Free Republic

South Korean Ships Instead of Trainer Aircraft Representatives from the South Korean government and Hyundai shipyards recently visited Israel and offered to construct new surface vessels for the navy Despite South Korea’s loss in the competition for supplying an advanced trainer aircraft to the Israeli Air Force, which caused considerable disappointment in Seoul, South Korea is offering to procure new surface vessels for the Israeli Navy via Hyundai shipyards. South Korean representatives have already visited Israel and met with the Ministry of Defense to discuss a possible deal. While there is no budget to construct the vessels, the Israeli Navy...

A Hayward woman was arrested after receiving three speeding tickets in one hour.How fast is too fast? For a Hayward woman thrown in jail, it was three times in an hour, including twice at speeds over 100 miles an hour, according to reports. Lynne Kathleen Cahill-Gomez was pulled over for speeding three times between 8:10 p.m. and 9:08 p.m. on Saturday on Highway 70 in Yuba County, according to the Marysville Appeal-Democrat. She was pulled over for driving a Hyundai SUV 103 miles per hour and then again for going 105 miles per hour by 8:30 p.m. Then, 40 minutes...

SEOUL — Unionised workers at South Korea's largest carmaker Hyundai Motor stopped work at engine plants in one factory on Tuesday after a union member set himself ablaze due to alleged bullying by bosses. The union said workers at the five engine plants in the southeastern city of Ulsan stopped production at 1 pm (0400 GMT) after management rejected their demands -- including an apology for the incident and punishment of those responsible.

Electric vehicles may seem like the inevitable evolution of the conventional gas-powered automobile, but not every carmaker agrees. Hyundai will sit out the pure-electric car round, and instead concentrate its efforts on designing the next-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. As part of a decision by the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Hyundai--which owns 51 percent of Kia--will stop all efforts to develop and produce electric vehicles, according to Korean newspaper The Chosun Iblo. The auto manufacturer previously planned to produce the all-electric BlueOn, but it has shelved those plans and instead will focus on developing the Tucson ix Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle....

2011 Hyundai Equus On most cars, you only need to press the preset button that was used to save the desired radio station. But on the Equus you need to use voice commands or wade through five steps using the multifunction controller. 1. Starting on the frequency-indicator screen, push the controller knob to the left to highlight the menu. 2. Turn the knob to select "Presets" from the menu. 3. Push the knob down to confirm the selection. The screen displays the station preset list. 4. Turn the knob to highlight the desired preset. 5. Push the knob down to...

Continuing a campaign initiated by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) addressed the Telematics Detroit 2011 conference with harsh words on the growing trend to integrate infotainment technology into cars. David Strickland told those assembled, “I’m just putting everyone on notice. A car is not a mobile device. I’m not in the business of helping people tweet better. I’m not in the business of helping people post on Facebook better.” That’s not to say that the NHTSA and DOT are opposed to all telematics applications. In fact, the agencies support systems...

Hyundai's aggressive marketing is playing a huge role in the car maker's sizzling performance in the U.S. market. Its buy-back program, return new cars if you lost their job… the program was chosen as one of the best advertising efforts of the year by the Wall Street Journal in 2009. Only 350 customers returned their cars under the program by the time it ended last month. It was a major advertising success that significantly boosted Hyundai's image at very little cost.

The market for pre-owned vehicles continues to keep up the pace in this challenging economic environment, forcing the car makers that have made a business out of selling used cars come up will all sorts of solutions meant to put them ahead of the pack. In the US, the competition on this segment is fierce. There are, however, only a limited number of things you can do, as a producer, to increase the appeal of a so-called certified pre-owned car. And most of those things have something to do with aftermarket gadgets and systems. Hyundai, one of the biggest players...

The car manufacturers launch new models on regular basis to surpass each other and capture the Indian market. It is expected that in the coming year, we will witness flourishing growth in the small-car sectors with the intrusion of auto majors like Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Skoda, and Volkswagen. JD Power statistics show a steady growth in the number of small-car buyers in India. Representing 24 percent of the total market in 2009, the number has increased to 32 percent in 2010. Experts believe that the small car segment is set to expand even more.After establishing themselves in urban...

