As more and more manufacturers look to obtain the best fuel economy possible from their full range of engines, a few manufacturers have turned to rethinking their transmissions in order to lower overall fuel consumption. A lot of foreign automakers are now working with seven-speed transmissions and Lexus introduced its first eight-speed tranny in the flagship LS sedan and BMW is working on building their own eight-speed gearbox as well.

It now appears that Hyundai is jumping on the bandwagon and is working on a new eight-speed transmission for the Genesis sedan. This would improve fuel economy since engine torque can be maximized at lower revs in each gear and less energy is wasted in the long run.

While no official details have been confirmed, we'd expect to see Hyundai roll out their eight-speed gearbox around 2010.

+ AutoblogGreen: Hyundai to offer 8-speed automatic in Genesis

If there's one automaker who seems to be on an increasingly upward trend lately, it's Hyundai. The Koreans took the world by storm with their eight-cylinder, rear-drive Genesis sedan, and the Hyundai folks have now released another bit of engineering to compete more closely with other worldwide automakers.

Hyundai's new four-cylinder diesel R-Engine will be available in both 2.0 and 2.2-liter displacements. The 2.0 produces 181 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque while the 2.2 puts out 215 horses and 398 pound-feet. Both engines are more powerful than Audi's new 2.0 TDI engine (170 hp/258 lb-ft).

The first vehicles to get these engines will be SUVs and large sedans sold in Europe, since the R-Engine meets Euro-V emission standards. No word on if this engine will ever make its way to the States, mostly due to our stricter emissions requirements. And to think, we'd love to see a Genesis Coupe with one of these powerplants under the hood.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Inadvance of a big push to highlight its Genesis rear-drive platform next week at SEMA, Hyundai has released some engineering data regarding its upcoming Genesis coupe. We’ve known for quite some time that the rear-drive coupe would be made available with both a turbocharged four-cylinder, and a V-6 engine, but output for those powerplants has pretty much relied on educated speculation, until now.

Hyundai excitedly points out what it believes will be near class leading power-to-weight numbers, as well as high-level fuel efficiency, when the Genesis coupe hits the streets. The entry level 2.0T Coupe—which sounds, incidentally, like it might be the sweetheart of the lineup—will offer a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that delivers 210 horsepower (on regular gasoline, the automaker claims 220 horsepower is possible running premium) with 223 pound-feet of torque. The versatile motor should be good for a 30 mpg highway rating from the EPA and propel the car to a top speed of approximately 137 mph. Upgrading to the 2.0T Premium model will add niceties like the Smart Key push button start system and navigation, while the 2.0T Track will offer performance adds like a Torsen-type limited-slip diff, high performance tires on 19-inch wheels, and Brembo stoppers, front and rear.

Hyundai will also bring a “tuner-focused performance model” called the R-Spec later in the model year. This track focused Genesis will use the Track model as its starting place, primarily adding an uprated suspension. All 2.0T models will have a six-speed manual transmission as standard and all but the R-Spec will offer a five-speed automatic with wheel mounted paddle-shifters.

Meanwhile the 3.8-liter V-6 Genesis is estimated to make 306 horsepower (310 on premium) with no torque number specified, and will come in a base, a Grand Touring, and a Track specification as well. Along with a host of visual differentiations, the V-6-engined car will be offered with the buyer’s choice of a six-speed, paddle-shifted automatic transmission to go along with the manual.

There’s a whole host of additional information to be found in the Hyundai press release down below, and more to come during next week’s SEMA festivities.

Hyundai had planned on its upcoming Genesis Coupe being a big target for the tuner crowd from the very outset, going so far as to invite big players in the aftermarket parts industry to take an early look at the sports car. Now all that planning is set to produce tangible results, as Hyundai has announced that well known tuners HKS USA will be building a high performance version of the Genesis to bring to this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas.

HKS president Rick Lafferty said that the Genesis Coupe possessed several qualities that attracted the tuning house to the project including, “an excellent chassis, rear-wheel drive, aggressive styling, and a new generation turbo-charged engine.” The new Genesis has been fortified with an HKS GT turbocharger, a new exhaust and intake system, revised engine management, and a fully adjustable suspension. All add up to a car that is likely to deliver a considerably stronger punch than the original 212 horsepower 2.0-liter four.
 
Readily visible modifications include a functional ground effects kit designed by Ken Style, and a totally revised interior.

The Genesis Coupe will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the always entertaining Vegas SEMA show, which is due to kick off in the early part of November. Scroll down to read the official Hyundai press release.

Just one month after Hyundai's new Genesis luxury sedan went on sale, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (HNTSA) has awarded the premium Genesis with five-star crash test ratings in both front- and side-impact tests.

John Krafcik of Hyundai says, "Genesis was engineered with a lightweight but strong body shell, featuring ultra-high-tensile steel, laser welding, and advanced adhesive bonding. Add eight airbags and electronic active head restraints, and you can easily see the focus we placed on designing Genesis for occupant safety. These five-star results are just one indication of the dedication Hyundai engineers place on safety."

