2009 Hyundai Elantra Sedan Gls Automatic on 2040-cars

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Hyundai exec admits company studying pickup, no foolin'

Automotive News reports Hyundai may be considering jumping into the US pickup market. Lee In-cheol, ice president of international sales, says the company's product planners and engineers are currently trying to determine what size pickup would be best for our market. Currently, the automaker has no plans to build a truck, but Lee says that hasn't stopped US dealers from asking the company to produce one. The US and South Korea signed a free trade agreement that took effect in 2012 that removes the so-called Chicken Tax from South Korean imports in seven years.
That means that Hyundai or Kia could import a foreign-built truck without incurring the 25 percent tax on the vehicle's value after 2021. Even so, Hyundai isn't committed into jumping into the US full-size pickup market. Instead, the company may build a smaller truck designed to compete in emerging markets.
We've been hearing word about Hyundai's pickup musings for years now, including a rumored partnership with Chrysler to produce Ram-based trucks, but so far, nothing has come of it.

Hyundai refreshes the Sonata for South Korea, and later the US

Thanks to its debut in South Korea, we have an early look at the revised Hyundai Sonata that will eventually reach the US with minor adjustments. And that's not just speculation. We reached out to Jim Trainor at Hyundai, who told us, "Much of what you have seen from Korea will be seen here, but there will be differences both on the exterior and the interior along with some mechanical and option differences." That said, we don't expect major changes to this Korean model. So without further ado, let's take a look. Up front is a thoroughly revised fascia. The most noticeable change is the grille, which descends much lower in the front bumper, much like those on the Elantra sedan and Elantra GT hatchback. The top edge of the grille appears lower, and that brings the whole nose of the car lower. The hood also has a few more creases running longitudinally. The exterior varies a bit between models, with the standard model getting a grille with slats and the 2.0T getting a mesh grille. The 2.0T also gets black headlight bezels and dark chrome all around. Though Hyundai didn't provide photos of the interior, the company says it has been changed, and some of the buttons will have a more premium feel. The 2.0T also gets a few exclusive interior bits to complement its unique exterior. The seats have more bolstering, and the standard steering wheel is replaced with a flat-bottomed piece. There are some functional updates to the new Sonata as well. Most notable is the introduction of an 8-speed automatic on the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder model. In the US, the turbo Sonata is only available with a 6-speed automatic. Hyundai also touts the introduction of wireless phone charging and lane-keep assist. The big differences between this and the US version likely involve visual tweaks and the packaging of some options. There's also the question of whether the 8-speed automatic will be available, but it would be odd if it weren't offered. The Korean model goes on sale later this year, and Trainor told us the North American debut is coming soon. Related Video:

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe previewed in official renderings

As we near its official reveal in Geneva, Hyundai is trickling out more teasers of the 2019 Santa Fe crossover SUV. This time, instead of a dark photo, the company released a pair of renderings of the new family car. From what we can tell, it's like a huge, subtle Kona. At the front, we can see the SUV version of Hyundai's corporate "Cascade" grille complete with mesh insert instead of the slats found on Hyundai cars. The most obvious connection between this and the Kona are the headlights. It appears illumination may be split between slim, angry lamps high up, and a set of extra lamps lower in the fascia. The front fascia also looks more upright and tough than that of the current model. From what we've seen in spy photos, the front fascia seen in the rendering will translate very closely to real life. The illustrations also suggest the new Santa Fe will have much more sculpted, detailed flanks, too. Bolder plastic cladding shows up on the rocker panels, complete with contrasting aluminum brightwork. Another nod to the Kona shows up in the wheel arches. The creases rise up at the back, similar to the Kona's plastic flares. The rendering also shows a crease just below the windows running along the length of the Santa Fe. Looking at the last teaser image of the actual crossover, this crease is quite prominent. At the rear, the plastic cladding continues along the bottom. The hatch also looks more sculpted than the plain slab of the current model. It also appears to be raked forward more. But the forward rake is countered by the window line on the sides that rises upward. As mentioned with the front fascia, comparing these renderings to spy shots and the previous teaser, it looks like the production Santa Fe will look very much like it does here. Only the exaggerated things like the ultra-slim windows and massive wheels with rubber-band tires will be altered by the hands of rational, practical engineers. As such, the Santa Fe should be a pretty handsome family hauler, and a slightly bigger one than its predecessor, when it makes its debut at the Geneva show in March. Related Video: