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Want to buy a 2012 Ford Focus Electric when it hits dealer lots in late 2011? You might be out of luck. Unless, that is, you reside in New York or California, as those are reportedly the only two states that are in line to receive retail deliveries of the electrified Focus before the end of 2011.

Spring 2012 is now the official arrival time for the rest of us who live in the initial 19 markets that will get the Focus Electric. Those markets include Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

David Finnegan, Ford’s electrified vehicles marketing manager, is being reported saying:

For the first few months of production, we will be concentrating on California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of our initial markets starting in Spring 2012.

Heck, even Ford’s “Go gas-free” Focus Electric promo ad reads “Coming spring 2012.” It doesn’t get much more official than that.

Ford Focus Electric launch pushed back to Spring 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The national average price of gasoline has hit exactly $4 a gallon, approximately a dime below its all-time high. According to a Lundberg Survey of fueling stations released on Sunday, pump prices rose 12 cents over the past two weeks. On July 7, 2008, the national average price of gas soared to $4.114 a gallon, a record-setting high, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy.

If you’re hunting for bargain gas, and willing to drive to get it, then Tucson, AZ offers you the lowest average price among cities surveyed at just $3.62 a gallon. Meanwhile, drivers in Chicago suffered the most, having to dish out an average of $4.50 for a single gallon of the go-juice.

The U.S. Department of Energy will release its weekly survey of diesel and gasoline prices on Monday afternoon. Who’s willing to bet that prices will have come down by then?

It’s Official: National average gas price hits $4

Hyundai made news recently when it announced its new Assurance Trade-In Value Guarantee program. Now, the program is officially under way.

If you purchase a Hyundai vehicle at an authorized dealership, in 24 or 48 months time you can trade that vehicle back in for a new Hyundai and the dealer will honor the agreed-upon future value of your trade-in. Should your car be worth a bit less due to the changing market, you will still receive full value. However, should your car be worth more, then you will receive the increased value to put towards the price of a new Hyundai.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Hyundai wants you for the long-term with Assurance Trade-In Value Guarantee

A study released by TrueCar.com revealed that 7.4 percent of Lamborghini buyers in 2010 were women, a 2.2-percent rise over the previous year. Rolls-Royce and Ferrari also saw an increase in purchases by females, with Rolls climbing from eight percent to 9.3 percent and Ferrari going from 5.1 percent to 6.4 percent.

Those increases take the number of ladies who buy exotics from next-to-nothing to very small, but an increase is an increase. TrueCar doesn’t offer an explanation as to what may have caused the uptick. Got any ideas? Leave ‘em in the ‘Comments’ below.

Overall, the survey showed that females are far more likely to buy an inexpensive and practical car than males, who are much more likely to opt for big, brawny cars. According to the study, the top 10 cars that sold more than 50 percent of the time to women were the Volkswagen New Beetle, Kia Spectra, Nissan Rogue, Volkswagen Eos, Hyundai Entourage, Volvo S40, Jeep Compass, Honda CR-V, Nissan Sentra and the Hyundai Tucson. Surely you saw some of those coming…

Conversely, the list for men was far less practical (excepting pickup trucks, of course) and far faster. It included the Porsche 911, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series, BMW M3, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram and the Audi S5. Well done, men – that’s not a bad lookin’ list right there. Check out more details and commentary in the press release after the break.

[Source: TrueCar]

Continue reading Study says 7.4% of Lamborghini models purchased by women, and other gender curiosities

Study says 7.4% of Lamborghini models purchased by women, and other gender curiosities

Shopping for a new car (or truck, for that matter) in a crowded segment can be a bewildering task, especially when you’re talking about mid-size SUVs and crossovers. There’s a plethora positioned under the 30-grand mark, and most of them have comparable features and specs. So which one to choose?

Our friends over at Cars.com recently assembled a selection of nine such vehicles – the Chevrolet Equinox, Dodge Journey, Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, and Toyota RAV4 – and pitted them against each other. Now you may be thinking, Really? A Journey against a Sportage? What gives?

True, they’re vastly different vehicles, but Cars.com arrived at its selections through a different kind of methodology. They checked with J.D. Power & Associates to find a median price – $29k – and then let the automakers choose which of their products to field in the test. Then they assembled a panel of testers, including members of their own editorial staff, plus Chris Woodyard of USA Today, Brian Robinson from MotorWeek and – wait for it – Joey Lawrence. Yes, he of Blossom and Melissa & Joey fame. Whoa!