The Genesis officially went on sale on July, selling 1200 units in its first month. Hyundai hopes to sell a total of 50,000 Genesis vehicles each year once the new Genesis Coupe joins the lineup in 2009, and if the coupe can also muster up five-star ratings, we can easily see both it and the sedan garnering attention from a wide range of consumers.

+ Automotive News

We told you earlier that Hyundai is looking to bring its i10 microcar to the States, but a new report from Automotive News suggests otherwise. John Krafcik, Hyundai vice president for product development, has gone on record saying, "It's very unlikely that we would bring the i10 to the United States. We're looking at it, but right now it's unlikely."

With Hyundai and Kia's product line expanding, we think that the i10 would be a good addition to their lineup, slotting between a Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo in size. If the folks at Hyundai insist on keeping the i10 as a piece of Forbidden Fruit, we'd like to see them put some more work into the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio small cars, which could potentially become big sellers in the expanding subcompact segment.

+ Automotive News

Hyundai's first entry into the gasoline-electric hybrid segment is scheduled to arrive on U.S. shores within the next two years via the Sonata sedan. Prototypes should to be hitting the road around November and this Sonata Hybrid is said to feature cutting-edge lithium-ion battery technology, but will not be plug-in rechargeable.

Vice president for product development John Krafcik says that the Sonata Hybrid should be launched sometime within the 2010 calendar year. This hybrid will, no doubt, go head-to-head against gasoline-electric mid-size offerings from Toyota, Chevrolet, and Nissan.

+ Automotive News: Hyundai plans to launch hybrid Sonata in 2010

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

While we’ve encouraged Hyundai to continue to rock the enthusiast establishment with the introduction of higher-quality, powerful vehicles such as the Genesis rear-wheel-drive sedan, it appears the company is considering extending its product lineup in another direction as well. Word is spreading that the South Korean manufacturer is looking to bring its Indian-built i10 five-door hatchback to America at some point, according to a report in Automotive News .

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

(Photo Credit: Mike Parris) 

Looking to take its new Genesis premium sedan to the heart of its hopeful customer base, Hyundai recently held a driving event in New York City’s financial district.

As part of the annual Financial Community Day Festival, Hyundai offered rides with professional drivers on a specially prepared course on NYC’s Maiden Lane. The automaker was hoping to win early converts to the unique luxury bargain offered by the Genesis sedan, which claims to offer power and refinement on par with the likes of BMW’s 5-series, while stickering for tens of thousands less.

Hyundai isn’t stopping with the bankers of the Big Apple either, as the company has booked the Genesis sedan on a 15-city, 17-week tour of the U.S. The tour sounds like a major undertaking too, with a traveling display, eight vehicles and around thirty crew members.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hyundai is getting ever nearer the launch of its new i20 compact car for the European market, planning an October reveal for the Getz replacement at the Paris Motor Show.

Spied here doing some work on the brakes in five-door trim, the i20 will also be made available as a three-door, six-months after the initial launch. The pert new Hyundai will come packaged with one of three engines; there will be a turbodiesel rated at about 110 horsepower, and two gasoline-powered options putting out 80 or 109 horsepower. Interior space, fuel efficiency, and overall quality of build are all expected to make significant jumps in the new i20 as well.

Scroll down to read the shooter’s own words.

The Hyundai i30 debuts this week at the London Motor Show. The car is part of Hyundai's i-Blue line of efficiency-focused vehicles, a program that made its first appearance in March at the Geneva Motor Show with the i10, a compressed natural gas powered car.

We’ve been excitedly awaiting the debut of Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe since we first saw the concept version at last year’s L.A. auto show. The Korean automaker finally came through today in New York, launching the production spec car to the delight of enthusiast everywhere.

Last year Hyundai Motors chief executive, Chung Mong-koo (pictured), was given a suspended three-year jail sentence after being convicted of fraud in South Korea.

While a large portion of the U.S. media has seen fit to heap Hyundai’s Genesis sedan with praise before having a chance at a steer, the South Korean journalist in this YouTube video is laboring under no such restraints.

The incredibly rapid change of executives at Hyundai Motor America over the last few years is due to the Korean company’s 2010 goal of selling one million cars and trucks in the U.S. Executives who aren’t able to maintain a steady increase in sales resign or get fired. Still, Hyundai is far from its sales goals.

Autoblog got its hands on a new and interesting set of Hyundai Genesis Coupe spy photos from Sweden recently, revealing more than we’ve seen before of the production version of the upcoming car.

Despite a lot of hand wringing on the part of Hyundai going into the decision to even make a Super Bowl commercial, leading market research firm Nielsen has reported that the automaker’s spot was among the best received by viewers of the big game.

• Previous Image
• Next Image
• Enlarge Image

• 
• 

Opel won't be the only automaker with a conceptual people carrier at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Hyundai's released a few sketches and a limited amount of information about the HED-5, their take at an eco-friendly crossover concept that also will debut in Switzerland in March.