Thai Navy to Swap German Submarines for Korean 21 April 2011 The Royal Thai Navy is considering purchasing two South Korean submarines instead of six second-hand German submarines, Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has said. The defence minister's proposal for two new Hyundai-built Type U-209 Class diesel-electric submarines could cost over THB40bn ($1.32bn) and will require a tied-over budget spanning years. The navy has agreed to the proposal as long as the new South Korean submarines were based on German technology, a navy source said. "But if that costs more than 40bn-50bn baht, the government may not approve it and...

It seems improbable to some that Hyundai, the company that once sold a car so inexpensive you could charge it on a credit card, would unleash a car that costs $58,000 and competes with the finest luxury cars in the world. Those who sniff with disdain may do well to remember that some esteemed luxury automakers had humble origins. Consider, for example, Jaguar, which started as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars. Given that every automaker has access to the same auto- industry suppliers, and thus the same technology, it comes down to this: Which brand do you like, and how...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Few people in this city 800 miles south of Detroit cared much about the auto industry until Hyundai announced it would build cars here nine years ago. These days, Montgomery cannot stop talking about it. Hyundai and its sister company, Kia, which opened a plant last year just across the Georgia state line, have brought thousands of well-paying jobs to the region and even helped nurture a little Korean culture in Montgomery, the first capital of the old Confederacy. Hyundai is running its Montgomery plant almost nonstop. Rarely do more than a few weeks pass without word...

During a recent powertrain briefing, Hyundai revealed some more details about its new 5.0-liter Tau V8 and 1.0-liter Kappa three-cylinder engines that will be used in a variety of global markets in the near future. Slated for use in the Genesis sedan as well as the larger Equus, Hyundai's new V8 will use direct injection to produce 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. That's a healthy increase of 59 horsepower and 8 ft-lbs of torque over the 4.6-liter V8 it's replacing, while also increasing fuel economy by one mile per gallon to 18/26 thanks to an all-new eight-speed automatic...

How hot is the 2011 Hyundai Sonata? So hot that the Korean carmaker had to kick its Santa Fe SUV out of its only U.S. factory, in Alabama, in order to build more Sonatas. The Santa Fe is being shooed off to a Kia plant in Georgia so that Hyundai can keep up with demand for its sleekly designed, fuel-efficient mid-sized sedan. News reports says the move could free up Hyundai’s factory to build 100,000 more Sonatas a year.

www.catholicnewsagency.com Hyundai pulls television ad after Catholic uproar New York City, N.Y., Jun 14, 2010 / 06:48 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Responding to “enough of an outcry” from Catholic individuals and blogs, Korean car maker Hyundai announced on Monday that it has pulled a World Cup-themed television ad that ran during the USA-England soccer match on Saturday featuring a "church" in Argentina mocking Catholic sacraments.  The ad depicts the ceremony of a “church” called "Iglesia Maradoniana" founded in Rosario, Argentina. The “church” was established in the spirit of both honoring Diego Armando Maradona -Argentina's top soccer player and current coach...

Hyundai Removes Blasphemous World Cup Commercial You have seen the kerfuffle about the Hyundai / FIFA ad for the ongoing World Cup, which – in a blasphemous manner – portrayed the fervor of some soccer fans as being religious. I received an notice from a reader about a response he received from HYUNDAI: From: Hyundai Consumer Affairs To: _ Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 3:22 PM Subject: Anti-catholic ad      Hello and thank you for your feedback regarding Hyundai advertising. Hyundai Motor America would like to thank you and other consumers for sharing concerns about a new ad titled "Wedding"...

At mass this morning Monsignor Desmond called our attention to an appalling ad he saw while watching the World Cup yesterday. Hyundai chose to mock the Blessed Sacrament in a misguided attempt to sell a few more of their crappy cars. And nobody at ABC Sports thought it was in poor taste for them to do so. The imagery is blasphemous and patently insulting to any devout Catholic. Hyundai's sacrilege has to be intentional. There is too much Catholic ritual incorporated, and mocked, for this to be happenstance. You can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn't pull a stunt like...

Honda and Subaru were ranked the best overall car manufacturers in the new Consumer Reports auto survey released yesterday -- but recall-battered Toyota did surprising well, too, coming in a close third. Honda and Subaru tied for first place with a total score of 77 based on reliability, performance, comfort and utility -- while Toyota was next with a score of 74, the report said. Hyundai's Elantra SE, which lists for $18,695, was ranked the best small sedan. The automaker was then followed by Nissan, with an average score of 72. Its Altima, which sells for $23,970, was the family-sedan...

As we said before, please do not buy a new car until the end of November — inventories are so low, you’re not likely find the color and features you want and you will most likely over pay. If you must buy a car now, both Hyundai and Kia are the first car manufacturers to offer big incentives after the ”clunkers’ program ended. While KIA offers the better deals, you’ll still likely save more if you can’t wait until the end of November for supply to catch back up to levels where deals abound.

Hailed as a jump-start for the U.S. economy, the federal government's "cash for clunkers" gave the biggest boost to foreign automakers. Overall, auto sales in August were the highest in more than a year, according to industry figures released Tuesday. Carmakers sold more than 1.2 million cars and trucks, up 1% from the same month last year and the first year-over-year sales gain since August 2007. Much of that was a result of the clunkers program, which ran July 24 to Aug. 24 and provided hefty government rebates to consumers who traded in gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient new vehicles....

SKorea, US team up to build and export Aegis warships by Staff Writers Seoul (AFP) July 22, 2009 US defence group Lockheed Martin and South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries will team up to build and export mid-size warships equipped with advanced Aegis weapons systems, an official said Wednesday. They signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in May 2006 to jointly produce Aegis-equipped guided missile ships, Hyundai Heavy spokesman Cho Woo-Tae told AFP. Cho said it is thought to be very rare for Lockheed to partner with a foreign company to produce Aegis-equipped vessels for possible sale to a third country....

It's the worst year in history for the industry: Two Detroit companies went bankrupt, and even the Japanese are losing money. But nothing stops those Koreans. Hyundai and Kia are expanding their lineups, a new Kia plant is to open in Georgia, and they are setting most ambitious goals. Their cars may not be the best, but they are improving--many get on the "recommended" list in Consumers Reports--and they are getting major help from the home country's weak currency. The two are connected under the name Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Hyundai is larger and owns a 39% controlling stake in...

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is recording the fastest growth among foreign carmakers in the U.S. market, filling the vacuum left by the troubled ``Big Three'' automakers. In the January-to-April period, General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler sold 1.77 million vehicles in total in the U.S. for a combined 44.7-percent share, down 3.6 percent year-on-year in the wake of the bankruptcy protection for GM and Chrysler, according to industry experts. All foreign makers benefited from the decline, but none of them outperformed the Korean maker in the first four months of the year. Hyundai's market share rose 1.3 percentage points to 4.2...

A study of car safety released on Wednesday shows that four of the top-scoring automobiles in tests of five new models were small cars or so-called super-minis — including the Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20, Kia Soul and Peugeot 3008. . . Seats installed in the Kia Soul, for example, “achieved a good result in the program’s whiplash testing, again revealing that it is not only larger or expensive cars that achieve impressive results in safety.” . . . It said the Honda Jazz and Hyundai i20 racked up “impressive pedestrian scores”

What you are looking at is the physical representation of Hyundai's will to succeed in the U.S., also known as the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The Korean automaker's first attempt at a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan will debut in Detroit next week and arrive on our shores later this year (we think) with a price tag that starts below $30,000. As is Hyundai's way, it will feature power, performance and amenities that belie its little price tag. First, the design. The Genesis sedan has clean lines and uncluttered surfaces that look detailed and, frankly, expensive. Yes, it's derivative. There's a bit of...

While the Minutemen protest, the Teamster try to recruit the Mexican Drivers.

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic, April 25 Asia Pulse - Construction on Hyundai Motor's (KSE:005380) Czech plant started Wednesday, heralding the carmaker's efforts to expand its presense in Eastern Europe. The 1.1 billion euro (US$1.5 billion) project aims to give Hyundai the ability to churn out 300,000 cars every year. During the first part of construction, to be completed by March 2009, the plant will make 200,000 units. This will be increased by 100,000 by 2011. Ostrava, located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, is famous for its steel production and coal mining. It is close to both Poland and...

Alabama's auto industry gathered additional momentum Monday with the news that Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC, which opened its $1.1 billion production facility in Montgomery less than two years ago, would build a second engine plant on the site. The South Korean carmaker will invest $270 million in the new project, which will create 522 new jobs. The company will build a 350,000-square-foot facility to manufacture 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Theta engines for use on site by Hyundai and at the new Kia Motors Corp. plant under construction in nearby Georgia. Kia is a sister company to Hyundai. The new project also...

CALIFORNIA CITY - A state appellate court has decided in favor of several California City property owners fighting the city's use of eminent domain to acquire their land in 2003 for an automotive test track for Hyundai Kia Motors. The Fifth Appellate District decision overturns that of a Kern County Superior Court, which in 2005 found in favor of the city in its acquisition of land for the test track, which occupies seven square miles at the southern edge of the city along Highway 58. Of the acreage needed by Hyundai Kia, approximately 80% was owned by a railroad firm...

Hyundai Sues Union for New Year's Violence Hyundai Motor on Thursday sued 22 leaders of its labor union, including union head Park Yoo-ki, for their violent disruption of a New Year's opening ceremony at its Ulsan factory. The company also plans to sue the union for disrupting operations, as unionists have rejected two-hour overtime work since December 28. Additionally, the automaker will seek compensation from the union for property damages including smashed glass doors. Hyundai Motor said that 4,427 cars were not produced over the last five days, causing a loss of W72.4 billion (US$1=W931.) The company said that according...

For all the nonsense about the love affair between Americans and their cars, people seem to spend a whole lot of time and effort to avoid climbing into a car. Super Stop & Shop's Peapod provides home delivery of groceries. That eliminates one's weekly trip to the grocery store. Get the grocery list online, pick the items, and the food appears in the insulated box outside your house. People can go to Match, Jdate, EHarmony and Match.com to start dating without even heading to a bar. What happened to joining the ski club? What happened to taking night classes? Tennis,...

December 5, 2006 A Loop 101 photo enforcement case that captured national attention and called into question the accuracy of Scottsdale’s freeway speed cameras won’t ever get its day in court. Scottsdale and the man accused of traveling a record 147 mph in a 2006 Hyundai Sonata family sedan reached a plea agreement less than a week before the case was to go to trial today. Lawrence Pargo, 27, of Goodyear, agreed to plead guilty to one count of criminal endangerment, one count of reckless driving and one count of excessive speeding at 102 mph in Scottsdale City Court, according...

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has reportedly told Chinese interlocutors that he is "sorry" about testing a nuclear weapon and that he is willing to resume his country's participation in the so-called Six-Party Talks. It is predictable that diplomats in this country and elsewhere will seek to parlay this "breakthrough" into new negotiations. If past practice is any guide, however, these talks will translate into additional strategic, financial and political concessions for the North, even as it continues to build its nuclear weapon stockpile and perfect its long-range ballistic missile programs - the very actions such concessions are meant to...

CALIFORNIA CITY - The battle over fencing additions to the Desert Tortoise Nature Area on the outskirts of California City appears to be over, settled by a meeting of all parties involved. The land in question was turned over to the state Department of Fish and Game for use as protected desert tortoise habitat by Hyundai Motors as mitigation measures for building a test track at the southern end of the city. Because the track would infringe on desert tortoise habitat, a similar amount of land had to be set aside elsewhere. The property is near the existing Desert Tortoise...