So what did the B-list celeb (along with his wife Chandie and two daughters) and his auto-journo fellow jurists select? Hit the source link to find out, but we’ll give you a hint: we listed them above by score from 1st to 9th. Bonus: Follow the jump for a video featuring Joey and Chandie.

[Source: Cars.com]

Continue reading Cars.com $29K SUV Shootout – now with more Joey Lawrence [w/video]

Cars.com $29K SUV Shootout – now with more Joey Lawrence [w/video]

Hyundai’s Curb concept moves the automaker’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language in a more youthful direction. While we’ve seen plenty of urbanized concepts and production vehicles that use the traditional box-like design pioneered by the original Scion xB, Hyundai chose to create something substantially more curvaceous and sleek. “We wanted the Curb to be urban tough without looking like a Brink’s truck,” Hyundai’s designer, Jason Brown, says.

The basis for the Curb’s powertrain is Hyundai’s new 1.6-liter Gamma inline-four, though the addition of a turbocharger means output is boosted to around 175 horsepower. Combined with a dual-clutch transmission, the Curb is efficient enough to achieve around 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. That power runs to the ground through a large set of 22-inch five-spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin tires with a custom saffron-colored tread pattern. Funky, yes, but definitely fitting for an urban concept car.

Other forward-thinking exterior design elements include exhaust vents that open to reveal a bike rack, a pop-up roof rack and a third rear access door for easier ingress and egress to the rear seats.

The interior features a large acrylic screen that allows information to be passed between all of the passengers inside the Curb, and a heads-up display provided by Continental shows navigation information as well as screens for the cameras used in place of side mirrors. Saffron interior accents compliment the tire tread, and three-holded A-pillars increase the driver’s cornering visibility. Hyundai’s new Blue Link technology is used to keep owners connected with their electronic systems at all times, as well.

It’s all very funky and hip, and we’d like to see this sort of design come to live as a sub-Tucson urban utility vehicle. Follow the jump for Hyundai’s official press release and stay tuned for live images direct from the Detroit show floor.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Hyundai Curb Concept is a small crossover for the urban scene

Detroit 2011: Hyundai Curb Concept is a small crossover for the urban scene

Hyundai has announced that it is bringing a new crossover concept – the Curb – to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next week. We only have two teaser shots of the new CUV, and while the big wheels and overly swoopy lines are concept car-spec through and through, we won’t rule out the possibility of a sub-Tucson crossover coming down the pipeline in the next few years. The interior has been given the typical not-gonna-happen future-tech layout, but it is indeed eye-catching and definitely draws our interest.

The Curb concept will be rolled out on Monday, January 10, and we’ll be on hand to bring you the full suite of details and photos live from Cobo Hall. In the meantime, you can check out both teaser images in high-resolution glory in the gallery below.

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai bringing Curb concept to Detroit Auto Show

It should hardly come as news to anyone reading Autoblog that Hyundai is in the midst of a hot streak. New models are coming out left and right, the automaker’s quality is reaching new heights and there are no signs of slowing down. So while the automaker’s momentum isn’t news, its sales numbers are: For the first time in its history, the Korean manufacturer has broken the 500,000 unit sales barrier in the States.

The hottest item for Hyundai this year? The aforementioned Sonata, of which 183,102 have been sold. The Sonata is followed by the Elantra and Sante Fe with sales of 120,924 and 70,082 respectively.

This is Hyundai’s 25th year in the United States and its sales are way up for the year. Sonata sales are up 64 percent over last year while the Tuscon has exploded – up 145 percent – and the Genesis has gained 37 percent over its prior year sales.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL
[Source: Hyundai Motor America]

Continue reading Hyundai hits 500,000 sales in U.S. for first time ever

Hyundai hits 500,000 sales in U.S. for first time ever

As you’re likely aware, all cars must pass strict federal guidelines in order to be sold in America, and those regulations include specific bumper heights. What you may not know, however, is that trucks and SUVs aren’t required to meet the same guidelines as passenger cars. Factor in the huge numbers of SUVs and crossovers that are sold each year and you begin to see why can cause major problems.

Perhaps the best way to illustrate this conundrum is by way of a photo gallery, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has so thoughtfully provided. As is the Institute’s custom, it has gone ahead and crashed a small sedan head-to-head into a typical SUV from the same automaker at low speeds (10mph). The results are conclusive, and they mean big repair bills for the owner (or, naturally, their insurance company) of the smaller car. Despite the modest velocities, repair estimates ranged from $850 to a whopping $6,015.

