Hyundai Drops New i40 Mid-Size

Making its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, is the estate version of Hyundai’s all-new, Europe-specific D-segment model, the i40. Designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, with European buyers in mind, the i40 will fill the gap left by the outgoing Sonata model in the South Korean automaker's range and will compete against the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. A four-door sedan version will be introduced this year, with most bets going towards the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

The i40 Estate will go on sale across Europe in the summer with engine options including a 1.7-liter turbo diesel emitting as little as 113 g/km of CO2 and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit. Strangely, Hyundai has not yet released any other details on the i40 series. When the Koreans decide to share, we'll post an update. In the meantime, scroll down to check out the gallery and a video from Hyundai's Geneva Motor Show booth.

2011 Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai has been on a roll of late, turning out the fantastic Genesis Sedan and Coupe, following up with the new 2011 Sonata, and today, unveiling the Avante, which will be known here in the U.S. as the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The new Elantra wears a completely different look from its predecessor, and that’s a very good thing.

From its streamlined, almost tear-drop profile to its sculpted and space-age front end, the new Elantra picks up where the Sonata left off, but with an edgier overall presence that fits its younger target demographic. The lines that tie the hood into the front bumper, accentuating the headlights and grille in the process are particularly pleasing to our eye..

Along the side you’ll see a character flare that’s reminiscent of the Sonata, and a rear-window finish that borrows a bit from the Genesis Coupe–both well-used family traits that add a dash of both sport and luxury to the look. Moving around to the rear of the car, we see the flowing design process continued, with the side’s flares meshing neatly with the wraparound tail lights, and the curves from the bumper coming forward to mate with the flared rear fenders.

Just over a week ago, Hyundai released official images of the car’s interior, which similarly elevates the game in the inexpensive compact sedan market, pushing overall design and materials to levels reserved for luxury cars just a handful of years ago.

As always, we’ll have to wait until we can get into a 2011 Elantra to give our first-hand take on the car, but based on the official imagery, we expect good things. Check out the video below for a quirkily-soundtracked video of the Korean-market version of the car.

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra Interiour

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra Intriour

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra Intriour

Wallpapers 2011 Hyundai Elantra Interiour

Hyundai Preparing New Elantra Coupe, Azera and Genesis R-Spec with 429HP V8

After registering record sales in 2010, Hyundai seems committed to an all-out offensive with the company reportedly planning to launch a coupe version of the 2011 Elantra and the new Azera sedan in the U.S. within the next year or so. According to an Autoweek report, the news was broken at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in San Francisco, where the Korean automaker also showed its dealers a photo of the upcoming coupe.

“They showed us a photo of it and it's gorgeous,” said Doug Fox, a Hyundai dealer from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “We weren't expecting that.”

It is said that the two-door model will go on sale this spring, however Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the car, simply stating that the alleged launch date is inaccurate.

Hyundai previewed the redesigned Azera as well, which will get a new 3.3-liter direct-injected V6 gasoline engine, estimated to deliver about 260HP and better fuel economy compared to the current model.

“It'll give us that step-up car from the Sonata for when Sonata owners come back and want something a little bit larger”, Fox said.

Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai's U.S. sales boss, told reporters that the new Azera is due in January 2012, with projected U.S. sales of 18,000-20,000 units per year.

The last item on the manufacturer’s list was the announcement of a new trim level for the imminent 2012MY Genesis, dubbed R-Spec. Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik said that the new model, featuring a new 429HP 5.0-liter V8 engine and in-house-developed 8-speed automatic gearbox, would make its debut at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Base price is expected to be between $45,000-$50,000.