Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Hyundai Genesis Sedan - The most awarded car of 2009?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/hyundai-genesis-sedan-the-most-awarded-car-of-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/hyundai-genesis-sedan-the-most-awarded-car-of-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/hyundai-genesis-sedan-the-most-awarded-car-of-2009/#commentsFiled under: ,


2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6L V8 - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Hyundai Genesis Sedan hit the scene, it was hard to know exactly what to think of the handsome-if-anonymous looking luxury intender. After all, Hyundai hadn't ever had a presence in our luxury car market, and attributes like rear-wheel drive and V8 engines weren't exactly a Hyundai staple. Over the past year, however, the Genesis' well-judged appointments and recession-friendly pricing Genesis Sedan won us over, and our contemporaries in the motoring press seem to feel the same way.

Hyundai says that the Genesis Sedan's considerable trophy case makes it the most awarded car of 2009 - and since we have no methodology by which to cross-checking such a high-falutin' claim (scientific or otherwise) we're going to give the Korean automaker the benefit of the doubt. The Hyundai Genesis Sedan began 2009 as the North American Car Of The Year and the well-heeled sedan has continued to build momentum with an impressive 21 awards. Among the Genesis Sedan's many honors are nods from Motor Trend (America's Top 40 New Cars), Cars.com, J.D. Power, NADAGuides, and AutoPacific.

Heck, the Genesis' 375 horsepower Tau 4.6-liter V8 also made Wards Automotive's 10 Best Engines list, and after putting down nearly 2,000 miles in just such a beast earlier this month, AB executive editor Paukert concurs, praising the eight's smooth power delivery and impressive mileage. Despite a packed cabin and trunk and plenty of mountain driving and high-speed cruising, our man averaged 26.1 MPG on a circuitous route from Michigan to North Carolina - fully 1.1 MPG better than the EPA says to expect on the freeway. He also praised the car's acheless seats and pleasing Lexicon audio system as excellent long-distance travel partners.

Hit the jump to read the press release listing the Genny's awards cache. What follows is a proud parent brag-fest, but when you get it right like Hyundai appears to have done with its Genesis Sedan, perhaps a little self-promoting is merited. Maybe now they'll see fit to finally take credit for it by putting a "Hyundai" badge somewhere on the car, eh?


Gallery: Hyundai Genesis 4.6L V8


[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai Genesis Sedan - The most awarded car of 2009?

Hyundai Genesis Sedan - The most awarded car of 2009? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 has been a sales disaster for the automotive world, as industry figures have dropped to the lowest levels in three decades. Cash for Clunkers has been a boon for the otherwise poor year, though, as hundreds of thousands of Americans have traded in their old cars for new, more fuel efficient metal.

J.D. Power has analyzed sales data from 10,000 dealers over the first two weeks of August, and the industry research powerhouse feels the program will boost August sales to 1.1 million units. Even better, their analysts have informed The Associated Press that the bulk of those sales will come from retail customers, with total sales of over 1 million units. If Power is right, August sales would rise 2% over August 2008, making it the first year-over-year monthly sales bump in two years.

Power reportedly feels so good about the effects of the popular program that it has lifted its 2009 sales forecast to 10.3 million sales, up 300,000 units from its April projections. The research firm does feel that C4C has pulled ahead some sales, however, so it is downgrading its 2010 forecast to 11.5 million units from a previous estimate of 11.6 million.

The Cash for Clunkers program ends Monday at 8 pm.

[Source: MLive | Image: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty]

Summer Sales Boom: J.D. Power predicts August sales will jump to 1.1 million units originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cash for Clunkers has helped automakers sell more cars while also clearing out some excess inventory on dealer lots. But the sales boost of C4C is only expected to last so long, as many analysts expect the program to run its entire budget by Labor Day. Does that mean the months ahead will revert to the putrid car sales of the first six months of the year? J.D. Power doesn't seem to think so.

Gary Dilts, senior vice president at J.D. Power & Associates, told Reuters that the company sees sales jumping to 11.5 million units in 2010, up 15% versus 2009's expected 10 million sales. Several factors go into J.D. Power's predicted upswing in car sales, including an improved credit market and consumer confidence, in addition to healthier financial markets. Dilts also sees some good news for the remainder of 2009, with improved August sales of 12 million units on an annualized basis, and up to 200,000 more car sales for 2009 than were originally predicted.

While 11.5 million units would be a huge improvement versus the abysmal sales we've seen so far this year, it's still peanuts compared to sales numbers from earlier in the decade. 2008 was no picnic either, yet sales still hit 13.2 million units. In the end, J.D. Power is only coming up with a very educated guess, and the number could easily swing higher or lower depending on how the recession plays out over the next year and a half.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd | Photo by Scott Olson/Getty]

Auto upswing: J.D. Power predicts sales jump for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.D. Power and Associates have lowered their U.S. sales light-vehicle forecast for 2008 to just 14.2 million units. This is the third time the global information services company have updated their numbers. In March, they announced that sales would not hit their initial 15.7 million estimate, instead they would come in at about 14.95 million units. Now, the company is estimating sales at 14.2 million units (the industry sold 16.2 million units in 2007). J.D. Power is citing the prolonged credit crisis, deteriorating economic conditions, and the high cost of fuel as reasons consumers are holding off on purchasing new vehicles. Not helping the matter, fleet sales (a common way for the automakers to boost sales in the past) are also down 21 percent from last year.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

J.D. Power lowers U.S. sales forecast... again originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anybody who has watched more than 30 minutes of television the past couple weeks has likely seen Ford's new ads claiming that the automaker has caught up to Toyota and Honda with regards to initial quality. Toyota certainly has, and it apparently doesn't like the Blue Oval's boastful tone. On Toyota's Open Road blog, Mike Michels seems taken aback at the claim, stating that the initial quality survey Ford cites was commissioned by the automaker and performed by a third-party company not affiliated with the well-known J.D. Power & Associates. He then spends a few paragraphs discrediting initial quality in the first place, citing J.D. Power figures that show the difference between the best and worst vehicles during the first few months of ownership were a mere .8 problems per vehicle. Of those problems, most of them were customer preferences and not actual issues that needed repair.

While we agree that initial quality is far from the complete quality story, it's incredible that Toyota would discredit a stat that has been a pillar of its own high quality image. The Toyota and Lexus brands have been among the leaders in initial quality for ages, which anyone would say is a result of great design, engineering and manufacturing. But now that other automakers are catching up, it seems Toyota wants to label initial quality as insignificant. Either way, we'll just have to wait another 3-5 years to find out if a Ford Fusion built today holds up as well as a Toyota Camry.

[Source: Toyota]

Toyota responds to Ford's new initial quality ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 May 2008 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford's quality record at the beginning of this decade was so bad, the automaker was spending billions on warranty repairs, while simultaneously turning off potential buyers in droves. The blue oval has been righting the ship for the past couple of years, with vehicles like the Fusion and Taurus leading a quality renaissance that has the automaker nipping at the heels of its Japanese competition. That quality improvement has been cutting losses, with $900 million in savings achieved in 2007, and more on the way. The embattled automaker is forecasting an additional $300 in savings for 2008, which means Ford is expecting additional quality improvement. The money will eventually be used to finance new product, but for now the cash infusion is merely stemming Ford's substantial North American losses. There is little doubt that newer models like the Edge and Milan are far more reliable than what Ford was making even three or four years ago. The trick will be to convince the public to forgive Ford for its past woes and give the automaker another chance.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford's quality turnaround leads to free money originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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