Hyundai to Add Hybrids and a RWD Luxury Sedan

[Brian Gluckman]

This is pay content, so I'm not willing to repost it here, but the gist is as follows:

2006
- Hybrid Accent
- Hybrid Kia Rio

2007
- RWD Hyundai Luxury Sedan

2008/2009
- Additional Hybrid Vehicles

Initial imports of the Accent and Rio to the US will be low, around a few thousand units per year. I personally wonder if that won't be a mistake--a new Rio Hybrid could be one helluva hit.

The technology is developed in-house, though batteries are the same ones used by Toyota.

Fuel cell vehicles may also arrive before the end of the decade.

The RWD luxury sedan will test the waters for a new, luxury-oriented Hyundai brand. Luxury sedans are a higher priority than pick-ups, something that has US executives rather dismayed.

If you've got an AutoNews subscription, you can read the full articles here:

- www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=52840

and

- www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=52868

[hjr]

yeah, similar item was on TCC forums today about RWD, and hybrid entry level HyundaiKia's, and sounds like people would be interested in a "inexpensive" hybrid.... hey, if they could sell a Accent for 16-17K with hybrid, then the price of the battery (say one time during ownership) would not seem too bad.

I agree with the Hyundai folks in USA about a truck.

I know more than a few people who would buy a HyundaiKia truck, Now, if they could!

Also, I got a Hyundai Owner magazine, and they mentioned the Portico, or something like it, perhpas coming out soon(got it 2 weeks ago, then this hybrid news hit).

My main gripe would be if Hyundai does Not make a 3 door hatch Accent, normal or hybrid form, for the new model.

On hyundai site, they have something about the new 4 door, and then added something like" future models to be added later".

Do not know if that is the 4 door "hybrid" , or what.

A luxury division should come out say 08-10 time frame, and have this truck come out first(I read on intellichoice site?) that by 08, a truck for HyundaiKia would be here?

Who knows?

Hyundai is getting to be like Nissan was 10 years ago; no one at the dealerships even knew much(lack of internet , for one thing) of the 95 (new) Sentra until the day they unloaded 10 from the semi, and gave the Mgr training videos, and pamphlets on the car!!!

It was in AW, and other magazines, but even then, nothing was 100% affirmative, at least if you asked a Nissan rep.

[Brian Gluckman]

hjr said:

I agree with the Hyundai folks in USA about a truck.

My main gripe would be if Hyundai does Not make a 3 door hatch Accent, normal or hybrid form, for the new model.

In order to make a Hyundai or Kia truck, the company needs to commit to another US plant first. You can't profitably import a truck due to taxes. But before Hyundai commits to building another factory, I think they want to make sure they've got the bugs worked out of this new one first.

As for the three-door Accent, that will be unveiled at SEMA in November.

[hjr]

hey, Brian, 3door,cool. Any thing about this rumored "turboed-up" Accent(not the race car version, with AWD)?
Just fiction?

[hjr]

Do you recall reading articles last year about Kia saying if they hit 300,000 sales per year in USA, they would build a Truck/suv factory in USA, 2 shifts(I read this, if I recall correctly, on Wardsauto,com, and AW last year)?

[Brian Gluckman]

hjr said:

hey, Brian, 3door,cool. Any thing about this rumored "turboed-up" Accent(not the race car version, with AWD)?
Just fiction?

Supposedly, no. I'd imagine it would use the same 2.0T engine shown in the Kia Sport Concept from Paris last year. In that car, it put out 200 hp even. I guess we'll have to wait till November to find out for sure, though.

[Brian Gluckman]

hjr said:

Do you recall reading articles last year about Kia saying if they hit 300,000 sales per year in USA, they would build a Truck/suv factory in USA, 2 shifts(I read this, if I recall correctly, on Wardsauto,com, and AW last year)?

Yep, I remember that. Butterfield said it, IIRC. I assume later in the year, once the Hyundai plant is more up to speed, we might here more about some expansion plans.