Business as usual for Hyundai at the CV Show

For the second consecutive year Hyundai will be showcasing its line-up of light commercial vehicles at the CV Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

Located in Hall 1 at stand 1G10, visitors will have the chance to view Hyundai’s LCV model range including the versatile iLoad Panel Van and iLoad Crew Van plus i800 people carrier with automatic gearbox.

With prices starting at £14,090 the Euro-5 Hyundai iLoad Panel Van is the ideal business partner for those looking to manage fleet costs without compromising on quality and reliability. Like its Hyundai i800 sibling, the iLoad comes with a generous list of standard specification including front electric windows, full steel bulkhead, USB and AUX connections, twin glazed rear doors plus twin side-sliding doors.

For those needing to transport people and cargo, Hyundai offers the iLoad Crew Van, which features a second row of seats for carrying up to six people in total. Gross payload is 1,059kg and with a 2.5m³ load area, businesses can move workers and equipment in one effortless journey.

The eight-seater Hyundai i800 people carrier provides businesses with a high level of specification, space and versatility. Even with all eight seats occupied, the i800 boasts 851 litres of additional luggage capacity and the flexible seating arrangement means users can configure the seats according to their specific needs.

All new Hyundai commercial vehicles are backed by Hyundai’s Five-year 100,000 mile warranty, which also includes one year’s free RAC roadside assistance.

STYLE, VALUE AND TECHNOLOGY AS STANDARD FOR NEW HYUNDAI i20

Following its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai UK has today announced full pricing and specification for the New Hyundai i20, which will be available in showrooms on 7 May 2012.

Prices for i20 start at £9,995 on-the-road for the three-door 1.2 petrol Classic model, while at the other end of the spectrum the range-topping 90ps 1.4 CRDi Style model costs £14,295.

Full pricing details for the New i20 is as follows:

To further enhance the i20’s appeal, Hyundai’s designers have given the car an attractive exterior makeover that features new wheel designs plus a hexagonal front grille that is in keeping with Hyundai’s current fluidic sculpture design. Further design changes to the front end include new rounded front wings while the reshaped bonnet and headlights continue the theme along with new fog light clusters and daytime running lights. Moving to the rear, the New Hyundai i20 gets a redesigned rear bumper and taillights, which helps to add to the i20’s fresh approach.

Inside, the New Hyundai i20 majors on quality with soft-touch plastics, a revised and classier centre consol along with updated seat trims.

The New i20 is available in three main trim levels beginning with Classic, moving up to Active and followed by Style. Starting with Classic, each model comes with a generous list of standard specification including remote central locking, six air bags, air conditioning, ESP and, for the first time on Hyundai i20, Vehicle Stability Management.

Hyundai has added in even more value to the i20 package with the Active trim, which adds 15-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth with voice recognition, electric/heated door mirrors, front fog lights, leather steering wheel and gear knob and electric rear windows (five door bodystyle) when compared with Classic.

The range-topping Style model is equipped with16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, rain sensing front wipers, climate control along with an automatic dimming rear view mirror with an integrated reversing camera – the first standard application of this technology in the segment.

These standard features are traditionally only found on bigger and more luxurious cars as optional extras, but with the New Hyundai i20 they are all part of the overall package.

Buyers wanting even higher levels of technology and features can order the Convenience Pack, which encompasses keyless entry, engine Start/Stop button, chrome exterior door handles and supervision cluster.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO Hyundai Motor UK, says: “The New i20 is yet another model to join Hyundai’s new-look model range and will appeal to existing customers but will also prove an attractive choice for young buyers who may not have considered Hyundai in the past. It has been given a thorough revision both inside out and with high levels of specification will appeal to customers who want value for money without compromising on quality.

“In addition, the i20 range will feature the cleanest internal combustion diesel engine in terms of CO₂ emissions with the 1.1-litre unit emitting just 84g/km. This showcases Hyundai’s considerable efforts in optimising existing technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from its range of cars. As with all new Hyundai cars, the i20 is backed by our 5 Year Triple Care warranty for complete peace of mind.”

