24hcar: Korea

Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts

First Korean Supercar gets ready for Launch

Posted by Mr Dung Monday, June 14, 2010

The Spirra is almost here. South Korea is about to introduce its first supercar, nine years after the Proto Motors PS-II prototype was first revealed to the press. After navigating through rough seas, including being bought out by a company called the Oullim Group, Proto Motors (now Oullim Motors) is confident of a 2010 summer market introduction.

Maximum power will come from a V6 motor with four different outputs. At its meekest, it will produce 129kW (173 bhp/ 175 PS) and torque of 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) at 6,000rpm. The second configuration features a small turbo that helps it push 243 kW (325 bhp / 330 PS) and 471 Nm (347 lb-ft). At the third-highest level is a power output of between 294 kW (395 bhp/ 400 PS) and 309 kW (414 bhp/ 420 PS), assisted by a bigger turbo. Peak torque for this engine is 490 Nm (361 lb-ft).

The most powerful of them all is persuaded by two turbos encouraging between 331 kW (444 bhp/ 450 PS) and 368kW (493 bhp/ 500 PS). The maximum torque is 539 Nm (398 lb-ft). Drive is through the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox. At its quickest it goes from 0 - 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. Top speeds range from 212 km/h to 310 km/h.

Road grip is provided by 225/40R 19 front and 275/40R 19 rear tyres. The Spirra has a mid-engine layout and is constructed by hand.

The body is made from carbon fibre, enclosing a tubular spaceframe. It is all lightweight but very stiff at the same time. The Korean auto industry does not yet have a well-developed supercar heritage and as such, these manufacturing technologies are not common for the general market.

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Kia Optima Details Released in New York

Posted by Mr Dung Saturday, April 3, 2010

[WCF]

The all-new 2011 Kia Optima (aka Magentis in Europe and K5 in South Korea) was introduced to the public this week at the New York Auto Show. Built on an all-new platform, the four-door will be sold in three different power levels.

In its base model form, the sedan will use a 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder engine, but customers wanting more power can opt for a 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI. Also seen on the new Hyundai Sonata 2.0T, the engine produces 274 horsepower (204 kW / 278 PS) and a healthy 269 ft-lb of torque. Those who purchase the LX trim will be allowed to choose between the Sportmatic six-speed auto transmission and a six-speed manual. All others get the Sportmatic gearbox.

A 2.4-liter engine will also be used for the Optima Hybrid, which will be introduced later in 2011. This will be Kia's first-ever hybrid model for the U.S. market.

Measuring 190.7-inches long by 110-inches wide, the new Kia Optima is 1.7-inches longer than the previous version, and 2.9-inches wider. It features a MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear suspension with front-mounted anti-roll bars.

The car's renewed exterior was designed by engineers in Frankfurt, Germany, and Irvine, California. It was meant to have a more "dynamic and streamlined profile," to give the lower-cost brand's vehicle a more elegant look. The deeper curve at the end of the roofline, and the items like wrap-around taillights, also gives the car a sporty appearance.

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2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Announced - Twin-Scroll Turbocharger and Direct Injection

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, April 2, 2010

[CF]

Hyundai wheeled out the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T alongside the Sonata Hybrid at the New York Auto Show. The car uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder direct injection engine that produces 274 horsepower (204 kW / 278 PS) and up to 269 ft-lb of torque.

With the reduced-lag twin-scroll turbocharger, the car manages 22mpg in the city, and 34mpg on the highway. The 2.0-liter turbo engine is available on the SE trim as well as the Limited. Stepping up to the limited gets the buyer 18-inch alloys, dual exhaust, panoramic sunroof, and paddle shifters.

Sprint times were not divulged.

"The Sonata 2.0T is a great example of what our Blue Drive product strategy is doing for consumers," said Hyundai America president John Krafcik. He emphasised that Hyundai is uncompromising, and the Sonata 2.0T proves it with "more horsepower than any of our V6 competitors, with better gas mileage than any competitive 4-cylinder model."

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T is a part of the automaker's plan to release seven new models over the next two years.

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Receives its First Recall Only Two Weeks After U.S. Launch

Posted by Mr Dung Wednesday, February 24, 2010

[Autonews]

Hyundai's all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata just got hit with its first recall (at 2 weeks into US sales, it probably just wants to get one under its belt like the big boys), forcing the little-Korean-that-could to put a "halt sales" order out on all models being sold in South Korea and the United States.
The cause: front door lock mechanisms are screwing up. When front passengers try to open their door from inside the car while also holding the lock button (I assume it's like trying to lock the doors as you're trying to get out of the car... weird), the inside door handle / latch mechanism sticks in the "pulled" or open position; this prevents the door from being able to properly shut.
Apparently pressing the lock button again rectifies the situation, but Hyundai has already decided to get the NHTSA involved and alert customers.
"Anything to do with door latches warrants a recall," Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson said. New parts are arriving in dealerships now, and the fix should not take more than an hour.

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Subaru to Start Selling Cars in South Korea

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, January 21, 2010

Even though Kia and Hyundai are present in most countries around the world, you'll be surprised of the number of automakers that are absent from the South Korean market for one reason (import taxes) or another (legislation).

Subaru is one of them, but that's going to change soon as the Japanese automaker announced today that it is joining Toyota in South Korea's recovering market for imported cars. The company said that that sales of Subaru-brand vehicles will start from April in the country working through its local distributor, Subaru Korea Co., Ltd.

