2012 Hyundai Elantra Gls Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Hyundai missing Q1 earnings targets blamed on slow US sales

Slow US growth is hampering profits at Hyundai. In its first quarter financial statement, the Korean automaker reported a profit of 1.93 trillion won ($1.86 billion). According to Reuters, this is less than analysts' expectations and nearly the same as last year.
According to the report, US sales fell by 3 percent in Q1 2014. To make matters worse, the high value of the South Korean currency caused lower profits on models exported from there. On the bright side, Hyundai's Chinese sales rose by 9 percent, according to Reuters. It's also working on building a fourth factory there.
The company has had a rough time in the US throughout the quarter. John Krafcik, the CEO of Hyundai of America, stepped down on January 1, and the company was already predicting slow growth in sales for 2014. Falling quality scores for the Sonata and Elantra aren't helping matters either. However, there may be hope on the way. The second-generation Genesis Sedan was introduced to the US in Detroit, and the redesigned Sonata was recently shown in New York. Successful launches of these important models could prove crucial.

Hyundai swims against the current with new i20 Coupe

Coupefying hatchbacks is all the rage in the European market these days. Its what Opel and Vauxhall did with the latest Astra, and what Renault did with the Mégane, and now Hyundai is preparing to follow a similar formula, only in a smaller form.
While the i30 is the model with which Hyundai competes with the aforementioned Astra and Mégane, to say nothing of the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, it's the smaller i20 - recently introduced in five-door form - which the Korean automaker plans to give the coupe treatment.
Previewed in the teaser image above, the upcoming new i20 Coupe will enter a somewhat shrinking market for three-door superminis. Though the VW Polo, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa are still available with three portals, their forms are otherwise no more coupe-like than their five-door counterparts. (Mini has tried a similar approach with its Coupe, and Citroën has forked the C3 five-door and DS3 three-door, but those are decidedly more upscale offerings.) Alongside the Seat Ibiza, Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers offering three-door superminis significantly distinguished from its five-door versions.

2014 Hyundai Elantra shows off new trim, engine in LA

Hyundai has issued a mid-cycle refresh for all three body styles of its popular Elantra compact at the 2013 LA Auto Show. As mid-cycle refreshes go, this is a fairly comprehensive one, with some sweeping changes beyond the typical new head- and taillights. The big news is a new 2.0-liter engine and a Sport trim group.
The new 2.0 will only be available on the Elantra Sport, and it pumps out 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque. While those aren't exactly Bugatti Veyron-beating numbers, they still represent healthy 25-hp and 23 lb-ft increases over the 1.8-liter engine, and the new output figures are enough to position the Elantra near the top of its class. Other tweaks for the Sport include a mildly retuned suspension with a larger front sway bar and slightly stiffened springs, along with revised programming for the electric power steering.
There are a number of other changes and tweaks that we detailed in last night's story. Since then, we've snapped some images of both the Coupe and Sedan on the floor of the LA Auto Show, and we now have a full press release which gives a comprehensive list of what's new for the 2014 Elantra. Check it out below, then let us know what you think in Comments.