Of the seven pairs of vehicles damaged-for-a-cause in this round of low-speed testing, the Honda Civic and CR-V performed the best, with bumpers that actually overlapped by more than two inches. By way of contrast, the Toyota Corolla and RAV4 performed the worst. Says Joe Nolan, the Institute’s chief administrative officer:

The RAV4’s so-called bumper is really just a stamped piece of sheet metal supporting the bumper cover. So instead of engaging a strong bumper, the striking Corolla hit the spare tire mounted on the RAV4’s tailgate. The spare isn’t designed to absorb crash energy, so it damaged the Corolla’s hood, grille, headlights, air conditioner, and radiator support and crushed the RAV4’s tailgate and rear body panels.

Ouch. For a complete visual understanding of all the carnage, be sure to check out our high-res image gallery below. And for more explanation on each pair’s results – including the Ford Focus and Escape, Kia Forte and Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Sentra and Rogue – click past the break for the official press release.

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading IIHS Obvious Conclusion of the Day: Mismatched bumpers cost thousands in repairs

IIHS Obvious Conclusion of the Day: Mismatched bumpers cost thousands in repairs

The 2011 Elantra may have been one of Hyundai’s worst-kept secrets. Aside from releasing a self-taken spy shot, the Korean automaker already debuted the Elantra in the form of the Avante, the version destined for Hyundai’s home market. Last week, we told you about the new sedan’s ability to achieve 40 miles per gallon on the highway, and finally, we now have the official images and details about the Elantra bound for the U.S. And we must say, it’s quite a looker.

Hyundai has made quite an impression with its “fluidic sculpture” design language, most recently with the updated Tucson crossover and Sonata sedan. The new Elantra’s design is tied to the rest of the family with its strong side character lines, wraparound taillamps and hexagonal grille. We can’t wait to see what it looks like in deep red or black.

As previously reported, the 2011 Elantra will be powered by an all-new 1.8-liter inline-four that produces 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. Curiously, Hyundai has not seen fit to utilize its new 1.8-liter mill with direct injection, but the automaker’s North American CEO, John Krafcik, tells us not to rule out the addition of GDI direct injection on future versions of the Elantra. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Elantra will return a ultra-respectable 28 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. Hyundai says that 40 mpg is attainable on the full range of Elantra trims, unlike the Chevrolet Cruze and upcoming Ford Focus which need to be optioned a certain way to achieve such a lofty fuel economy figure.

Official trim levels and pricing specifications will be released closer to the sedan’s official debut at the LA Auto Show later this week, and we can expect the Elantra to arrive at dealerships before the end of the year. In the meantime, scroll through our high-res gallery below to see the new Elantra from all angles.

[Source: Hyundai]

Officially Official: 2011 Hyundai Elantra brings “fluidic sculpture” to the C segment

Ten years ago, when Hyundai came to SEMA for the first time, it did so with Tucson and Veracruz models with wacky appliques. Now, like Jay Z, they’ve rolled up Big Pimpin’ with three Equus luxocruisers dressed and dropped by the likes of Rhys Millen, Mummbles, and DUB magazine.

The Mummbles Marketing steed, nicknamed the “Elegant Equus,” has had its outside, inside, wheels, brakes, suspension and engine reworked. Among the extensive changes are an SPA turbo for the V8 with an S-Max intercooler and wastegate, as well as a Nitrous Express kit blowing out through a Magnaflow system, an Air Lift digital air suspension, Wilwood brakes hiding behind 22-inch Equip E10 wheels, while inside there are gunmetal and burgundy custom leather interior, glowing gauges, and Junction Produce curtains all around.

Rhys Millen is offering an RMR take on the Equus, the third year he’s worked with Hyundai to show something off. A more subtle option than either of Hyundai’s other big horses, Millen’s gone for carbon fiber and blue satin outside on 21-inch HRE wheels with RMR brakes, thirty more ponies under the hood with the RMR air intake, while ostrich leather provides the… goosebumps… inside atop embroidered seats.

As for DUB – well, you know full well what they did: mesh, chrome, 24-inch TIS wheels, “D” logos, nine more speakers plus a couple more amps, blacklights, and DUB edition Monster energy drinks in iced coolers, all drenched in gloss black and matte charcoal. Be honest: you’d have been disappointed with anything else. Find them all in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

SEMA 2010: Rhys Millen, Mummbles Marketing and DUB bow at the altar of Equus

Motor Trend has been around since 1949, and during that time it has handed out a fair share of awards to various automakers and vehicle models. More recently, the print publication has gone online by way of its web site, Youtube page and various social media networks. One network in particular has stuck a chord with the buff book and it’s choosing to leverage the power of Facebook to announce the winner of its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year award.

