VIDEO: Bang, Bang, Bang it's the 2012 Hyundai Azera Sedan

Having wow'd us with teaser renderings at first followed shortly after by official real-life photographs, Hyundai continues to build hype around its all-new-2012 Azera before the full reveal by giving the car a promotional role in a South Korean TV drama called "The Fugitive Plan B".

While official information around the new Azera, which will be sold as the Grandeur in its home market, remains scarce, one of our South Korean readers, Jinhwan H. claims that word around local news sites is that the car will be offered locally with a choice of three engines. These include the Sonata's 2.4-liter GDI with 200hp and 184.4lb-ft torque, a 3.0-liter V6 GDI delivering 263hp and 225.7lb-ft torque plus a 3.0-liter LPI running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas with 230hp, 204.7lb-ft torque.

For the North American version there is talk about the 2012 Azera being offered with the 263HP 3.0-liter GDI V6 and a 3.3-liter GDI V6 producing 286HP and 254.6lb-ft torque, with power in both cases being transferred to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

We'll update the story as soon as Hyundai releases official intel.

Thanks to Jinhwan.H for the tip!

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2012 Hyundai Azera - Grandeur: First Official Pictures

Shortly after releasing some teaser renderings of the all-new Azera or Grandeur in South Korea and other markets, Hyundai today dropped the first real life photos of its full size sedan that slots between the Sonata and the Genesis. The pictures were escorted by a South Korean-language press release, but aside from a recap of the car's design features, Hyundai did not reveal any other details on the Azera.

From now, all we know is that the car is based on a front wheel-drive platform and is expected to arrive stateside late next year as the 2012MY Azera. We'll have more information as it comes in.

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Hyundai Teases All-New Azera / Grandeur, Slots Between Sonata and Genesis

Hyundai is getting ready to lift the wraps of its fully redesigned Azera large sedan that will slot between the front-wheel drive Sonata and the rear-wheel drive Genesis when it arrives in dealerships. The automaker released the first teaser sketches of the 2012 Azera, which will be badged as the Grandeur in South Korea and other markets. The styling reflects Hyundai's 'fluidic sculpture' design language taking cues from both the smaller Sonata and larger Genesis with a hint of Equus at the rear with the pronounced rear wheel arches.

Here's how Hyundai describes the new Azera / Grandeur's exterior styling:

"The exterior rendering reflects a `Grand Glide' concept, or an image of a bird gracefully gliding across the sky The front of the car has a bold grille, emphasizing the car's premium look. The side part consists of elegant and flowing lines that exude an overall dynamic image. The rear side conveys a futuristic look through stylish LED lamps and the voluminous wide rear bumper."

The South Korean automaker is keeping a tight lid on the mechanical details and the launch date for now, but it shouldn't be long before we get more news in.

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GM's South Korean Plant First to Produce New Chevy Aveo

General Motor's South Korean Daewoo unit announced today that it will handle initial production of the new Chevrolet Aveo at its local Bupyeong plant in Incheon. The new Aveo will make its debut under the Daewoo brandname in the South Korean market in the first half of 2011 before a global rollout as a Chevrolet.

"GM Daewoo is proud to be the first member of the GM family to produce and sell GM's next-generation global small car," said GM Daewoo President and CEO Mike Arcamone. "With demand for small cars on the rise worldwide, this is great news not only for GM Daewoo and our suppliers, but for Korean consumers as well."

The Detroit automaker has previously stated the North American market Aveo will be built at its Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Mich., in 2011, a move that is said to restore around 1,200 jobs to Southeast Michigan.

The production version of the new Aveo hatchback was given its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show last week.

In European guise, Chevrolet will offer the Aveo with four petrol engines, including two 1.2-liter units delivering 70HP and 86HP, a 100HP 1.4-liter and a 115HP 1.6-liter powerplant, plus a 1.3-liter turbo diesel engine featuring Start/Stop technology that will be available with either 75HP or 90HP.

Chevrolet is also planning to introduce a four-door sedan version of the Aveo, which will most likely make its debut either in LA this November or in Detroit in early January 2011.

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GM Preparing Demo Fleet of 202HP Cruze EVs for South Korea

South Korea is really getting serious about electric vehicles. Following the news last week of a Kia CUV EV to join Hyundai's BlueOn i10, GM has announced it will build a demonstration fleet of battery-powered Chevrolet Cruze sedans from the end of October.

