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Hyundai Unveils New 2006 Accent Hybrid

Click below for Link :
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/hyundai_unveils.php

Terry

Looks interesting. Who knows. It could be my next car. That is of course depending on how much trunk space it has for 'lectronics.

Hi Tiger:

___I spoke with a Hyundai rep at the Chicago Autoshow and he offered absolutely nothing in regards to their hybrid initiatives? At $15 - $16K for an Accent Hybrid, they most certainly could make a splash both here in the states and even around the world!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Tiger:

___I spoke with a Hyundai rep at the Chicago Autoshow and he offered absolutely nothing in regards to their hybrid initiatives? At $15 - $16K for an Accent Hybrid, they most certainly could make a splash both here in the states and even around the world!

___Good Luck

___Wayne
xcel;

This was interesting to me, because we are a Chevy Dealer and a Hyundai Dealer. Separate Facilities but both under the same Owners. So I want to see how Hyundai does with this Hybrid.

Just another comment here on Hyundai cars. I just test drove a New Hyundai Sonata and believe me when I say this. It was just as quite and nice as the Accord. Fit and Finish was Perfect. Very nice car. The Warranty is Fantastic.

Terry

Hi Tiger:

___The new Sonata sure does look good and it is rated as a Full size vs. Mid-size like the Accord, Fusion, and Camry. Talk about sneaking one in under the radar screen ;) Their ICE tech has increased mightily as well to compete in the HP and FE arena with the best that America and Japan have to offer. Not bad for a company known for buy backs and broken promises not 5 + years ago …

___In any case, you might want to read the following head to head reviews. I am surprised and very happy to see the Ford Fusion competing with the Best-in-Class Accord as well. I can’t wait to get behind the windscreen of an 08 Fusion Hybrid as it might be the real sleeper of late 2007 :D

Comparison Test: Hyundai Sonata Takes on the Accord and Camry (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=106434/pageId=64745) and Mid-Size Four-Door Sedans (http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=10245)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Was in Chicago this past week, not a good trip as it was for a funeral but they had us in a Hyundai Sonata. It had a V6 and without any hypermiling we were getting 30 mpg with the a/c on. I looked this car up after we got back to Houston and the sticker for it is like 22,000 for the top of the line one. With this price and just thinking if I had used hypermiling I can see why the HAH isn't making it! IMHO. Wonder what car we'll get since we're going back this next week. kevin

That's so funny -- that was my car till January when I bought the HCH-II. I still have it but daughter home from college will drive it now. It was a pretty good car and yes the V6 has great zip. I don't recall the mileage since I didn't even track it but 30mpg sounds in the ballpark.

I agree what you get is great value for the money. Standard warranty is better than most too. Mine was a 2003 when Hyundai was just coming out of their quality slide and I'm not sure my car got the benefit. The moonroof had to be replaced in the first 3 months and the transmission last year (under warranty, no cost). The paint is peeling around the mirror and handles too.

Coincidentally yesterday I had to drive the Sonata for the first time in 5 months. I felt liberated from the nagging hybrid gauges, but found the hybrid driving habits took right over so they seem to have dug long tap roots within a fairly short time. I was relieved to go back to my car today.

yeah the sonata 5spd with the 4 cyliner engine was my dream car for awhile. Best value ever to hit the car market.

The New 2006 Hyundai Sonata is a {Great-Bargain} with one of the Best-Warranties in the Industry.

We are a Hyundai Dealer along with a completely separate Chevy Dealership that I work for.

I thought about getting the 2006 Hyundai myself. Then as usual I just cannot tear myself away from those doggone (Hondas). So here I am with another Honda. The HCH II and as always when I have purchased the Hondas over the years
I "LOVE-IT". :D

There is just No-Hope for me. Hondas-Hondas-Hondas-Hondas-Hondas-Hondas and Terry goes to sleep counting those Hondas. :p

Terry

The Honda Nut

Dollar For Dollar, Hyundai Accent Is Hard To Beathttp://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/nothing.gif

By Steven Cole Smith, The Sentinelhttp://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/ico_graph.gif (http://www.theday.com/re_stats.aspx?re=353755a1-b5c5-4793-8aa3-616d70a33abe)http://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/nothing.gifPublished on 9/16/2006 in Wheels (http://www.theday.com/news/auto.aspx) » Wheels National (http://www.theday.com/news/auto.aspx)

http://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/nothing.gifhttp://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/nothing.gifHyundai's entry-level car received a redesign for 2006, and though the trend these past few years seems to be toward making little, cheap cars larger and more expensive, Hyundai pretty much kept the Accent what it has been since 1994: a little, cheap car, albeit one that offers a lot of value for the money. And though it is larger and more expensive than the model it replaces, the increase in size and price isn't substantial.