M/T has been steadily rolling out its top 15 contenders, with the announcement of the winner to be made on October 19th, 2010 at 12:01 a.m EST. Why Facebook?

“We want to foster a two-way dialogue with our audience,” said Angus MacKenzie, Editor In-Chief of Motor Trend, “and Facebook was the next logical step to engage our community even further.”

The currently revealed contenders are:

• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Infiniti QX56
• Hyundai Tucson
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Ford Edge
• Honda Accord Crosstour
• BMW X5 xDrive 35i
• Acura MDX

Past winners of this title include the Subaru Forester and the Mazda CX-9. Hop the jump to read M/T’s press release.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Motor Trend getting ready to announce its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year Award…on Facebook

Motor Trend getting ready to announce its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year Award…on Facebook

A pool of 50 U.S. and Canada-based automotive journalists from various news outlets has cut down the list for the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards to 14 possible winning vehicles in each category.

Among the manufacturers, Ford, Hyundai/Kia, General Motors, and Nissan lead with the most nominations, and the lists run the gamut from the inexpensive (Ford Fiesta, Mazda2), to the sybaritic (Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Porsche Cayenne), to the groundbreaking (Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf).

Jurors will cull each list down further in December, and the finalists will be displayed when the winning car and truck are announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

What car and truck do you expect to win? Check out our galleries of the finalists below, then click through the jump to place your vote for the car and truck you expect to win. If you like, you can also drop your fellow commenter a line as to what vehicle you’d most like to see take home the heavy hardware.

(*Full Disclosure: Author is a member of the NACTOY voting jury)

[Source: North American Car of the Year]

Continue reading North American Car/Truck of the Year shortlists led by Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan [w/poll]

North American Car/Truck of the Year shortlists led by Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan [w/poll]

Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language may be doing wonders on North American-spec Sonatas and Tucsons, but this same design language will make its way across the automaker’s entire worldwide lineup over the next few years. We’ve seen it previewed in the next-generation Elantra and Accent, and now Hyundai has released some preview images of its new ix20 small MPV, set to debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show. At first glance, it looks like a teeny-tiny ground-bound Tucson. It’s cute, if a bit angry-looking.

We’ll have to wait until the Paris show opens up before we get the full details on the ix20. For now, Hyundai is only saying that its new MPV will offer class-leading fuel economy, low C02 emissions and the latest in active and passive safety technologies. Follow the jump for the full details in the press release.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai previews ix20 subcompact ahead of Paris rollout

Hyundai previews ix20 subcompact ahead of Paris rollout

It seems that Hyundai is having a very similar problem to Buick in its home market. Overseas customers can’t get enough of its products, but buyers at home are rather ho-hum. Just as Buick is huge in China, Hyundai models are selling like gangbusters in North America and Europe. However, in South Korea, Hyundai sales have dropped for three months in a row. Interestingly, sister brand Kia is seeing robust sales for its just introduced K5 (Optima in the U.S.) and Sportage with total volumes up by 49 percent compared to 2009.

Lack of fresh product is blamed for the 1.2 percent decline at Hyundai, although the new Tucson and Sonata were launched just last Fall. Hyundai has several new products coming in August with the new Elantra and Accent as well as the new Veloster coupe (or whatever it ends up being called), and those new models may spur an increase in domestic sales.

[Source: Reuters]

One market where Hyundai sales aren’t white hot? Home.

Men, take note: According to a new survey from research firm TrueCar, the Volkswagen New Beetle is (still) the ultimate car for women. Apparently, its combination of cute-as-a-button looks and affordable pricing make the reborn Bug a total hit with the fairer sex.

This data was determined not by some silly woman-on-the-street clipboard survey, but rather by looking at the registrations of more than 13 million vehicles over the past two years. We could have saved them quite a bit of work if they wanted to know that the New Beetle was a chick car, but whatever. There was some other interesting info gleaned from the research, including the revelation that 64% of all cars are registered by men despite the fact that there are more women (at 51% of the population, just a tad) than men in America.

Rounding out the top five vehicles that scored well with the mono-chromosomed gender were the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson, (saw this one coming) Volkswagen Eos and Volvo S40.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Volkswagen New Beetle still number one with the ladies

Click above to watch the videos after the jump

At its best, Top Gear represents nearly everything we’ve ever wanted in a show about cars. It’s well-written, funny, beautifully shot and simply enjoyable to watch, even if ultimately it’s more about entertainment than full-fledged reviews. The advertising types at Hyundai have picked up on the cheeky part of Top Gear in an overseas commercial for the ix35 crossover (Tuscon here in the States). The ads, which apparently air in South Africa, very overtly spoof the BBC program, but with three animals making up the “Top Deer” team. Clarkson, Hammond and May are replaced with a wildebeest, hamster and a turtle. The Stig is replaced with a deer called “The Stag.”

