2010 Hyundai Sonata Limited Sedan 4-door 3.3l on 2040-cars

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Volvo, Kia and BYD duke it out in the finals for World Car of 2024

Three electric vehicles — none produced by an American manufacturer — will compete next month for the title of 2024 World Car of the Year, it was announced Monday. The finalists are the Kia EV9, the Volvo EX30 and the BYD Seal (shown above). The latter two are built in China. The three top finalists in five other categories were also named at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The winners in all six categories will be revealed live during an awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27. This year marks the 20th year of the World Car Awards and the partnership with the New York show. Besides car of the year, the other finalists are: Electric vehicle: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30; Luxury car: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV; Performance car: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ionia 5 N; Urban car: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30; World Car Design: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota Prius. Only Ford among U.S. companies has an entry in the final selections, and only in one category, design, for the Bronco. BMW has four vehicles in the finals, Volvo has three, Kia and Mercedes have two each. BYD from China has two entries as well. The Seal went on sale in in its home market in 2022 and is now available in most of the rest of the world. The BYD Co. (which stands for Build Your Dreams) has surpassed Tesla to become the worldÂ’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, and has its sights set on the U.S. The selection process for World Cars involves 100-plus automotive journalists from 29 countries who vote, as they review and test-drive the eligible vehicles for the 2024 awards. Their journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show BMW Ferrari Ford Hyundai Kia Lexus Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo Best Cars World Car of the Year

How Hyundai lost momentum, and will 'take a few years' to recover

SEOUL/DETROIT/CHONGQING, China — At a near-empty Hyundai Motor showroom in the Chinese mega city of Chongqing, the store manager is grumbling about his shortage of customers and a lack of bigger, cheaper SUV models popular in the world's largest auto market. Even with discounting of as much as 25 percent, his dealership was selling barely a hundred vehicles a month, said the manager surnamed Li. A nearby Nissan dealership was selling about 400 vehicles a month, a store manager there said. "The sales are simply poor," Li told Reuters. "Look at the Nissan store next door, they have tens of customers while we just have two." An hour's drive away is Hyundai's massive $1 billion manufacturing plant, which opened last year with a target to produce 300,000 vehicles per year. But with sales weak and the Chinese auto market slowing sharply, the factory is running at roughly 30 percent of capacity, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The sources asked not to be identified because the information was not public. Hyundai, the world's fifth largest automaker, declined to comment on the Chongqing plant's production or the showroom's sales but said it is "closely cooperating" with local partner BAIC to turn around the China business. BAIC did not respond to requests for comment. Hyundai's woes mark a major reversal for the automaker which was an early success story in China as it quickly and cheaply rolled out popular new models into a surging market. In 2009, Hyundai and partner Kia's combined sales ranked third in China after General Motors and Volkswagen. The South Korean duo now ranks ninth, and its market share in China was 4 percent last year, from more than10 percent at the beginning of this decade. Executives and industry experts say Hyundai conceded its once stronghold in the low-end segment to fast-growing Chinese rivals such as Geely and BYD. Foreign rivals not only defended their turf in premium segments but also kept pricing competitive for mass-market models, squeezing Hyundai's positioning as an affordable foreign brand, they said. In the United States, the world's second-biggest auto market, Hyundai's market share fell to 4 percent last year, near a decade low. Hyundai ran into problems in China and the United States for similar reasons: It missed shifts in consumer tastes, especially the surge in demand for SUVs, and it sought higher prices than its brand image could command, four Chinese dealers and half a dozen former and current U.S.

2016 Hyundai Elantra GT gets refreshed with a big new face

Hyundai is taking the sheet off of a facelift for the 2016 Elantra GT at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, and if buyers spec the five-door hatchback right, they can also get the Korean brand's latest infotainment system. The biggest and most obvious change for the updated Elantra GT is its brand new front end. The grille now features wide, horizontal slats with chrome accents, which removes the previous design's somewhat smiling face. It also brings the styling more in line with the rest of the Hyundai lineup. In addition, vehicle rides on some redesigned 17-inch wheels. The interior is left basically the same for the update, except if buyers choose the optional Technology Package. It adds a new 7-inch touchscreen navigation system with a rearview camera, which is similar to the unit in some trims of the Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system and Apple Siri Eyes Free are included, as well. Choosing the pack also features dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, LED taillights and ventilated driver's and passenger's seats, which brand claims is a segment first. Mechanically, the steering is retuned for better feel in 2016 but everything else carries over. That gives buyers a direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque and the choice of a six-speed manual or automatic. Base pricing is the same as the 2015 model year at $18,800, plus an $825 destination charge on all models, for the manual or $19,800 with the auto. Although, with all of the extra kit, the Tech Package is now $3,950, rather than $2,900 last year, but the required Style Package for it is re-priced to $1,975, as opposed to $2,550 in 2015. Hyundai's Sporty and Versatile Hatchback Gets a More Affordable Style Package and a New Navigation System with Next-Generation Blue Link Telematics CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2015 – Today at the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai Motor America introduced a refreshed Elantra GT for the 2016 model year, offering updated styling with customer-focused technology and features. With a more distinctive front fascia and all-new 17" alloy wheels, Elantra GT's new look further enhances the vehicle's signature sporty styling. And when mated to a standard 2.0-liter Gasoline Direct Injection engine, the formula comes together to deliver a vehicle that both looks and feels dynamic.