According to a JD Power and Associates' 2006 Initial Quality Study, Toyota and its upscale Lexus division took 11 of 19 vehicle-category top spots. Toyota's Camry and Corolla sedans, its high-priced Lexus LS430 model, and four of its SUVs also took top spots. However, the best their Prius could muster in the compact car division was fourth. It was beat out by two Japanese cars (no surpise) - the Corolla (1st) and the Honda Civic (3rd). Surprise second-place finisher was the Hyundai Elantra. Maybe Elantra wasn't surprised, but I was. The problem with the Prius seems to not be a...

J.D. Power and Associates Ranked the different classes of cars by quality. There were 19 classes of cars. Asian car makers too 14 of the top spots in the 19 classes. Japan was on top in 12 classes. 11 of those were taken by Toyota alone! The last Japanese spot was taken by Mazda. South Korean car makers Kia and Hyundai each took a top spot. Subcompact: Kia Rio Compact: Toyota Corolla Compact Sporty: Mazda MX-5 Miata Entry Premium: Lexus IS 250/350 Mid-size Premium: Lexus ES 330 Large Premium: Lexus LS430 Premium Sporty: Lexus SC 430 Mid-size sporty: Toyota Solara...

Labor leaders in Korea are not disappointed to see Hyundai CEO, Chung Mong Koo, take a fall. What union leaders ( I hate unions ) hope for is that this will give Hyundai Motors a chance to make another leap forward because they will be out from under the 'emperor-like' rule of Chung. Hyundai is the world's number 7 auto-maker and Chung now owns 5.2% of it from jail. Though he owned such a small portion he had near absolute control and was even said to be a micro manager to the point of deciding what color the parts under...

Some records are meant to be broken, but Scottsdale police aren’t happy with one that has been shattered by someone they described as “a very dangerous driver.” The new speed record clocked last month by photo enforcement cameras along Loop 101 in Scottsdale — at 147 mph — is 16 mph more than the one set by an unknown motorcyclist on Feb. 14. Lawrence Pargo, 26, of Goodyear was arrested by Scottsdale police at his home May 26 on suspicion of four counts of excessive speeding, reckless driving and endangerment, Scottsdale police Lt. Frank O’Halloran said. Pargo was clocked and...

Millions of American investors, as well as their pension funds, mutual funds and other institutions, have unsuspectingly invested their hard-earned wealth in foreign companies that aid and abet the Islamofascist theocracy in Iran. If you are reading this article, you’re probably one of those unsuspecting investors. You may not directly own shares of corporations that do business in and with the Islamic Republic of Iran, but chances are your 401K, mutual fund portfolio or public pension system is invested in such companies. Congratulations. A portion of your money is going toward arming and training Hezbollah terrorists, sheltering members of Al...

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prosecution on Thursday requested an arrest warrant for embattled Chairman Chung Mong-koo of the Hyundai Motor Group, who is accused of creating a huge slush fund to bribe politicians and government officials for business favors. Chung's only son and heir Eui-sun, the president of Kia Motors Corp., will be indicted without physical detention on the same charges, prosecutors said. Kia is a key affiliate of the country's second-largest conglomerate. "We sought a warrant in the morning to detain Chairman Chung on charges of embezzling 100 billion won from the company coffers to...

Russian factory will make Hyundai vehicles Feb 10, 2006, 10:05 GMT printer friendly email this article ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia (UPI) -- The Russian Truck and Car Plant has signed an agreement with South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. to produce commercial Hyundai vehicles in Russia. Investment in the project will total $120 million, a spokesman at Hyundai`s regional office has told the Russian news agency Interfax. The plant, located in the city of Rostov-on-Don, will mainly assemble buses -- the 25-seat County and the 33-seat Aero Town -- as well as Hyundai tow trucks. The Russians are scheduled to roll out...

Toyota Motor Corp, one of the world's most successful automakers, claims to be afraid of a lot of things: complacency, competition, and success itself. But in the United States, rival Hyundai Motor Co may well be at the top of Toyota's list. "We're worried about them," Yukitoshi Funo, chairman of Toyota Motor Sales USA, told reporters in Detroit this week. "Our main competitors here are essentially Honda Motor Co Ltd, Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Hyundai, but Hyundai is the one we are very carefully watching," he said on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit....