Not that long ago, the Accent's main competitor was not so much other inexpensive new cars, but compact cars that were a year or two old. Hyundai raised the stakes — and sales of its cars as a result — with a best-in-industry warranty that continues today: a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and 24-hour roadside assistance for five years.


Because it's assumed that Accent buyers are not rich — otherwise, why would they buy an Accent? — a lengthy new-car warranty gave customers far more peace of mind than you would get from a used-car dealer.

That warranty is what put the Accent on the radar of many customers, but Hyundai has continued to upgrade the car substantially. The 2006 (and the 2007, for that matter) sedan comes in just one model, the GLS, with your main decision being a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. Base price of the manual is $12,455, and for the automatic — like our test car — $13,305. Shipping is $540. Air conditioning is $800.

Otherwise, the Accent GLS is pretty well-equipped: You get anti-lock disc brakes, side and side-curtain air bags, a tilt steering wheel and a 172-watt, six-speaker stereo with a CD player. All I'd really want extra is cruise control, which isn't offered.
All that said, this is still an entry-level car. The Accent's 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine has 110 horsepower, up from 104 in 2005, but it isn't the smoothest engine in its size category. With the automatic transmission, power is more than adequate, but the harder you accelerate, the more you are reminded that this isn't a Honda Civic. Fuel mileage, at an EPA-rated 28 miles per gallon city, 36 mpg highway, is on par with cars this size. Get the manual transmission, and mileage is 32 mpg city, 35 mpg highway.

Inside, the trim, gauges and upholstery do not look at all downmarket. Front seats could use a little more padding, but they're fine as they are. Rear-seat room is tight for adults, but they'll fit, and kids will be quite comfortable. Trunk space is big for a car this size. A hatchback version is available as a 2007 model, though under the skin, both models are essentially the same.

On the highway, the ride isn't bad, but even though the '06 Accent is 1.8 inches longer and an inch wider than it was in 2005, you are still in one of the smallest cars on the road, and it takes nothing more than a passing 18-wheeler to remind you. Handling isn't bad, limited mostly by a very basic suspension and smallish tires. A premium “sport” package is offered with several features — none sporty — but you do get bigger tires and alloy wheels.

The Accent's main new-car competition is its cousin, the Kia Rio, which shares many of the mechanical bits and pieces. Dollar for dollar, though, the Accent is very hard to beat. It's nobody's idea of a dream ride, but it's cheap enough so that you might have money left over to pursue some other, non-automotive dreams. http://www.theday.com/gbl/media/images/misc06/ico_endstory.gif

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http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=353755a1-b5c5-4793-8aa3-616d70a33abe

i think i got a hyundai as a rental car one time on a vacation, and i thought they were pretty decent. as far as comparing it to kia......my sister has a kia and it's a piece of junk, as far as i'm concerned. it LOOKS cheap... and is.

i rather buy a used hybrid for the same price, but that's just me.

Hyundais you have to commit to them if your going to buy them, selling them is such a big depreciation hit.

“The biggest obstacle we have in developing hybrids is not technology but cost.” (http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200703/200703230026.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Hyundai_Motors_-_Engineers_Testing_Hybrids.jpgChosun Ilbo - Mar. 23, 2007

Researchers at Hyundai Motor’s Namyang Technology Research Center test components that will be used in its hybrid cars.

Lee Ki-sang, the head of the hybrid vehicle team at Hyundai Motor’s Namyang Technology Research Center, is confident about the future of Korea’s hybrid car. “We can develop a hybrid car that is way better than Honda’s by 2009,” he says. “Korea has battery manufacturers included in the world’s top 10 and boasts the most advanced electronics technology. Because we are working with such companies, I am confident that we’ll make a great achievement.”

Hybrid cars are energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that combine an on-board rechargeable battery and a gasoline-powered engine. Japanese car makers such as Honda and Toyota dominate over 90 percent of the global hybrid market, while Hyundai is only at a stage where it is test-producing some vehicles for government use.

Getting ready to compete with Japan

The Namyang Technology Research Center is where all the work on Hyundai's hybrid vehicles is taking place. Concerned about security, Hyundai has never shown the center to the public before. Entering the lab, one can see some 100 researchers working at their computers or various testing devices in an open space of around 1,000 sq.m. The core component of a hybrid car is the hybrid control unit (HCU) that controls all vehicle systems including the engine, power and brake systems. Some researchers were testing the HCU with high-tech devices with three or four computer monitors. Others were testing Japanese and Korean vehicles in a workshop.

