2006 Hyundai Azera Limited on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai Kona crossover factory grinds to a halt ahead of U.S. launch

SEOUL — Hyundai workers in South Korea have stopped building the Kona sport utility vehicle this week ahead of its U.S. launch at the L.A. Auto Show — a protest against what the automaker's labor union says are plans to trim assembly-line headcount. The union, which is also in annual talks with management over pay, warned that a wider strike was possible. Hyundai has been in discussions with its labor union since October on production plans for the Kona, a key model that it hopes will reverse a U.S. sales slump. The union contends that the automaker wants to introduce more automation and outsource more assembly of key sections to part makers — plans that it is vehemently opposed to. Hyundai management argues that the union is making "irrelevant demands" such as requests for extra windows in the factory as part of the production discussions. The automaker's decision to start production of the Kona on a new assembly line was made without consultation with the union and was unacceptable, union leader Ha Boo-young said in a statement, adding that a wider strike was possible "should there be another provocation by management." The move comes ahead of a planned unveiling of the U.S.-production version of the Kona at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, with U.S. sales slated to begin early next year. The Kona is currently sold in South Korea, where it has proven to be a popular model, as well as Europe. The two days loss of production so far this week is equivalent to 1,230 vehicles, Hyundai said. Hyundai Motor President Yoon Kap-han said it was regrettable that the labor union was disrupting production for a high-demand model at a time when most of its plants were "suffering from the worst sales slowdown." Hyundai Motor's global sales fell 6 percent from January to September compared with the same period a year earlier, as a limited number of SUV models hurt sales in the U.S. market and a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing hurt sales in China. Reporting by Hyunjoo JinRelated Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Hyundai Kona: LA 2017 View 13 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Hyundai Kona View 20 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Plants/Manufacturing LA Auto Show Hyundai Crossover SUV 2017 LA Auto Show autoworkers

Minivans and hybrids shopped by men and women equally

Men love fast, exotic cars, and women want something safe and practical – at least that is the way conventional thinking goes. But a new study challenges these old beliefs. According to the auto information aggregators at iSeeCars, both sexes shop for minivans and hybrids equally. The study also dug deeper into the different browsing habits between genders. For instance, women are twice as likely to shop for Kia and 67 percent more likely to shop for Hyundai. Men are seven percent more likely to buy American cars. Both sexes shop the German brands equally. It seems that men might be slightly greener in their shopping because they are twice as likely to browse electric cars and two and a half times more likely to look at diesels. Still, the old stereotype of men wanting a more performance-oriented car is not entirely false. They also are more likely to look at cars that cost over $45,000, and men are still more likely to buy a sports car. "Men like fast, flashy cars. They are performance oriented, even if they have to shell out more money," Phong Ly, cofounder and CEO of iSeeCars, said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. "Women are looking for the best value." The iSeeCars study got its data directly from dealers and online sellers like eBay Motors, then determined sex based on first name and excluded gender-neutral names. What it shows is that even if men might like browsing for fast cars, practicality and economy win out in the end. It's still fun to look, though. News Source: iSeeCars via CBS News MoneyWatchImage Credit: Shutterstock / Deklofenak Hyundai Kia Car Buying Minivan/Van Electric Hybrid

Hyundai i30 N gets gnarly new 'N Option' in Paris

Hyundai came to the Paris Motor Show with a new "N Option" show car. It's based off the Hyundai i30 N, and is designed to give us a glimpse of what Hyundai's N division will look like in the future. While this car doesn't feature any powertrain modifications beyond its stock boosted 2.0-liter and six-speed manual transmission, Hyundai has thrown a book's worth of parts at it to make the i30 N look as racy as can be. It has a carbon fiber hood with air vents, carbon fiber rear wing, unique quad mufflers and rear valance design, lightweight 20-inch wheels and some super-grippy rubber. Hyundai used a special matte paint for this show car as well, with red accents sporadically placed throughout the car — we're definitely fans of that mean-looking snout. The interior gets lightweight N bucket seats in Alcantara. Hyundai covered the entire dash and steering wheel in the stuff too. The carbon fiber doesn't stop on the exterior, either; it appears on the dash, air vents, door handles and steering wheel. It has what appears to be a really cool-looking shift knob specially made for this car too. This hatchback takes the i30 N and turns it up to 11 in every way. We love it. Hyundai says it's launching this new N Option in the "near future," but it's not guaranteed to be exactly like this. We're guessing Hyundai is using it as a feeler to see exactly what it'll come to market with. Of course, the U.S. doesn't get the i30 N, but the Veloster N is coming. It wouldn't be difficult to imagine Hyundai giving the same treatment to its odd-numbered-door cousin. Featured video: