2005 Hyundai Elantra Gls on 2040-cars

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Hyundai Motorsport tests its performance at the WRC Rally Finland

Autoblog joined Hyundai to check out the Neste Oil Rally Finland, where thousands of kilometers of lightly traveled, rolling gravel roads have turned out decades of astonishing racing and cold-blooded drivers. Even though the World Rally Championship is well tamed from its feral Group B days, Rally Finland is still the drivers' favorite, with the fastest speeds and the biggest jumps.
It's the rookie year for the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team, run by Hyundai Motorsport out of Alzenau, Germany. The squad entered the season aiming for podiums in the second half and looking to get its three cars to the finish at every race for maximum development data. It's already outdone itself, Thierry Neuville scoring third places in Mexico - where he used a bottle of Corona to fill his radiator - and Poland.
Denis Giraudet told us that the rally's sternest challenge is not one of heart, though. Giraudet isn't part of Hyundai Motorsport, he was our guide and he's been in the sport as a co-driver for more than 30 years; he won Rally Finland with Juha Kankunnen in 1993 in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD. Giraudet said the race tests that particular confidence that comes from about 18 inches below the heart: "Here, you have to go all out. If there's a problem, it's usually between the steering wheel and the seat."

2018 Hyundai Sonata lineup gets ‘+’ treatment at no extra charge

Hyundai is looking to jump-start sales of its struggling 2018 Sonata midsize sedan by introducing new "+" editions on several trim levels, adding features like the silver mesh grille cribbed from the Sport 2.0T, panoramic sunroof and safety technology for no extra charge — or for even lower prices, in some cases. The mid-model year enhancement package broadens availability of Hyundai's Advanced Driver Assist Systems, the Sport front fascia and mesh grille and other interior amenities. For example, the Sonata SEL+ and Sport+ editions now come equipped with the Sport's front fascia upgrades, dual automatic temperature control, wireless phone charging, heated steering wheel and other features at no extra charge, representing $580 and $950 in value to the respective models. Adding the Tech Package to the SEL+ gets you automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, smart cruise control with stop-start and other features for $25,185, including destination charge, a $980 value improvement, Hyundai says. Buyers can add the Tech Package to the Limited model for no extra charge over the previous model. On the high-end Sonata Limited model, adding the Ultimate+ package drops the price of the previous Ultimate package by $600 while adding the Sport mesh grille and fascia combo, plus the panoramic sunroof. The Korean automaker redesigned the Sonata for 2018 with a new "cascading grille" borrowed from the Elantra and other changes to the front, a redesigned back, some handling upgrades and a redesigned interior. But it hasn't helped move the metal. Sales of the Sonata fell a whopping 41 percent in April to 9,616; year-to-date, they were down 38 percent to 33,441 units. The company saw its combined Hyundai and Genesis sales decline by 11 percent in April. The "+" packages are available at dealerships now. Related Video: Image Credit: Hyundai Auto News Marketing/Advertising Hyundai Sedan sales package trim

Hyundai Veloster facelift includes new 7-speed DCT, light cosmetics

Hyundai hasn't given the Veloster the exterior overhaul that we expected, but it has outfitted the quirky, oddly doored hatchback with some new tech, at least in the Korean market. The biggest change for the Veloster is confirmation that the previously rumored seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will replace the current six-speed unit in the Turbo. It's mated to the same 1.6-liter, forced-induction four-cylinder featuring 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The exterior receives a few tiny tweaks, too, with new wheel designs and slightly different silver trim around the grille, but the bigger changes are found in the cabin. Those alterations aren't limited to new materials: Hyundai has included a new engine sound equalizer for the Veloster that lets drivers select from six different engine soundtracks. The instrument cluster also gets slightly altered, and there are new two-tone looks for the seats, as well. According to a blog post by Hyundai, the price for the Turbo with the seven-speed dual clutch starts at 23.7 million won ($22,000). Unfortunately, there's no official word whether these changes are going to make it across the Pacific to the US market. We've got an inquiry in with Hyundai Motor America, and will let you know if we hear more.