Hyundai plans to produce 3,390 hybrid cars for the government by 2008 and start commercial sales from 2009 with its Avante Hybrid, which is one of the models being tested at the workshop. The Avante Hybrid will be Hyundai's flagship in the category, which it plans to sell both at home and in the U.S. where it will compete with the Honda Civic Hybrid.

Technology Works, Now Hyundai Must Lower Hybrid Prices

Although Hyundai Motor started its hybrid project in 1997, it didn't take the idea seriously because the company thought the vehicles would be quickly replaced by hydrogen fuel-cell cars. But favorable sales of Japanese hybrids in the U.S. and movements in North America and Europe to tighten regulations on carbon dioxide emissions prompted the company to change its mind.

Having already supplied Click Hybrid vehicles to the government in 2004, Hyundai has proved that its technology is as good as Japan’s. The problem is the price tag. “The biggest obstacle we have in developing hybrids is not technology but cost,” Lee says. “We still can’t procure parts like motors, inverters and batteries as cheaply as the Japanese car makers.”

As a result, Hyundai wants all its core components to be Korean-made by 2009. “It’s not easy to develop car batteries that can endure high temperatures and absorb a strong impact,” a team member says. “But we’ll do our best to produce hybrid cars with Korean-made components, so that we can enhance our competitiveness.”

I've never been a fan of Hyndai's cars, but any new hybrid is a good one.

I would definitely give a hyundai hybrid a chance. They have great warranties and lately the quality is among the best.

“Fundamentally, you don’t get a payback on a hybrid.” (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/BUSINESS/70405031/1014/BUSINESS01)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Hyundai_Getz.jpgJustin Hyde - Detroit Free Press - April 5, 2007

Hyundai Getz - European Diesel equipped while Euro rated at 42.8 mpg Urban/60.1 mpg Extra Urban.

NEW YORK - Hyundai may offer diesel engines across its U.S. lineup of cars and trucks as an alternative to gasoline-electric hybrids if it can clear cost and technical hurdles, the automaker said Thursday.

Steve Wilhite, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America, said while Hyundai was developing its own hybrid technology, diesels made better financial sense for its customers.

“The highest priority on my personal wish list is bringing our diesel technology to the United States, and I’d like to bring that across all of our products,” Wilhite said in an interview at the New York Auto Show.

“It just seems like a much more elegant solution to me than a hybrid.”

Every major automaker has been working on new diesel models for the United States as the federal government has finalized strict new emissions rules and lawmakers consider tougher fuel economy standards. Honda Motor Co. has said it will offer a new diesel engine in 2009, and German automakers have been promising several diesel variants.

Wilhite, who had been global marketing manager for Nissan before taking the Hyundai post in August, said if a diesel option costs about $1,000, it would pay for itself in fuel savings. Diesels and hybrids can post 40% better fuel efficiency than gasoline engines in some vehicles, but hybrids cost $2,000 to $3,000 more than standard models.

“Fundamentally, you don’t get a payback on a hybrid,” Wilhite said. “In a diesel, you more than cover the premium.”

Wilhite also said while Toyota Motor Co. has been successful with its Prius hybrid, part of that success has come from government tax incentives and state rules, especially in California, allowing hybrids in carpool lanes.

California ended that benefit last year, and USA Today recently reported that Priuses with permits for carpool lanes were worth $4,000 more on the used car market. Toyota has offered incentives on the Prius this year, and boosted their offers to up to $2,000 on Wednesday.

Hyundai already sells diesel models in Europe and Asia, but Wilhite said the company was still working on ways to meet the strict new U.S. standards.

If they can get them here to be sold, that would be good.

At my last check, US diesel prices were higher than gasoline prices. One would need to verify that the cost/mile is sufficiently improved to warrant the cost of the diesel engine.

Another concern to be aware of is the lack of diesel technicians, and general lack of diesel knowledge among those who work on cars. Even quickie-lube oil changers will have to do some things differently on diesels (heavier oils, in general), and there will be some growing pains, especially for early buyers of those cars.

Regular unleaded is $2.91 and diesel is $2.93 here in las vegas. I really don't think it would pay for it's fuel savings in a year. I'd say maybe 2 years unless the price on regular goes up drastically. But then again diesel's price will follow close behind regular as well.

