New Elantra Spy Shot

[nadepalma]

Found these on a Korean site, should be unveiled in the comming months.



The exterior doesn't show much, but the word is that the car will borrow a lot from the Azera and look more "organic".



The interior looks good; can't tell of the types of materials, but the fit n' finish seems okay. Nice touches like the big 3 spoke steering wheel give it a kind of "sporty" flair. Overall works well.

[Strapping.Young.Lad]

Looks like a normal hyundai interior. They all look the same.

[nadepalma]

With the competition getting tougher and tougher in the market overall, GM needs to make sure they keep the Cobalt (and the Evoke when it debuts) relevant and updated. They can't let their cars languish for years and years like they did the Cavalier and the S-Series. The more they can do the better.

And that goes for the rest of the US auto maufacturers too.

The Neon got old quick and the new Caliber seems to be a solid piece. But they should get the rumored Sedan version of the car to market sooner rather than later so that both cars can appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

The Focus exterior refresh is nice enough (though they should have made it a bit less "Mondeo" looking a more "Fusion" looking) and the interior refresh is much nicer than the old car's swoopy dash -- but a new model is overdue.

I know that the US won't get the European Focus they just started selling last year (too bad), and that the next Focus will have to make due with and updated version of the current platform -- but that isn't necessarily a bad thing cause the current platform is still competitive in the handling and ride department. But the car is due for an overhaul. They can keep the platform and just redo the interior, exterior and offer some new powerplants. Honestly, they could even make the **************** thing look like the European Focus inside and out and just retain the same mechanicals.

Plenty of other companies do this in other markets, like Fiat and Ford in Brazil, Renault (in Korea as Samsung), etc. They have cars in Brazil, like the Fiat Idea, that are based on older car underpinnings (the Palio for the Idea in Brazil) but look almost the same as their European counterparts inside and out (with possibly some cheaper dash materials). It's a pretty good strategy since they get to save money and make thier products align with the parent company. Ford should do this as well. The new Focus is HOT and they should make our version look the same -- even if it can't back it up in the chassis department.

[gmhashope]

I don't like it.

[wpbharry]

There've been better shots over the past year; I just can't remember where - I'm sure it was either in TCC or AutoWeek.

[CD/BP]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

With the competition getting tougher and tougher in the market overall, GM needs to make sure they keep the Cobalt (and the Evoke when it debuts) relevant and updated.

The NG Ion, or Evoke as it may have been named, is no more.

[ElmerMCR]

Originally Posted by CD/BP

The NG Ion, or Evoke as it may have been named, is no more.

What? When did this happen?

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by CD/BP

The NG Ion, or Evoke as it may have been named, is no more.

I know I read that somewhere too, then another source came out and sait it wasn't true -- only that it would possibly delayed from a 2007 entrance to a 2008 entrance.

What has everyone else heard? I read the article about it being back on sometime around Thanksgiving -- if that helps at all.

[CD/BP]

Originally Posted by ElmerMCR

What? When did this happen?

Fairly recent.

Edit: To clarify, yes there was a week or two of confusion over this particular program, but GMX002 is now cancelled.

Started a seperate thread on the GMX002 topic:
Saturn News: Ion Replacement (GMX002) cancelled

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by CD/BP

Fairly recent.

Edit: To clarify, yes there was a week or two of confusion over this particular program, but GMX002 is now cancelled.

Started a seperate thread on the GMX002 topic:
Saturn News: Ion Replacement (GMX002) cancelled

Here was more on this: http://www.saturnfans.com/Cars/Futur...nshelved.shtml

Doesn't say that it's cancelled, but that it's on hiatus. But in all honesty, that was as of December 12th --- who knows what GM is up to or what decision they've come to now. I mean, Zeta and RWD cars were supposed to have been dead a year ago, and we know that it wasn't dead, just on the back burner. So for all we know, the problem with this delay could very well be something logistic an not even product-related.

[01cavalier]

Not sure I like the look around the c-pillar, though the interior picture looks good.

[atomicshark]

Originally Posted by 01cavalier

Not sure I like the look around the c-pillar, though the interior picture looks good.

I agree. The interior looks upscale and the sweep of the side glass around the c-pillar is too ovoid, like a scaled down Taurus. I don't like that.

[GM_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by 01cavalier

Not sure I like the look around the c-pillar, though the interior picture looks good.

Indeed, it looks very...90ish.

[Carver]

The exterior looks like it's shaping up to be a jellybean; I don't like it. But the interior is quite nice - nice center console, okay instruments, and it looks like it'll have good storage too (bottle-holders in the doors).

[Bravada]

Originally Posted by GM_Fanatic

Indeed, it looks very...90ish.

My thoughts, exactly. A proper car, but quite outdated and plain looks. Not much improvement over the current furgettable Elantra. Cerato/Spectra was a better try.

As concerns the Fiat Idea, it's based on the new Gamma, that also underpins the Fiat Grande Punto and the uncoming Corsa. Fiat's cars based on the Palio platform are Palio 3/5-door hatchbacks, Siena sedan, Albea sedan (longer wheelbase version for Eastern Europe and some other markets), Palio Weekend (wagon) and Strada (pick-up).