Category Archives: JohnKrafcik

Hyundai pledges to hit 40 mpg with 2012 Veloster, beat out Honda CR-Z

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Filed under: Coupe , Budget , Hybrid , Honda , Hyundai 2012 Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery At a media breakfast in Los Angeles this morning, Hyundai Motor America president John Krafcik let slip that the Korean automaker expects to breach the 40 miles-per-gallon barrier with its forthcoming small sports coupe. Conveniently, if they can reach that performance target, that would best the new 2011 Honda CR-Z , which, despite its hybrid powertrain, achieves just 36/39 city/highway when equipped with a CVT and 31/37 with a manual gearbox. The as-yet-unnamed Hyundai coupe (the nameplates Veloster and Tiburon are still up for discussion) will achieve those figures with a conventional four-cylinder engine, eschewing the added cost, complexity and weight of a gas-electric system. Likening the forthcoming model to a long-distance runner, Krafcik promises that not only will this Hyundai best the Honda in fuel economy, it will also deliver better performance as well as added utility (read: rear seats and better access).

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Hyundai pledges to hit 40 mpg with 2012 Veloster, beat out Honda CR-Z

Hyundai pledges to hit 40 mpg with 2012 Veloster, beat out Honda CR-Z

Posted on by
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Filed under: Coupe , Budget , Hybrid , Honda , Hyundai 2012 Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery At a media breakfast in Los Angeles this morning, Hyundai Motor America president John Krafcik let slip that the Korean automaker expects to breach the 40 miles-per-gallon barrier with its forthcoming small sports coupe. Conveniently, if they can reach that performance target, that would best the new 2011 Honda CR-Z , which, despite its hybrid powertrain, achieves just 36/39 city/highway when equipped with a CVT and 31/37 with a manual gearbox. The as-yet-unnamed Hyundai coupe (the nameplates Veloster and Tiburon are still up for discussion) will achieve those figures with a conventional four-cylinder engine, eschewing the added cost, complexity and weight of a gas-electric system. Likening the forthcoming model to a long-distance runner, Krafcik promises that not only will this Hyundai best the Honda in fuel economy, it will also deliver better performance as well as added utility (read: rear seats and better access)

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Hyundai pledges to hit 40 mpg with 2012 Veloster, beat out Honda CR-Z

Hyundai CEO reveals reason for Equus, explains why it’s no VW Phaeton

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Filed under: Sedan , Marketing/Advertising , Hyundai , Luxury 2011 Hyundai Equus – Click above for high-res image gallery Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik is rarely one to hold back his opinions, and today’s topic of discussion is marque’s upcoming Equus luxury flagship. Hyundai has moved up in the automotive ranks so quickly over the past 15 years that many people have wondered if the brand is overreaching with the Equus. Krafcik addresses the obvious comparison to the U.S.

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Hyundai CEO reveals reason for Equus, explains why it’s no VW Phaeton

Kia K9 super sedan sneak peeked in Seoul

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Filed under: Sedan , Kia , Design/Style , Luxury , South Korea When the Volkswagen Phaeton launched here in the States, nobody liked it. Well, that’s not true. Every journalist we know who drove the mighty VW went on and on about how it’s probably actually the greatest car in the world (especially all decked out with a W12 engine) and how the HVAC system is a full generation ahead of the competition (you can’t beat in-car radiators!) and how the seats so awesomely massaged their fat butts. That said, it was still a terrible car in terms of branding, marketing, etc.

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Kia K9 super sedan sneak peeked in Seoul