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Hyundai will launch pickup, more SUVs to reverse U.S. sales slide

By Paul Lienert and Hyunjoo Jin DETROIT/SEOUL — Hyundai plans to launch a pickup truck in the United States as part of a broader plan to catch up with a shift away from sedans in one of the Korean automaker's most important markets, a senior company executive said. Michael J. O'Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning at Hyundai's U.S. unit, told Reuters that Hyundai's top management has given the green light for development of a pickup truck similar to a show vehicle called the Santa Cruz that U.S. Hyundai executives unveiled in 2015. Hyundai currently does not offer a pickup truck in the United States. Hyundai also plans to launch a small SUV called the Kona in the United States later this year. People familiar with the automaker's plans said separately that Hyundai plans to launch three other new or refreshed SUVs by 2020. So-called crossovers — sport utilities built on chassis similar to sedans — now account for about 30 percent of total light vehicle sales in the United States. Consumers in China, the world's largest auto market, are also substituting car-based SUVs for sedans. People familiar with Hyundai's plans said the company plans to roll out a new version of its Santa Fe Sport midsize SUV next year, followed by an all-new seven-passenger crossover to replace a current three-row Santa Fe in early 2019 in the United Sates. A redesigned Tucson SUV is expected in 2020, people familiar with Hyundai's plans said. Hyundai's U.S. dealers have pushed the company to invest more aggressively in SUVs and trucks as demand for sedans such as the midsize Sonata and the smaller Elantra has waned, and as Hyundai has announced a shift to electric vehicles. "We are optimistic about the future," Scott Fink, chief executive of Hyundai of New Port Richey, Fla., which is Hyundai's biggest U.S. dealer, said. "But we are disappointed that we don't have the products today." Hyundai's U.S. sales are down nearly 11 percent this year through July 31, worse than the overall 2.9-percent decline in U.S. car and light truck sales. Sales of the Sonata, once a pillar of Hyundai's U.S. franchise, have fallen 30 percent through the first seven months of 2017. In contrast, sales of Hyundai's current SUV lineup are up 11 percent for the first seven months of this year. "Our glasses are fairly clean," O'Brien said.

Genesis, Hyundai, Ram win North American Car, Utility, Truck of the Year at NAIAS

DETROIT — The Hyundai Genesis G70, Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric and the Ram pickup have received North American car, sport utility and truck of the year awards. The awards were announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This year's car finalists also included the Honda Insight and Volvo S60/V60. Truck finalists included the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500. SUV finalists also included the Acura RDX and the Jaguar I-Pace. Last year's winners were the Honda Accord, Lincoln Navigator and the Volvo XC60. About 55 automotive journalists serve as judges. Eligible vehicles must be new or substantially changed. Organizers accept no advertising, though automakers try to capitalize on the marketing value of the awards, which are now in their 25th year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hyundai Kona Electric SUV revealed

Recently, Hyundai hinted at some of the details of the all-electric version of its Kona subcompact SUV. The automaker stated that the EV crossover would be available with a pair of powertrain offerings, one of which being "one of the most powerful electric engines on the market" with a driving range of 292 miles. Now, the Korean automaker has revealed the Kona Electric in advance of the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The Hyundai Kona Electric looks like its hybrid siblings, with the biggest visual difference up front, with its closed grille. That's also where the car's plug resides. It features LED daytime running lights above its LED headlights. The Kona Electric offers a two-tone roof, and seven different exterior paint color offerings. On paper, at least, the Kona Electric is pretty compelling. The long-range, 292-mile version features a 64-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack supplying power to a 150-kW (201-horsepower) electric motor. It does 0-62 miles per hour in a respectable 7.6 seconds, with a top speed of 103 mph. The base version's 39-kWh battery offers 186 miles of driving range, and a 99-kW (133-horsepower) electric motor. It does 0-62 in a more leisurely 9.3 seconds. Inside the car, the Kona Electric features a pair of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel that allow the driver to dial in the preferred amount of regenerative braking force. A seven-inch digital display in the instrument cluster is accompanied by a head-up display providing key information directly in front of the driver. The car's infotainment system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless phone charging. The Kona Electric offers a number of driver assist features for safety and convenience. These include forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, intelligent speed limit warning and smart high. It also offers smart cruise control with stop-and-go capability to make those traffic jams a little more bearable. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric: Geneva 2018 View 10 Photos Related Gallery Hyundai Kona Electric View 9 Photos News Source: HyundaiImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Green Hyundai Green Automakers Crossover SUV Electric 2018 Geneva Motor Show hyundai kona hyundai ev hyundai kona electric