Car Throttle

We've covered the Kia Cadenza in the past when the VG Concept debuted at the Seoul Auto Show and more recently when Kia released new renderings of the sedan. Since then, the car has gotten an official name for production - Cadenza. At least it is different, right? Some production images of the car have been shown before, but these new ones are so far the first "live" images (not in the studio) to turn up. Also, they give us our first glimpse at the rear view of the production car. The good news is that the Cadenza's looks have remained true to the VG preview concept. While breaking no new ground, it ups the ante for Kia considerably. So far it looks to be

Hyundai has been continuing on a relentless drive upmarket, and has met a lot of success doing so. Each model has improved so much with ever passing generation, and entrants like the Azera and Genesis have been met with critical acclaim. This month's sales being up The next leap is set to come with the Equus full-size luxury sedan. For now though, Hyundai is turning to it's mid-size sedan, a crucially important segment for any volume manufacturer. Mercedes-Benz CLS, is that you? No, it's the Hyundai Sonata - but that's what Hyundai wants you to think of when you see the Sonata. There is a clear "inspiration" here from that car, and it's never a bad thing to be compared with the CLS. The CLS started this

When the new Equus debuted for the Korean market in February , speculation immediately began on whether Hyundai planned to bring the car to the United States. I thought it was likely that Hyundai would attempt to sell the car in the United States. Then, to "gauge reaction" the Equus was displayed at the New York International Auto Show last month. Edmunds' Inside Line and others reported that Hyundai was seriously considering bringing the vehicle to the United States market. Hyundai must have liked what they heard at the auto show, because they are heading further toward a U.S  introduction with this latest move. USAToday reports that Hyundai is shipping 100 Equus models to Hyundai dealers around the country to gain data about how the public would accept such

Regardless of the technical merits of All Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive, there are still some people out there that would rather eat their own foot than drive anything other than a rear wheel drive car.  I can relate. I'd say more than half of the ads for Hyundai's hot new Genesis coupe have shown the car getting ridiculously sideways, and I have to say I approve.  Despite the fact that I'm on my third front-wheel-drive car (they seem to follow me home!) I understand the appeal of RWD.  Like the ability to perfectly balance the car with the throttle just past the limit of adhesion, tires howling and smoke boiling off the rear end in thick sheaths. I think the Genesis' best angle is definetely

I've covered Hyundai's high-end S-Class competitor here on CarThrottle, speculating on the branding for such a vehicle in a U.S launch. The car is an impressive vehicle but would buyers be interested in spending so much on a Hyundai? Apparently Hyundai might be thinking the same thing as it moves forward. Hyundai is clearly interested in bringing the Equus to the U.S market. They put the car on display at the New York International Auto Show, and Edmunds' Inside Line has reported the car could be two-to-three years away from a launch here in the United States. An unnamed executive spoke with them and was quoted as as saying "...you wouldn't be far off if you said the car was coming to the United States. Our chairman

What's it with the unique advertisements lately? Tommorow is April 17th, 2009; the 45th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang's birthday. As such, Hyundai has produced this "Happy Birthday" advertisement. How....thoughtful. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KV_JNhI3Wo Umm, happy birthday? I say good job on the advertisement Hyundai, it speaks for itself. It shows off the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe while still building goodwill by doing a nice gesture. I wonder if the general public even knows if it's the Mustang's 45th Anniversary tomorrow? I guess they will now! It's amazing though: 45 years later the Mustang is still an icon and going strong! Who would have ever thought the original car would become such a sensation. Not GM; the company was unimpressed with the car at launch and didn't view it as a threat.

Remember that? That's the Azera. It was hailed as a big step forward for the brand when introduced. Then they had to come along and outdo it with the Genesis. Hyundai and Kia have been on a roll lately! They're the only volume automaker other then Subaru to see sales increases in a falling market. A large part is due to the Assurance Program, but also to customer's recognition of the impressive new vehicles they've been putting out.  Let's get to the news here though. That's the Kia "VG" Concept, codenamed KND-5. It's based on the Hyundai Azera, and in my opinion is a big improvement on the car. While nice, the Azera is clearly a generation behind in the company's styling evolution. The Kia VG Concept illustrates this very well. It's very

At the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai revealed the hardcore track-focused Spec-R version of their Genesis Coupe. This special edition of the Genesis Coupe  puts a focus on light weight and reliable track performance, and should have sport compact enthusiasts drooling at the mouth. The basis of the car is the basic Genesis 2.0T Turbo coupe, rather than the heavier - and luxury laden - V6 model.  Hyundai omits a few of the niceties of the other Genesis Coupes - the automatic headlights, cruise control, trip computer, steering wheel hand controls, chrome trim, etc - in the name of weight and price reduction. The idea is to provide all the performance of the Genesis Coupe with less weight and initial purchase price, to appeal to people that are going