Hyundai doesn't offer any diesel-powered cars in the US yet (a diesel V-6 is apparently coming to the Veracruz in a couple of years) but many of their overseas models use compression ignition. Also not available to American drivers is the new Hyundai i30 hatchback. That's a shame because automotive journalists down under have just named the i30 CRDi as both their Green Car of the year and overall Car of the Year. The diesel i30 won the Greenfleet category of the recent World Solar Challenge with an average of 73.5mpg. The official Australian rating is 50 mpg and 125 g/km of CO2 which is still pretty impressive for a Focus sized car. Hey Hyundai! What about us?! Hyundai beat out such well regarded cars as the VW Golf TSI, the Mercedes C280 and Ford Mondeo.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/11/23/hyundai-i30-diesel-wins-green-car-award-in-australia/

Too bad it's in Australia though... Mpg on this is pretty nice for it's size.

That number is likely to have been calculated using imperial gallons so the winning number would be US 61.2mpg -- still quite good. Assuming the quoted 50mpg is also calculated the same way and is intended to represent a combined rating we arrive at a figure which is US 41.7mpg. I'd buy one of those! Any hypermiler worth his/her salt should be able to pull 50+mpg in such a vehicle without much effort, and quite likely substantially higher with some determination.

I'd sure love to get my hands one something like this car!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/01/hyundai_i30_200.php

I saw something about this car a while back -- too bad we won't ever see it here. :(

Hyundai will begin its first mass production hybrid with the compact-sized Avante. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9532)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/avante.jpgReid Stewart - CleanMPG (www.cleanmpg.com) - March 24, 2008

Hyundai Motor Company plans to mass produce Hybrid Electric Vehicles starting next year, opening a new era for environmentally-friendly cars.

While accompanying South Korean President Lee Myung Bak on a Kia Motors´ plant tour on March 21, Hyundai-Kia Chairman Chung Mong Koo said the automobile company will begin mass producing environmentally-friendly cars in 2009 to create new jobs and develop the industry into a next-generation value-adding growth engine.

"The importance of developing futuristic, environmentally-friendly cars is increasing for sustainable growth," Chairman Chung said. "Therefore, technology for advanced cars, like the hybrid, is imperative. We also plan to produce a small fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles for 2012."

In accordance with this plan, Hyundai will begin its first mass production with the compact-sized LPG model, the Avante (Elantra) LPI (Liqufied Petroleum Injection) hybrid, a car that uses both Gas and electricity. In 2010, Hyundai plans to introduce mid-sized hybrids that use gasoline and LPG.

Currently, Hyundai provides Verna (Accent) hybrid models to government agencies as pilot projects. The plan is to expand the line-up to mid-sized sedans and beyond for mass production starting in 2009.

Hyundai entered the environmentally-friendly auto market in October 2004, when it supplied the government with 50 Click (Getz) hybrid cars. Hyundai and Kia supplied the government with 350 hybrid cars in 2005, including the Verna model. This number increased to 730 cars in 2006 and 1,682 cars in 2007, totalling about 2,800 cars so far.

Hyundai is also kicking its development plans into full gear with the aim to mass produce Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) beginning in 2012. Hyundai plans to expand a demo fleet of FCEV´s to 500 units by 2010, including mid-to-large size SUV´s, then establish a small production system to begin mass production in 2012.

The mass production of hybrid cars in 2009 will be a turning point for Hyundai, which will increase its competitiveness in the environmentally-friendly car sector, an area automakers worldwide are counting on for their strategic survival in the next-generation.

"The importance of developing futuristic, environmentally-friendly cars is increasing for sustainable growth," Chairman Chung said. "Therefore, technology for advanced cars, like the hybrid, is imperative. We also plan to produce a small fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles for 2012."

A very sensible statement from the leader of a car company. Would be nice to hear Luddite Lutz say something similar, and mean it.

Harry

I didn't expect Hyundai to throw their hat into the ring. Well, more players and more competition is a good thing.

Do you know the mileage numbers for the Verna?

I'm watching this with interest; my Elantra has been a solid performer with outstanding reliability and still drives like a new car even after amassing nearly 100K miles. I can't fault it on those attributes, and the price was definitely right... but it just can't compete on efficiency standards with either the Civic or the Corolla.

I asked about hybrids at the dealership a couple of years ago and was told that originally Hyundai wanted to introduce a hybrid Accent in '07 but delayed plans two years to refine the system. They had originally planned to hybridize the smallest vehicle in their fleet because they thought "the public would be more accepting of slow performance from a smaller car."

I would like to see them do well in the FE arena -- I like my Elantra and the new offerings are a step above it.

PDK, the last time I checked the Accent was rated at a single mpg better than the Elantra. I see the '08 shows 27/33 City/Highway

They've really come a long ways since the late eighties. I remember my cousin's early Hyundai. It reminded me of a Yugo my buddy had in high school.