We usually loathe commercials that replace humans with adorable forest creatures, but this is a different animal altogether. The first spot features a one-on-one track battle between the ix35 and the Stag, and the second ad stars the Clarkson-esque wildebeest behind the wheel of the ix35. Very funny stuff. Hit the jump to view a couple of well-executed videos.

[Source: Hyundai via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Hyundai goofs on Top Gear for new ix35/Tucson ads

Video: Hyundai goofs on Top Gear for new ix35/Tucson ads

Perish the thought, haters! The above Lincoln MKT is getting its roof caved in not on aesthetic grounds, but rather to test its ability to survive a rollover accident. If you haven’t guessed by now, the MKT did so well in the roof-crush test that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) handed parent company Ford a much coveted Top Safety Pick award. Actually, the IIHS handed FoMoCo a hefty total of five rollover-related Top Safety Pick awards. However we should note that one of the Ford products earning top marks is in fact the soon to be extinct Mercury Millan, so really Ford only nabbed four – but who’s counting? Other good-to-rollover-in Ford products include the Flex, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ.

Speaking of thick-sculled corporate cousins, Audi and Volkswagen were handed a couple of Top Safety Picks, too. The 2010 Audi A4 and Q5 as well as the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen all earned top marks from the IIHS. As far as the Jetta goes, that’s just one more reason to choose wagon over sedan. Finally, the new 2010 Hyundai Tucson gets the coveted TSP, and having recently driven the overly-stiff compact CUV, we’re not at all surprised that its roof holds up to crushing. To get the dirt on the IIHS’s methodology/read the press release, make the jump.

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading IIHS awards Top Safety Picks to Audi, Ford, Hyundai and VW on strength of roofs

IIHS awards Top Safety Picks to Audi, Ford, Hyundai and VW on strength of roofs

Sarah Goodner was killed in Texas in 2007 when her 2005 Hyundai Tucson rolled over and she was thrown out the back window. The culprit for that odd circumstance – even though she had her seat belt fastened – was her seat, which was reclined so far back that she was able to slide out of it.

Stuart Goodner, Sarah’s father, sued Hyundai claiming that the Tucson was unsafe because the seat could be reclined too much. A jury agreed, kind of, awarding Goodner a $1.8 million judgment against Hyundai, but also deciding that Hyundai was only 45% responsible for Sarah’s death. Stuart said, “We want people to know how dangerous it is to drive with the seat reclined, [and] we’re calling the auto industry out to correct this design defect so that no other family has to bury one of their children.”

Forty-five degrees was determined to be the maximum amount of recline before driving became unsafe. And the issue isn’t new: The NTSB and NHTSA debated the issue in 1988 and couldn’t come to an agreement. Of course we can’t make light of this – a young woman has died. But we do wonder why it’s Hyundai’s responsibility to make sure you don’t drive your car in an unsafe manner. We suspect we haven’t heard the last of this…

[Source: Go San Angelo]

Hyundai loses $1.8M lawsuit because of seats that recline too far

How many people plunked down $99 to register for a Nissan Leaf? According to an email from Nissan, “As of this morning, 6,635 customers signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf.” The reservation line has only been open about 70 hours (Nissan began taking reservations late Tuesday), so that’s a pretty solid rate of ~100 an hour.

Katherine Zachary, who handles PR for Nissan North America, told Autoblog that during the first three hours, 2,700 people registered for the Leaf, and that it’s been a steady flow ever since. However, if you were one of the people with an itchy trigger finger Tuesday, don’t count on getting your Leaf first. Nissan is looking at where the most demand to help determine where to roll out the vehicles. So far, Zachary said, 75 percent of the people registering for a Leaf are from the areas Nissan has targeted as early markets – places like Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. “Through the work we have been going and what those markets have been doing, people are ready,” Zachary said. Most of the reservations are from California, but a “fair amount” are from Georgia, due in part to the extra state incentives for plug-in vehicles there.

So far, the upper SL trim is beating the SV base trim level three to one. This makes sense to us, since the extra $940 does get you quite a few nice features. As for there being any cancellations yet, Zachary said she hasn’t heard of any at this point. Someone will be the first, but apparently no one wants to do so quite yet. Nissan will continue to issue periodic statements on the number of reservations as time goes by. We’ll be ready.

[Source: Nissan]

Nissan: 6,635 customers have signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf