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Weekly Recap: Kia leads Korea's quality surge

The rapid rise of Korea's auto brands in the US market has been apparent on the sales charts for several years, and now it's showing up in an area that's just as crucial: quality. Kia and Hyundai earned the highest rankings among mainstream brands in the J. D. Power Initial Quality Study released on Wednesday. The study tracks problems owners report during the first 90 days they own their car. Kia reported 86 problems per 100 vehicles, or fewer than one problem per car sold, to take second in the rankings behind luxury sportscar-maker Porsche (80). Kia's score improved by nearly 20 percent compared with the 2014 study. "The big industry story is Kia," Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in a video statement, noting Kia's infotainment systems were the key reason for its improved performance. Hyundai was fourth for the second straight year, though its score actually worsened by one, to 95. Even with Hyundai's slight dip, Korean quality increased 11 percent, according to the study, which far outpaced American and European companies' three-percent increases. Japanese brands improved one percent. Hyundai Motor Co. (parent company of the Hyundai and Kia brands) captured four individual vehicle awards, which tied for the most with General Motors, Nissan, and Volkswagen. "The Korean brands have really taken off," Stephens said. "There's movement in the industry, and the patterns are shifting." Another luxury brand, Jaguar (93 problems), slotted in between Hyundai and Kia in third place. Infiniti was fifth, followed by BMW. Chevrolet was the highest domestic brand, taking seventh place, followed by Lincoln, Lexus, and Toyota, which were all well above the industry average of 112 problems per 100 vehicles. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Kirk Kerkorian dead at 98 Kirk Kerkorian, a billionaire activist investor who wielded enormous influence on the Detroit Three car companies in the 1990s and 2000s, died Monday. He was 98 years old. Kerkorian made headlines in 1995 for trying to take over Chrysler – with the help of former chairman Lee Iacocca – before being fended off by Chrysler management. His takeover attempt ultimately pushed Chrysler to be sold to German giant Daimler. He tried to buy Chrysler again in 2007 when Daimler put Chrysler on the market, but Kerkorian fell short and the automaker was sold to private equity firm Cerberus.

All new Hyundai Elantra revealed in Korea

After thoroughly teasing the next-generation Elantra, Hyundai is finally unveiling its latest sedan for the South Korean market (where it's called the "Avante"). While the names might be different, expect the revised model to look just like this for the North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Although, the powertrain range might be tweaked when crossing the Pacific. Hyundai is reworking the swoopy Fluidic Sculpture design language into a sleeker, simpler shape for the latest Elantra, and the company calls the new direction "Modern Premium." Up front, there's a big hexagonal grill to grab attention, and it's matched with squinting headlights on each side. The roof now simply flows back elegantly to the trunk, and the sides are left largely unadorned beyond an understated crease along the shoulders. At the rear, narrowing taillights stretch horizontally across the trunk. Also, while the upgraded styling is meant to make the Elantra look low and wide, the dimensions grow less than an inch in length and width. Beneath the upgraded design is a revised platform that's made of 53 percent advanced high strength steel, versus 32 percent before. The result is a stiffer frame that Hyundai claims leads to better crash test results and lower NVH. Drivers get added security from a safety suite that includes autonomous emergency braking, high beam assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert. Hyundai is clear that powertrains can vary with region, but South Koreans get three choices in the Avante. A 1.6-liter gasoline-fueled four-cylinder offers 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque, and a 1.6-liter diesel makes 134 hp and 221 lb-ft. There's also a 2.0-liter petrol mill running on the Atkinson cycle that produces 147 hp and 132 lb-ft. Rumors suggest North America might get the turbocharged 1.6-liter from the latest Tucson with 175 hp and 196 lb-ft. Hyundai Motor Holds World Premiere of All-new Elantra in Korea 09 September, 2015 • Hyundai Motor's best-selling model evolves with innovative design • Award-winning compact sedan inspires driver confidence with enhanced performance and stable handling • Class-leading convenience and safety features are tailored to customer needs September 9, 2015 – Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea's largest automaker, today unveiled the 'All-new Elantra (named Avante in Korea)', a sophisticated evolution of the brand's long-established compact sedan.

Hyundai Veloster N reveals menacing grille, big wing

Once again, the Hyundai Veloster N has been spotted at the 'Ring. This time, though, the car was sporting considerably less camouflage, giving us our best look yet at the first N car for the United States. The first thing most people will notice is that the top-spec Veloster will feature a massive black grille, just as the outgoing Veloster Turbo had. It does differ from the old one in that the far corners have been brought up higher and squared off to bring it inline with the new "cascade" corporate grille. The greenhouse is more visible now, too. And like the grille, it has been squared off a bit at the rear corners. It appears there's more glass, either due to the roof being raised slightly, or the window sills being dropped. The back of the Veloster N may reveal the most, though. This car gives us our first uninhibited glimpse at the rear wing, and it's a big 'un that closely hugs the bodywork on each end. The triangular shape in the middle suggests it will have a brake light similar to the i30 N. We can also finally see the taillights better. They're more horizontal than the previous car's, and they're also mounted flush to the window seam. Looking closely, we can see that they extend forward, still hugging the rear window, and the edge leads into a arching line created by the side windows. The rear glass is interesting, too, because there's just a single rear pane, rather than the old model's split glass similar to the Honda CR-X, Toyota Prius, and Hyundai Ioniq. The rear bumper also features an aggressive diffuser design in the bottom, and, as with the i30 N, there is a red accent line. We'll probably see another red line at the front. The exhaust has two outlets on each end as well, which is further indication that this is the N model and not a standard Veloster or Veloster Turbo. Since we won't be getting the i30 N in the U.S., we wouldn't be surprised if the Veloster N carried the same turbocharged four-cylinder as that car, which produces 271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. After all, if the i30 N isn't sold here, there's no reason not to hamstring the Veloster to keep it from cannibalizing sales. Continuing on that line of thinking, it will likely use the same front-wheel-drive system with limited-slip differential and six-speed manual transmission. We also expect to see a full reveal of the Veloster line later this year.