Hyundai is going to reveal the second generation of their Tucson and we already managed to get our hands on some pictures and details. Dubbed Hyundai ix-onic the SUV concept will feature an “eco-friendly” 1.6-liter engine that outputs 173hp and 149 grams of CO2 per km. Expected to change name when mass produced – rumors call it Hyundai iX35, among the stylish details you should expect some futuristic lines (resembles with a Ford front?) and an elegant wrapper. We’ll know more when it hits the floor in Geneva next month. We’re game … [via ]

Hyundai doesn’t seem to be affected by the global financial crisis that has hit the auto market really bad in the last few months, and released some sketches with what looks like their new flagship: the 2010 Hyundai Equus. Formerly known as VI the car is going to use the rear-wheel drive technology from the Genesis platform, has a 4.6 liter V8 engine (and later 5.0 V8) that should develop some 400hp. Hyundai is all set to debut the new Equus in South Korea in February 2010. Do you think it will get close to the German premium automakers, because from what I see, the front resembles some Merc-flavor, isn’t it? – via

Do you remember the Hyundai Genesis Coupe Tuned by Rhys Millen Racing that was supposed to be a stand car at SEMA? Well, the company decided to go official with the specs. And I’m talking about the specs of the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

So here they are:

1. Hyundai’s Theta 2.0-liter turbo that in Korea outputs 223 hp on premium fuel and 210 hp if it’s regular. The same engine will do 210hp @ 6000rpm with a peak torque is 299 Nm (220 lb-ft) @ 2,000rpm when marketed in the US. I wonder which one will be available in SA.
2. 3.8-liter DOHC V6 Lambda RS engine that outputs with 310 hp on premium fuel and 306 on regular , with a peak torque to 361 Nm (266 lb-ft) @ 4,700rpm. It does 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in just 6.3 seconds

Hyundai expects to sell 40,000 Genesis Coupes annually, 5,000 in Korea and 35,000 in overseas markets. The price in Korea will be some $18,700 for the base model and may go up to $27,300. We’ll have to wait for it till the spring of 2009. – via

There is something about SUVs today. First I told you about the Ssangyong C200 SUV then we took on Hyundai’s SantaFe blue Hybrid. Well this also a SUV and a Hyundai, too, but it’s the new ix55. On the floor in Paris, the new Hyundai ix55 looks similar to the Veracruz that gets sold in North America but has some significant changes to make it more attractive.

Take the 3.0-litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel engine that outputs 240 hp and 451 Nm of torque on Hyundai’s first six-speed automatic transmission, doing 0 to 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds. With a top speed of 200km/h don’t expect to consume less than 9.4l/ 100km (combined cycle). One last thing that may get you interested is the returned suspension that offers better handling and maneuverability.

Like it ?

Honestly, Hyundai is not the company and SantaFe is not the model, that I would have expected to see entering the hybrid-electric game, but now that I know it’s for sure, that’s a nice surprise.

Dubbed SantaFe blue Hybrid it’s the company’s first to use the new family hybrid system. It uses a 2.4 liter gasoline engine geared to a six-speed automatic transmission and a 30kW electric engine that also works as a generator to charge those 270V lithium polymer batteries. That has taken the CO2 emissions down to 148 g/km and fuel consumption to 6.2l/100km.

But it’s still a hybrid and I guess you’re expecting less performances? Well if you do, you’re dead wrong because that thing goes from 0 to 100km/h in 10.6 seconds. Other than the three-piece panoramic glass roof with UV protection by Magna Car Top Systems, the new SantaFe blue Hybrid is no different than the other SantaFes.

Why I never enjoyed the Hyundai coupe is a mystery for me, because I’m fond with the coupes. For no special reason the shark looks never appealed to me, but things are about to change. The new Hyundai Coupe is going to be based on the Velostar concept (pictured below) gotten a few details from the new Renault Laguna and should be the same class as Toyota Celica. We’ll get to see the new Coupe next year (2009) at the German motorshow in Frankfurt. Do you like the way it looks now? Any big changes that can lead you to buying one?

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This is for real guys. A Romanian driver, owner of a Hyundai SantaFe, wanted to be the smart ass and decided to take the train racks rather than waiting in line on a very (VERY) crowded bridge in Bucharest. Because the SantaFe is not a tram you don’t have to guess twice what happened. It got stuck.

Here’s where the fun part starts because this guy managed to block both train and road traffic on one side and I don’t need to tell you the words the guy got from “fellow” motorists (or passengers). See, being a smart ass pays off sometime Here is the video.

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