Johnkrafcik

Here's what's planned for the next 10 million

With National Childhood Cancer Awareness month underway, Hyundai Motor America has announced plans to donate $100,000 to 68 hospitals and non-profit organizations ($6.8 million total) in the form of "Hope Grants." The bulk of the money will be raised by Hyundai's U.S. sales network, now more than 800 dealers strong, who will contribute $200 from the sale of each vehicle in September.

During a speech at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI on Wednesday, Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik became the first executive to commit to a 50-mile-per-gallon fleet average and plans to achieve that goal by 2025. That goes well beyond the 35.5 mpg already mandated under corporate average fuel economy rules for 2016.

2012 Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery

2011 Hyundai Equus – Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Volkswagen Phaeton launched here in the States, nobody liked it. Well, that's not true. Every journalist we know who drove the mighty VW went on and on about how it's probably actually the greatest car in the world (especially all decked out with a W12 engine) and how the HVAC system is a full generation ahead of the competition (you can't beat in-car radiators!) and how the seats so awesomely massaged their fat butts. That s

2011 Hyundai Sonata spy shots – Click above for image gallery

When Hyundai dealers complained about not having a minivan in 2006, the automaker reached into the corporate pool and re-badged the Kia Sedona, turning into the Entourage. The timing was poor, as minivan sales plummeted across the board. Last year, sales were down 50% on the Entourage to just 8,400 units (Kia sol

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Click above for high-res gallery

Hyundai Motor America CEO and President John Krafcik gave the keynote speech at the Midwest Automotive Media Association's kickoff breakfast yesterday morning at the Chicago Auto Show. He called his talk "Preparing for a Revolution," and made a few admissions worth noting.

Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik delivered a keynote address at the opening of the Chicago Auto Show media preview where he called on the industry to dramatically change the way it does business. According to Krafcik, for decades, extravagance has been the name of the game in the car biz – just as it has been in most of corporate America. In the past six months, however, things have started to change, with automakers cutting back on the overblown productions at auto show press conferences

Hyundai is once again shuffling the deck at its U.S. operation. Since 2003, four different backsides have sat in the CEO seat. Finbarr O'Neill, Bob Cosmai, Steve Wilhite, and Jon Eun Kim were not able to gain enough ground towards the brand's goal of selling 1 million units by 2010, so now it's time for John Krafcik to try his hand. Krafcik will move up from his VP of Product Development and Strategic Planning position where he helped shape Hyundai's most recent successes. He played a role ensur

Last week at the LA Auto Show, Hyundai showed off its first hybrid system for the US market that will debut in the next generation Sonata. Following the press conference, Green Fuels Forecast sat down with John Krafcik, then VP Product development (as of today, he's Acting CEO of Hyundai America) to talk in more detail about the system. Turns out Hyundai has

Contrary to reports the other day, it is almost certain that Hyundai will not be bringing its tiny i10 hatchback to the U.S. market, at least not in its current form. During a media drive for the new Genesis sedan, Hyundai America VP John Krafcik was asked about the i10. He responded that the U.S. branch is always looking at all the models in the Hyundai worldwide portfolio to see what would be suitab