/begin my translationS. Korean Lawmaker, "N. Korea demanded to Hyundai Asan blueprints of a submarine (and an Aegis ship)" claimed, "This is the real reason (N. Korea) scrapped Hyundai's N. Korean venture." Unification Minister Chung (Dong-young) dismissed it saying, "Baseless allegation ... no more than an unfounded rumor) Seoul, Yonhap (News) 2005.10.25 (Opposition) Hannara lawmaker Lee Bang-ho claimed on Oct. 25, 2005, during the questioning session on government, "The reason why N. Korea declared the total scrapping of Hyundai Asan's N. Korean business venture is because N. Korea demanded to have blueprints for a submarine and an Aegis ship under construction by...

Kia Motors could build a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and pick-up truck plant in the U.S. following its parent company Hyundai after being offered VIP treatment there. The Hyundai Motor Group said Monday its chairman Chung Mong-ku discussed building a U.S. plant with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour at the headquarters of the company in Yangjae, Seoul. Barbour offered Kia conditions on a par with the red-carpet treatment given to Hyundai by the depressed neighboring state of Alabama to Hyundai, the company said. Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo poses for a photo with visiting Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, who sits in...

... Hyundai, the South Korean vehicle manufacturer, also qualifies. The company started in the United States about two decades ago, and it had an initial rush, selling economy cars at less than economy prices. ...There are three Sonata models, all built in a new plant in Montgomery, Ala. The base GL starts at $18,495, and includes a high level of standard equipment: electronic stability control, antilock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, side air bags and side-curtain air bags, remote locking, cruise control, air conditioning, an audio system with CD and MP3 player capability, power windows and heated outside mirrors...

John Kalson left his Ford job in Detroit to work as production director for the new Hyundai plant in Montgomery, as did several of his current production line supervisors who say they were eager for a change from the Big Three culture. "Is Ford building a new plant? No. Is GM? No. Is Daimler? No," Kalson said while walking through the gleaming new Hyundai production line on display at Friday's grand opening, revealing the South Korean automaker's first U.S. plant. Experts say former Big Three employees like Kalson are indicative of Asian brands putting pressure on domestic automakers by building...

South's automotive production accelerates Hyundai plant opens today in Alabama By SAMIRA JAFARI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Hyundai's new plant opening today is the latest sign that the Mercedes-Benz decision to locate in Alabama a decade ago turned the state, like much of the South, into a new automotive frontier. Despite early skepticism that tax breaks and incentives given to the German automaker were overly lavish, it helped Alabama emerge as a major Southern contender for job-rich car assembly plants and related industries. Amid rolling fields and forests south of Alabama's capital, Hyundai is opening a 2 million-square-foot...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — As Korean automaker Hyundai invited visitors to tour its first U.S. plant, deliveries for the first U.S.-built Sonatas were arriving at dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. Hyundai held a lavish grand opening of its new plant here Friday, at which it meshed Korean and U.S. culture. Korean dancers and drummers performed, along with local high school marching bands. The event drew 4,000 guests, including the nearly 2,000 plant employees, former President George Bush, and other Alabama and U.S. government officials, as well as Hyundai executives, Korean government officials and Korean media. The Hyundai move takes a...

While attending the opening of a car plant in Alabama Friday, former president Bush jokingly recalled a protester he encountered.

Report: Automaker's customers don't want Sirius because they don't want to listen to the shock jock. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A surprising number of Hyundai customers said they didn't want Sirius Satellite Radio installed in their vehicles because they objected to Howard Stern, according to an auto news Web site. The so-called "shock jock" will broadcast on Sirius (up $0.08 to $5.33, Research) Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. beginning in January 2006, said Inside Line, an online news source that is part of Edmunds.com. Edmunds.com is a partner in CNN.com's automotive news and information channels. Hyundai...