, adding the decision will be made within hours. "It will be put to review this morning, and we will let you know in a briefing session" scheduled for 10:30 a.m., he said. Also on Monday, Cho Kun-shik, the chief of Hyundai Asan and Yu's direct boss, was scheduled to travel to the Kaesong industrial park, company officials said.

Hyundai is the major developer of the Kaesong park, which was opened in late 2004 marrying South Korean technology and capital with North Korean labor. More than 100 South Korean firms operate there with about 40,000 North Korean workers, producing clothing, kitchenware, electronic equipment and other labor-intensive goods. Yu's detention has chilled business sentiment there.

s0urces: hkim@yna.co.kr(END)

(LEAD) Hyundai Group chief on way to Pyongyang over detained worker: sources

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The chief of Hyundai Group was expected to visit Pyongyang on Monday to discuss the release of an employee who has been detained by North Korea since March, sources said. Speculation has been growing that North Korea may free the worker, only identified by his surname Yu, within the week, in line with its recent pardoning of two American journalists granted during former U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit, opening a diplomatic channel between the two countries.

Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun "recently proposed her Pyongyang visit to discuss the matter of Mr. Yu and received North Korean approval," one of the informed sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Hyun will travel by land over the demilitarized zone, the sources said. The South Korean worker with Hyundai Asan Corp., the North Korea business arm of Hyundai Group, was detained on March 30 at a joint industrial park in the North's border town of Kaesong where he had been working for years. In a May 1 statement, North Korea said an investigation was underway, saying Yu "malignantly slandered the dignified system in the DPRK (North Korea) ... perpetrating grave acts of infringement upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and in violation of the relevant law." Seoul officials said they also heard from North Korea that Yu was accused of trying to persuade a local woman to defect to the South.

In contrast to the American journalists who were allowed phone calls to family and consular contact, North Korea has not granted any outside access to Yu during his detention. The informed sources said it was yet to be decided whether the visiting Hyundai chief will be granted an audience with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as she was during her Pyongyang visit in 2007. Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung, reached by phone early in the morning, said the ministry has yet to officially decide whether to approve Hyun's visit, adding the decision will be made within hours. "It will be put to review this morning, and we will let you know in a briefing session" scheduled for 10:30 a.m., he said.

Also on Monday, Cho Kun-shik, the chief of Hyundai Asan and Yu's direct boss, was scheduled to travel to the Kaesong industrial park, company officials said. Hyundai is the major developer of the Kaesong park, which was opened in late 2004 marrying South Korean technology and capital with North Korean labor. More than 100 South Korean firms operate there with about 40,000 North Korean workers, producing clothing, kitchenware, electronic equipment and other labor-intensive goods. Yu's detention has chilled business sentiment there.

Is Hyundai Thriving Thanks to Goverments Help?

Hyundai Motor recorded its largest-ever net profit in the second quarter, posting one of the best performances among global carmakers amid the worldwide economic crisis. In addition to the company's own competitive edge, many say the government's policies of keeping the value of the Korean currency low and helping promote the domestic auto market aided the results. Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors also look to be the greatest beneficiaries of the soon-to-be-ratified Korea-EU and Korea-India free trade pacts.

The government's massive tax cuts and financial support for car buyers who traded old cars for new ones greatly contributed to Hyundai's record net profit of W811.9 billion (US$1=W1,228) in the second quarter. The government scheme was especially favorable to those who bought new mid- and full-sized cars, so it particularly benefited Hyundai, which offers a wide range of such vehicles. This is in stark contrast to policies in other countries that give greater incentives to consumers buying small or environmentally-friendly cars.

According to an inside report from Hyundai Motor, Hyundai and Kia expect an annual US$500 million rise in price competitiveness on auto and parts exports when tariffs fully expire under the Korea-EU FTA. Under the Korea-India FTA, the two carmakers are expected to enjoy a rise of $1 billion in price competitiveness a year.Some critics argue that Hyundai and Kia, which together control 85 percent of the domestic market, are moving the market in a direction that maximizes their profits without taking into account the opinions of the government and consumers.

Despite the worldwide trend of focusing on sales of environmentally-friendly, small cars, Hyundai and Kia are concentrating on sales of more profitable mid- and full-sized sedans and SUVs. As they have no rivals in the domestic market, they do not see a need to develop less-profitable small cars.

Hyundai chief to visit N.Korea over detained work

SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The head of South Korea's Hyundai Group will visit North Korea on Monday in what local media said would be a bid to win the release of a company worker detained since March for allegedly insulting the North's leaders. The trip comes after former U.S. President Bill Clinton flew to Pyongyang last week to secure the freedom of two U.S. journalists held since March after being accused of illegally entering the reclusive communist country.

Hyundai is hoping North Korea will follow its release of the journalists by freeing the worker, whose family name is Yoo, the South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo quoted company and government sources as saying. It said the worker could be released as early as next week.

A company spokeswoman confirmed chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun would visit North Korea on Monday but would not offer details about the purpose of her trip. Hyun is one of the few South Korean business leaders to have met the North's leader Kim Jong-il.Yoo has been held at a joint factory park where he worked in the North's border city of Kaesong. The park is run by Hyundai Group affiliate Hyundai Asan.The park, where about 100 South Korean firms use cheap North Korean labour and land to make goods, is the only major joint economic project between the two Koreas, who share one of the world's most militarised borders.The case has been a sore point in ties between the Koreas, which have worsened in the past year after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ended unconditional handouts to the impoverished state and linked aid to moves the North makes to decrease its military threats.

The release of the worker could ease friction on the Korean peninsula and assuage concerns among investors that tensions might spark a conflict in the economically vital Northeast Asia region.The release of the two U.S. journalists has increased pressure on Lee to free the Hyundai worker and more than 1,000 other South Koreans in the North who were either kidnapped by the state or not released after the 1950-53 Korean War ended.(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz and Christine Kim; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner and Dean Yates)

Hyundai Motor inks MoU with IndusInd Bank

Hyundai Motor India Ltd on Friday inked a MOU with IndusInd Bank for providing car loan funding for the clients. Reportedly, the MoU was inked by HMIL Senior Vice President Arvind Saxena and IndusInd Bank Executive Vice President S V Parthasarathy.Hyundai can leverage its stable product range with easy funding options for potential customers across the country.IndusInd Bank will be able to provide funding options for a broad range of traveler cars through its offices while Hyundai will get admission to latest markets and clients.Hyundai Motor India posted a 53.94% leap in Indian passenger car sales last month at 23,193 units as opposed to 15,066 units in July, last year.