The cars will be deployed in Seoul, with GM planning on testing them in other, unspecified urban markets at a later date. The idea is to test the market needs and consumer acceptance of battery electric vehicles and to gather data on real-world driving patterns and charging behavior.

The demonstration vehicles will be badged both as Daewoos (as the Lacetti Premiere) and Chevrolets (as the Cruze), despite the fact the latter is not sold in South Korea.

The project is a joint venture between GM Daewoo, LG Chem (who make the batteries) and LG Electronics (who make the motor and invertors). GM and LG Chem have been working together since 2008 with this being their second project together after the Chevrolet Volt.

The Cruze EV features an underbody-mounted 31-kwh battery and an electric motor producing 150 kw (equal to 202-horsepower). Tthe demonstration vehicles can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 8.2 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 mph). Tests by LG Chemical estimate that the driving range could be up to 160 km, with a recharge time of 8 to 10 hours on a standard 220 volt outlet.

GM has yet to reveal how many cars will be built or who exactly will be testing them, though these details will probably come with the launch October.

By Tristan Hankins

Korea Wants Better Trade Agreement with US, Should Improve Automobile Sales

The South Korean ambassador to the USA, Han Duk-soo, wants to get more free trade between the States and our peninsular pals in Asia, and President Obama is looking to have the finer details worked out by next year.

To do so, the ambassador is pushing for "business leaders" in Michigan - a state where Hyundai/Kia invests $900 million annually - to support an agreement that could assist both countries in moving some more metal (and fruit). In his own words, American car imports into Korea "can and should be increased a lot more".

The goal of the new agreement is to eliminate the tariffs on American car manufacturers exports to Koreas (8%) while simultaneously cutting the tariff for Korean manufacturers importing cars to States (2.5%, and they already have factories here to partially get around that).

Eliminating the tariff could be a huge benefit for American companies looking to sell in Korea's once-protected market. Also, American grape farmers would benefit, since the little delectables get hit with a 45.5% import tariff.

Never have grapes been so significant to international trade (but don't quote me on that). To solve emissions issues -usually a big international hiccup- Korea would "effectively adopt California's emissions standards".

Raining on everyone's globalized parade is Michigan Rep. Sander Levin, who thinks the agreement needs some more time to marinate: "In its current form, the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement is fundamentally flawed...[It] does not ensure a change in the status quo necessary to bring about meaningful market access and two-way trade in autos and other manufactured goods. This flaw was made clear to the Bush Administration and they rejected a bipartisan congressional proposal to address the flaws during negotiations."

Issues to be addressed include "unfair taxes [and] regulations" that, once changed, will have to be monitored and enforced.

Another issue not brought up is being able to overcome the national pride purchase factor (very similar to Japan), so a lot is still up in the air. Would more "American" cars in a unique niche (like the Mustang, Camaro, some SUVs, etc.) be popular over there? If any of our Korean readers/residents have some input on that, let us know.

By Phil Alex

Source: Detroit News

Hyundai Officially Confirms U.S. Sales of New Elantra at the End of 2010 - Plus New Gallery with 42 Photos

Hyundai has finally confirmed what's been rumored for months; that the all-new 2011 Avante saloon, the predecessor of which we came to know as the Elantra, is heading to North American shores.

"The new compact sedan will also make its way to overseas markets including U.S. starting the end of the year," Hyundai said in an official statement, without disclosing any more details. Unless the company changes its plans, expect to see Hyundai's baby Sonata making its first public outing in the States at the Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November.

Hyundai said that domestic deliveries of the new Avante, which went on sale in South Korea today priced from 14.9 million Won to 18.9 million Won (US$12,700 to US$16,100 based on today's currency exchange rates), are expected to reach 83,000 units by the end of the year, and surpass 125,000 cars in 2011.

The company added it expects to sell as much as 400,000 examples of the Avante / Elantra in overseas markets from 2012.

In South Korea, the 2011 Elantra is powered by a 1.6-liter four-banger with direct-injection delivering 140-horsepower and 171Nm or 126.5 lb-ft of peak torque, matted to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission.

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