Future Cars: Hyundai/Kia

[Infiniti Z350]

HYUNDAI

The 2006 Azera shows Hyundai's upscale ambitions are about to get serious. The name comes from "the era of A to Z" or A-Z-E-R-A, but it also recalls the French word "azure" - the color of blue skies, an optimistic color that reflects Hyundai's focus on the future. Compared to the 2005 XG350, the Azera is longer and wider, and rides on a wheelbase stretched 1.1 inches longer than that on the XG350. The interior also benefits from the increased exterior dimensions, as it is larger than its predecessor, and has more interior room than the BMW 760i and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. A new aluminum 3.8-liter V-6 engine under the hood delivers an estimated 265 hp, more ponies than the Ford Five Hundred and the Buick LaCrosse. It is also environmentally friendly, as it is projected to achieve Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) certification levels. It's coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control. A four-wheel independent suspension is new, as are the freshly styled alloy wheels.

Hyundai also has a new entry-level Accent for 2006. With great styling and crisp modern lines, the new Accent is bigger than the outgoing model: it's longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing '05 model. It comes with a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 110 hp and 107 lb-ft torque, coupled to a five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic tranny. Standard equipment includes six airbags. And of course, the new Accent comes equipped with Hyundai's limited powertrain coverage of 10 years or 100,000 miles, plus their limited bumper-to-bumper coverage for five years or 60,000 miles, plus their 24-hour roadside assistance for five years as well.

COMING: After production of the new Sonata ramps up at the new Hyundai plant in Alabama, a new Santa Fe will be added to the assembly line. With the new Hyundai Tucson filling the role of compact SUV in the model lineup, Hyundai is now free to grow the Santa Fe in size and move it up to compete with larger SUVs like the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. The increased size will allow the Santa Fe to have a third row of seats for the first time. The new Santa Fe will be built on a platform that is shared with the new Hyundai Sonata sedan. Styling is all-new and ditches the quirky looks of the current Santa Fe in favor of a modern, bold look with a very large, forward-sloping grille. Fenders sweep back towards the front wheels, making the front end more rounded and adding emphasis to the grille.

Hyundai is interested in fielding a crossover vehicle for its lineup, and the recent Portico concept could be a strong indicator of how the Korean carmaker would style such a vehicle. A crossover with six seats, the Portico could be drawn from the Sonata platform. Designed with the U.S. market in mind, the Portico has staggered middle seats in both rows that fold down, so as few as two seats can be reserved for passengers, leaving a big cargo area in back. The Portico sports a new V-6 engine, a six-speed Shiftronic automatic and is hybrid-capable with the electric motors providing all-wheel drive.

COMING: Hyundai gets a version of the new Kia Sedona minivan for the 2007 model year. A new Elantra should arrive in 2008.


KIA

The next Kia Sedona arrives as a 2006 model, with its aim set squarely at the class leaders, the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The cleanly styled Sedona is built from a new platform which it will share with Hyundai, as that brand offers its first minivan in the fall. The Sedona brings a new 3.8-liter V-6 with approximately 240 horsepower and a five-speed automatic to the party, besting many entries and slightly shy of Honda's Odyssey engine. Kia promises 15 percent more passenger room as well as an easily accessible third-row seat that's split 60/40 and folds flat into the floor. Standard curtain airbags protect all three rows of passengers, and anti-lock brakes are also on the standard equipment list. Even with a lighter structure, Kia expects five-star safety ratings from U.S. safety agencies. Pricing won't be announced until later in the year.

A new Rio and Rio5 will be in dealer showrooms by the fall. Like the Rio four-door, the 5 is taller, wider and shorter than the last Rio lineup, and the new five-door model gets only the 1.6-liter four-cylinder in the U.S. market. Kia execs promise two trim levels, manual or automatic transmission, and an extensive range of option packages.

COMING: Kia executives talk with misty eyes about the potential for a seven-seater SUV and a Ridgeline-sized pickup truck. Both vehicles would likely be built in North America, once the brand convinces HQ that it can sell enough vehicles to jsutify expanding Hyundai's new plant. The SUV could look much like the KCD-II Mesa concept shown at recent auto shows; with a long 116-inch wheelbase and huge 22-inch wheels, the Mesa aims to combine generous interior space with stable handling. The Mesa is powered by the same 3.5-liter V-6 as the Sorento SUV, and would be available with either two- or four-wheel drive, though a five-speed automatic transmission. The four-wheel drive version has an Active Torque transfer system that can go from 100 percent rear-drive to a 50/50 split.

The pickup, meanwhile, would be formed around the concepts shown in Chicago this year with the Mojave pickup concept. The Kia Sorento-based truck is near production ready, but no existing Hyundai production facility is "suitable" to build it, according to Kia Motors of America CEO Peter Butterfield. Hyundai Motor Co, which owns Kia, opened its Alabama plant in late May. Butterfield says that "it's only logical to make (the truck) in America because of import taxes," but Hyundai has given Butterfield no commitment to making room for Kia's truck in Alabama.

Link: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enth...283.A8373.html