2011 Detroit Show: Hyundai's Curb Small Crossover Concept

Sharing the spotlight with the Veloster coupe at Hyundai's Detroit motorshow stand is the Curb, a conceptual study for a small crossover model positioned under the Tucson. Labeled by Hyundai as a compact Urban Activity Vehicle (UAV), the Curb is aimed at young city dwellers.

Penned by the designers at Hyundai's California studio, the Curb's styling is said to have evolved from the firm's “Fluidic Sculpture” design language seen on the latest Sonata and Elantra.
“We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink's truck,” said Jason Brown, Hyundai designer. City driving was going to be its forte, not crossing the Rubicon trail, but we wanted it to have urban armor for daily driving on city streets. It needed to empower its passengers in this setting.”
Another Hyundai designer, Arash Badeanlou boldly stated “The world has never seen lines like this on a car before," adding "it is as if the architect Santiago Calatrava inspired it.”
The Curb, which is the seventh vehicle (hence the HCD-12 codename) to be designed at the company’s California Design Center, is motivated by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection tech, mated to Hyundai's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) [wonder what the VW Group has to say about the abbreviation...]. The force-fed motor develops 175 horsepower and 169 lb. ft. of torque. Hyundai said that by adding Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology, the Curb would deliver 30+ mpg in the city and 40+ mpg on the highway.

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Hyundai Rolls Out 2012 Grandeur / Azera in Korea, Releases Video Showing the Car's Evolution from 1986

Hyundai has been advertising the all-new generation of its Grandeur for quite some time now, but today, the automaker officially launched the large sedan in its home market. The new Grandeur, which will be badged as the 2012 Azera in the States, arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005.

Codenamed HG, the 2012 Grandeur is result of three-and-a-half years and 450 billion won (about US$415 million) of research, development and testing. Positioned between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan, the new Grandeur measures 4,910mm (193.3") long, 1,860mm (73.2") wide and 1,470mm (57.9") tall. It rides on a 2,845mm-long (112") wheelbase, which is 65mm (2.6") longer than the outgoing model.

The South Korean market model is offered with a choice of two gasoline engines, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder Theta II GDI with 201-horsepower and a new 3.0-liter V6 Lambda II GDI producing 270-horsepower. Both engines are linked to a standard six-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

The new Grandeur comes with a suite of safety systems including VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), plus a standard nine-airbag system that includes a driver’s knee airbag.

Other notable features include Hyundai's Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which automatically keeps a safe distance from a car ahead and provides automatic stop and restart functions in response to traffic flow, and a Smart Parking Assist System that utilizes a sensor to measure parallel parking spaces, controlling the steering wheel to semi-automatically park the car.

Hyundai said it aims to sell 100,000 units of the Grandeur this year (80,000 in the domestic market and 20,000 outside of Korea) and 120,000 units in 2012 when the car arrives in more markets.

The South Korean automaker has not yet provided details on the North American market Azera.

Along with some new photos, Hyundai also released a video showing the evolution of the Grandeur / Azera from the presentation of the first generation in 1986 to the current fifth gen model.

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Hyundai Confirms New Veloster Coupe for Australian Market

The all-new Hyundai Veloster revealed at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit earlier this week will make its way to Australia, the South Korean automaker announced today. Hyundai said it still working on the timing of the launch but added that it will most likely go on sale in Australia towards the end of the year with details of Australian specification and pricing to be revealed at a later date.

In North America, the new Veloster will be available with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with direct-injection pushing out 138-horsepower. Power is transferred to the front-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional double clutch transmission.

Unlike the MINI Clubman, Hyundai has confirmed that the Veloster will have the single rear door placed on the left-hand side for right-hand-drive markets such as Australia and the UK.

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VIDEO: First Look at the 2012 Hyundai Veloster Coupe on the Road

On Monday, we got our first taste of the all-new 2012 Hyundai Veloster at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, we have the first video footage of Hyundai's unconventional small sports car, which is distinguished by its asymmetric body with a single door on the driver's side, two doors on the other and a rear hatch.

Power for the front-wheel drive Veloster comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 138-ponies, hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a double clutch transmission. Hit the break to watch the first video of the Veloster on the road with some bonus handbrake/slideways action towards the end of the clip.

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2012 Hyundai Veloster Debuts in Detroit, Eyes Honda CR-Z, Scion tC and MINI

[Updated Photo Gallery] What started out as the Veloster concept model at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show has come to life as a production model at this week's 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unlike most other production models that tend to be more conventional than their conceptual siblings, Hyundai's Veloster is actually more outlandish than the 2007 design study thanks to its asymmetric layout with a single door on the driver's side and two conventional doors on the passenger-side.

Hyundai is bullish about the Veloster's rivals as the company released several comparison charts pitting the small coupe against the 2011 Honda CR-Z, Scion tC, Mini Hardtop and Mini Clubman.

According to the South Koreans, the Veloster’s total interior volume of 105.3 cubic feet beats all the aforementioned models, while the automaker also notes that at just 2,584 pounds, its small coupe is more than 400 pounds lighter than the Scion tC.

The company claims the Veloster's exterior design takes inspiration from a high-performance sport bike, while inside, the center stack and controls are said to resemble a sport bike fuel tank and incorporate an available push-button starter. Hyundai added that the air vents are inspired by motorcycle tailpipes, while the floor console mirrors the seat of a bike.

The Veloster rides on a 104.3-inch wheelbase, with an overall length of 166.1 inches and width of 70.5 inches.

At launch and at least in North America, Hyundai's compact offering will be offered with an all-new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine featuring Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology. It produces an estimated peak output of 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and maximum torque of 123 lb.-ft. at 4,850 rpm, and can combined with a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an all-new, six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) developed by Hyundai.

The South Korean automaker said the Veloster will return an estimated highway fuel economy of up to 40 mpg.

More details including pricing and availability are to be announced soon.

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