Sunday, August 28, 2011

In Stock Now- The All New 429hp 5.0 Genesis R-Spec Sedan

Not really intended to go head to head with the best that AMG, BMW M, or Audi S have to offer, the R-spec sedan exceeds all expectations. Autoblog says, "And what of the new horsepower? Hyundai claims the R-Spec can click off a 60 mph run from a dead stop in 5.1 seconds, which should tell you all you need to know about how the vehicle accelerates. The strange thing is that the big sedan doesn't feel that fast. You know you're gaining speed because the speedometer scoots skyward with only the slightest provocation, but there's no throaty exhaust note to announce your intention. With 429 horsepower on tap, we want the sound of a chorus of aching angels to mourn our wayward ways every time our right foot finds the carpet." Our first one has landed here at Hyundai of Kirkland. Come grab the keys and have a go at it.

HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND AZERA NAMED AUTOPACIFIC 2011 IDEAL VEHICLE AWARD WINNERS

Hyundai Finishes as Second Most Popular Car Brand Overall

COSTA MESA, Calif.,
Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific named the Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Azera 2011 Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) winners in their respective categories.  In the Compact Car category, the Hyundai Elantra beat out top rivals by a large margin including the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze, and Volkswagen Jetta.  The Hyundai Azera topped the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger in the Large Car segment.  Overall, Hyundai scored second in the Popular Brand rankings, trailing only Chrysler.
Additionally, three other Hyundai models made the Ideal Vehicle ranks: the Sonata finished second in the Premium Mid-Size Car segment, the Genesis Coupe earned fourth in the Sporty Car segment and the Accent ranked fourth in the Economy Car segment.
AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards are based on 72,000 surveys completed by owners of new cars and light trucks in the United States in the first half of 2011.  The IVAs measure the fusion between owner expectations and the reality provided by the manufacturer by quantitatively measuring how closely a vehicle matches those expectations.  To determine the winners, owners rate their new car or truck on how close it came to “ideal” in 15 different categories ranging from power and acceleration to safety features and storage.  The vehicles that customers said they would change the least were considered the most “ideal.”
“It’s getting harder and harder to measure quality differences in today’s vehicles,” said George Peterson, president, AutoPacific.  “Consumers need better insights into which vehicles will meet their ideal for comfort, ride and handling, cargo space, and other attributes that are experienced on a daily basis.  IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles.”
“Having our models recognized for AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into all the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup,” said Scott Margason, director Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America.  “At Hyundai, we strive to exceed customer expectations in safety, quality, value and performance, and look forward to continuing to develop more award winning vehicles as we bring the 2012 Accent and Veloster to market this year.” Read on.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Honda Civic Fails Consumer Reports’ Tests, Hyundai Elantra get's even better

Honda Motor Co.’s newest version of the Civic, a model that’s been a foundation of the automaker’s U.S. sales for decades, flopped in tests by Consumer Reports, failing to win the magazine’s coveted “Recommended” status.
The 2012 Civic scored 61 in Consumer Report’s evaluation, down from 78 for the previous Civic, according to a review in the September issue published this week. The car, on sale since late April, scored poorly because of a decline in agility and interior quality, choppier ride, longer stopping distances, and more road noise compared with the last Civic, the magazine said.
“While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that now it ranks near the bottom of its category,” David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ auto test center, Connecticut, said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. MORE