They had originally planned to hybridize the smallest vehicle in their fleet because they thought "the public would be more accepting of slow performance from a smaller car."

A marked contrast to GM.

PDK, the last time I checked the Accent was rated at a single mpg better than the Elantra. I see the '08 shows 27/33 City/Highway

I was wondering about the hybrid version. I should have been more specific...B'oh.

They had originally planned to hybridize the smallest vehicle in their fleet because they thought "the public would be more accepting of slow performance from a smaller car."

If that's the case, they could wind up designing a car that would get Insight-like FE without the relatively hefty price tag or subsidization. A poor man's Insight, as it were.

I am thrilled to post my 2nd tank today getting an 8mpg improvement over the last tank (42 mpg v. 34 mpg). I wasn't sure how much improvement I could get using with an Auto, but this improvement was easy. I had what I thought were some poor segments due to traffic mostly so I am pretty sure 45mpg can be coaxed out of this car, if not 50mpg.

I attribute the improvement due to tire pressure increase from 44psi to 50 psi, improving FAS, DWB, DWL, monitoring the SG for efficient acceleration during P&G and learning how DFCO works with the Accent. I believe this is where the SG really can pay for itself by helping to figure out how to accelerate efficiently.

Thank you everyone for sharing your techniques to help me make this possible.

Hi Swoon:

___It appears as if you are doing very well indeed! Do not stop whatever you are doing because whatever it is, it appears to be working very well :D

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Swoon, very good number! You must be a natural, and you must really know your car. What weight oil are you using? What's your work commute like, back roads, city, highway, freeway?

Swoon, very good number! You must be a natural, and you must really know your car. What weight oil are you using? What's your work commute like, back roads, city, highway, freeway?

Thanks kwj. I use 5W-30 synthetic oil, although if I see some 0W-30 next time at Wal-Mart, I will get it. My commute is mostly 4-lane freeway with hills. I'd say it is about 18 miles on the freeway and 4 miles city (about 6 stoplights and a couple stop signs). I have a flexible schedule, so I try to avoid rush hour traffic. Out of all the techniques, my best mileage comes when I catch a ride with my colleague;)

I can't say I knew my car as well as I do now that I have the ScanGuage and I am still learning.

For your commute, that is exceptional MPG. You are doing so much, and it all adds up, event to the extent of being able to avoid rush hour. I like your "best mileage" trick.

Hyundai will boost fuel economy by adding Electric power steering, six-speed automatic transmissions, and direct-injection gasoline engines. (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/FREE/263522891/1023/rss01&rssfeed=rss01)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/avante.jpgRick Kranz - AutoWeek - May 7, 2008

Hyundai's plan to boost U.S. vehicle fuel economy significantly in the next decade is a 50-50 strategy.

About 50 percent of the increase will come from changes to vehicle structure and equipment--efforts such as lighter vehicles and energy-saving technology such as LED lighting.

The rest will evolve from improved powertrain efficiency, Timothy White, senior manager of the powertrain department at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, said at a press event late last month.

Hyundai has "a number of incremental technologies for fuel economy improvement," White said. "There is really no home run out there."

Under proposed federal fuel economy regulations announced last month by the Bush administration, Hyundai's cars will be required to average 37.5 mpg by the 2015 model year. Its trucks will need to hit 31.0 mpg. Hyundai's 2007 car line averaged 32.4 mpg, while the truck side averaged 25.5 mpg, according to the automaker....http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/FREE/263522891/1023/rss01&rssfeed=rss01

Hyundai bears watching. They have good quality, dependable vehicles (I love my '02!) but they just aren't competitive in the FE arena. I'm hoping they are able to ramp up more than what this article suggests...

Hyundai has come a looooong way since the early 90's model my cousin owned. I think they are in a postion to gain some market share from the American companies. I thought they had a hybrid model in the pipeline.

"The exception will be Hyundai's smallest models, which will be upgraded to five-speed automatics within four years."

FWIW, I totally agree this is a huge win.

Can anyone name a company that already has CVT, or a choice of 5A and 5M (or 6M) fleet wide? (Currently USA5, will be USA4 soon....)

(FSP slinking away....)

-mr. bill

Some serious innovation is required of all automakers to meet the CAFE standards, and that's what is needed.

The engineers need to get to work on downsized motors with superchargers or turbo's, light weight structures, clean diesels or direct gasoline injection, auto-stop at lights, low-drag shapes, more efficient power steering and air conditioning, etc., etc. and *gasp* full hybrid powertrains.

example: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/05/antonov-pursuin.html#more



Harry