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2013 Hyundai i10 gets Frankfurt showing, official engine lineup [w/videos]

Hyundai strutted its tiny but fashionable i10 onto the Frankfurt floor today, showing off the new, second-generation city car to the assembled media. The i10 was originally unveiled in August, although at the time, we didn't have much info on powertrains or other items.
Europe, where the i10 will be sold, gets a pair of gas-powered engines from Hyundai's Kappa family, displacing 998cc and 1.25 liters, respectively. The smaller, three-cylinder engine is limited to just 65 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque. It's also available with an LPG option, which adds one hp at the cost of three lb-ft of torque. Opt for the 1.25-liter, four-cylinder mill and you'll get a positively reckless 85 horsepower and 88 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are available with the driver's choice of a five-speed stick or a four-speed automatic.
Lack of thrust aside, can we all agree that the i10 is a sharp looking city car? It's compact dimensions belie a reasonable amount of cabin space, all in a wrapper of the stylish, fluid lines that Hyundai is known for. We'd argue it looks even better in these pictures than it did the first time we saw it. Hop up top for our live images from Frankfurt, or scroll down to the bottom for an official press release and images from Hyundai. The company's European arm as also assembled quite a number of Q&A style videos about the new car, for your edification.

Hyundai to build test facility at N"urburgring

It looks as if Hyundai is set to build a test facility at the famous Nürburgring. Carscoop reports the Korean automaker has commenced construction on a 10,000-square-foot test center with access to the lengthy German track. Hyundai says the $7.3 million facility will help the company focus on improving the ride and handling of its vehicles through extensive research and development.
Sounds like a plan to us. While we've seen Hyundai vehicles improve on many fronts over the past few years, the company continues to struggle with suspension refinement compared to its Japanese, German and domestic rivals.
Automakers routinely flock to the Nürburgring for testing and development thanks to the track's unusual attributes. With a variety of surfaces, banking, turns, elevation and even weather, the circuit offers engineers the ability to put a vehicle through its paces in a wider range of conditions than most facilities.

Goes Both Ways: Free-trade pact sees South Korean brands losing share at home

France has been vocal, but not alone, in noting the rise of the South Korean automakers in Europe. The signing of a free-trade pact in 2011 between South Korea and the EU, along with the especially value-conscious buyers in a crisis-stricken Europe, has seen market share increases measuring in the double digits for Hyundai and Kia - analysts expect 14-percent growth for the two in 2012.
A report in Bloomberg has found that there's pain at the other end, too: The pact more than halved import tariffs on European cars headed to South Korea to 3.2 percent, and prices are now close enough to domestic offerings for more South Koreans to pay the premium for foreign luxury nameplates and the cachet they confer. Products sold by the five domestic automakers hogged 92 percent of the market last year, and sales have dropped 5.2 percent this year whereas import sales have risen by 24 percent. This will mark the first year that imports claimed ten percent of the market; compare that to 2002, when domestic market share in the world's 11th largest auto market was 99 percent.
The Germans are at the head of the arrow, counting for 65 percent of imported car sales, but every foreign maker has seen double-digit gains. Analysts think foreign makes could ultimately grab 15 percent of the market.