The automaker's range will initially comprise of the Legacy, Outback and Forester. Unfortunately for Subaru fans in South Korea, the Impreza series, and by that, we actually mean the WRX and STI, won't be offered.

Subaru's newly formed Korean division said that it has set an initial sales target of a mere 600 units in the first year but aims to increase that number to 3,000 units by 2015.

The company stated that it is the process of developing its own dealer network and is planning to open Subaru outlets first in Seoul and Pusan and then to other metropolitan areas in South Korea.

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Kia Records 53% Increase in Global Sales in November, 17.3% Plus YTD

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, December 11, 2009

The global recession doesn't seem strong enough to stop Kia's momentum as the South Korean automaker announced today that global sales figures for passenger cars and commercial vehicles for November 2009 have recorded a total of 152,826 units sold. This represents an increase of 53.2 per cent over the same month a year ago.

Hyoung-Keun Lee, President Kia Motors Corporation, said: "November has proven to be another tremendously successful month for Kia. This month we saw growth across all markets and we will seek to continue to satisfy customers with our ongoing rollout of new, stylish and fuel efficient products, including the recently launched Cadenza."

Hyundai's sister company said that during the first eleven months of the year (from January through November), the firm's global sales increased by 17.0 per cent year-on-year to 1,489,204 units.

Kia's highest gains during the first eleven months of the year were in China as the company recorded a 65.2 per cent increase with 221,722 units sold to date.

In other markets, Kia saw a YTD sales increase of 26.8 per cent (366,229 units sold) in Korea, 14.7 per cent (275,105 units sold) in general markets and 9.5 per cent (322,488 units sold) in North America.

In 2009, the firm's best selling model in international markets has been the C-segment Forte, also known as Spectra or Cerato in certain markets, with 269,864 units sold.

The Forte is followed by the B-segment Rio and Sportage 4x4 with 159,385 and 157,312 units sold respectively, while the European only Cee'd comes in Forth with 114,498 units sold.

The Korean firm's range (depending on the market) will be enhanced with new models in 2010 including the recently revealed Cadenza mid-size sedan and the Venga mini MPV.

Via Carscoop

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Kia's K9 Supercar Class Sedan Teaser Sketch Revealed

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Thanks to a 24HCAR reader simply named SW, we now have a picture of what is probably Kia's entrée into the luxury sports sedan segment. Kia's chief designer Peter Schreyer reportedly unveiled this sketch of a car referred to as K9 at a design conference near Seoul last Friday.

Schreyer, best known for designing the original Audi TT when he was still at Audi, is said to have compared the car's design prowess to that of the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. Kia's plans do include a luxury sedan codenamed the CH, which is scheduled for launch around 2011 and is the sister car to Hyundai's Genesis sedan (codenamed BH). Contrary to Korean media reports that the K9 is in the same league as the Equus, speculation is that this sketch is actually the smaller CH.

Rumoured engines include a petrol V8 for markets like the US in addition to those already used by the Genesis. It could also sport an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Via aboutca

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2011 Hyundai Sonata Makes N.A. Debut at LA Show, Gets 2.4L, 2.0L Turbo and Hybrid Powertrains

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, December 4, 2009

The much anticipated and talked about 2011 Hyundai Sonata made its North American premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The all-new mid-size sedan (although EPA classifies it as a large sedan) represents a dramatic departure from the previous generation Sonata models both in terms of design and technology.

Despite the fact that the sixth-generation Sonata is aimed price-wise at the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevy Malibu, its so-called 'four-door coupe' styling with the sleek roofline and sculptured body surfaces brings it closer to the likes of the VW Passat CC.

And even if the design is not to everyone's taste, few will disagree that it offers the Sonata what the previous models lacked: personality.

The same can be said about the interior that's distinguished by the swoopy lines of the dashboard and the deeply set gauges of the instrument panel.

At 189.8 in (4,820mm) long, 72.2 in. (1,835mm) wide and 57.9 in. (1,470mm) tall with a wheelbase of 110 in. (2,795mm), the new Sonata is slightly longer and wider but a tad lower than the current model.

Surprisingly, 2011 Sonata is 130 pounds lighter than the existing model thanks to several weight saving measures such as the increased use of aluminum in the four-wheel independent suspension system and the ultra-high-strength steel in the body.

Furthermore, according to Hyundai, the new Sonata is 25 percent stiffer in torsion and 19 percent stiffer in bending rigidity than its predecessor.

When the 2011 Sonata goes on sale in the States in January 2010, it will be offered with Hyundai's newly developed Theta II GDI 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection that makes 198 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. In the SE trim, which includes a standard dual exhaust, the engine delivers 200 horsepower.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control.

Hyundai estimates that the automatic version will get 23mpg in the city and 35mpg on the highway, beating all of its four-cylinder competitors in the U.S.the debut of the 2.4-liter version in the States

While there are no current plans for a V6 model in the States, in the second half of 2010, Hyundai will add a 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged GDI four-cylinder engine and a 2.4-liter Hybrid Blue Drive model featuring the firm's lithium polymer battery pack. The Korean automaker said that more details about these powertrains will be released at the 2010 New York Auto Show in April.

Depending on the model trim, the new Sonata will be offered with various goodies including a high-end Infinity audio system with a 400-watt amplifier and a touch screen navigation system.