Hyundai has improved upon the popular 1.2-litre petrol engine, which is now cleaner, more efficient and more powerful than the model it replaces. Maximum output is now 85ps (79ps for the outgoing variant) while improvements in fuel consumption from 55.4mpg to 57.7mpg on the combined cycle, plus emissions reductions from 119g/km CO₂ to 114g/km CO₂ make the 1.2 petrol engine one of the most efficient around.

Furthermore, the 1.2-litre petrol i20 is now available in Style trim and for just an additional £750 above the Active trim. This represents fantastic value for buyers looking for luxury features at an affordable price.

Headlining i20’s eco-credentials is the Blue variant, which is powered by Hyundai’s ultra-efficient 1.1-litre “U-ll” three-cylinder diesel engine that combined with Intelligent Stop and Go and low rolling resistance tyres emits a mere 84g/km – making it the lowest-emitting diesel engine in the UK. Coupled with low emissions, the i20 Blue is capable of returning 88.3mpg on the combined cycle.

Sorry mate, I didn’t see you

Fifty-eight per cent of drivers were cut-up by another road user who didn’t look properly, in the last six months, according to the IAM’s latest poll. Forty per cent of these near misses took place in 30 mile per hour zones.
Fifty-eight per cent of drivers are most likely to blame others for not concentrating.


These incidents are known as SMIDSYs – ‘sorry mate I didn’t see you’ – which is often the reaction of the perpetrator when these events result in accidents. Failure to look is a contributory factor in 29% of serious collisions and 36% of slight accidents according to IAM research.¹

• Eighty-three per cent of drivers said that these incidents would decrease by improving drivers’ awareness of motorcyclists.
• Fifty-two per cent of drivers have had a near miss with a cyclist,
• and 59 per cent of drivers suggested there needed to be better enforcement of the law for cyclists.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “SMIDSY moments are happening far too often, and very few people are prepared to take responsibility for their part in them. It’s always someone else’s fault.  All road users need to be more aware of who they are sharing the road with, and the risks they present.  


“Other road users’ intentions can often be guessed by their body language and position on the road, so drive defensively, and leave room so that if somebody does do something unexpected, you have time to deal with it.”
The IAM recommends these top tips for drivers to share the road:

• Keep an eye out for motorcyclists and cyclists and give them extra space
• Use your mirrors so you see bikes approaching from behind. In particular check your mirrors before changing direction, especially in traffic queues
• If a motorcyclist or cyclist is trying to get past in heavy traffic, let them. Don’t try and hinder their progress because you are stuck
• Give clear and early signals to allow other road users time to react
• Don’t cut up a cyclist when turning left. Never overtake then turn left across their front wheel
• Overtake gently. Passing a cyclist quickly might feel safe to you, but it doesn’t to the cyclist and the closer you are, the more this is the case
• Leave cyclists enough room when you pass them to allow them to move out to negotiate drains and potholes
• Check for bikes before opening the driver’s door when you’ve parked.

Unique Crash Test Procedure Ensures Ford B-MAX Door System is as Safe as it is Innovative

Ford developed and implemented a unique test procedure to ensure the new B-MAX’s Easy Access Door System is as safe as it is innovative.

The Ford B-MAX integrates central body pillars into hinged front doors and sliding rear doors to create best-in-class access to the compact multi-activity vehicle. However, this fresh approach also required designers and engineers to develop new crash test equipment to ensure B-MAX met Ford’s safety standards.

The five-year testing programme included 5,000 virtual collisions and 40 real-world crashes; three years alone were devoted to providing rear-door safety. This testing process included the construction of a bespoke rig system used to test the reinforced latches.

“The B-MAX really took us into uncharted territory,” said Ford safety project manager Tom Overington. “We knew from virtual simulations that the design performs well, but we had to validate this in real crash tests.” 

The Ford B-MAX doors are fitted with ultra-high strength steel brackets called crash catchers that lock the doors together if the vehicle is hit in the side.

“The latches and crash catchers are crucial because they are designed to keep the doors together during a crash,” Overington said. “We went to great lengths to test them in the virtual and the physical word.”

“We performed virtual car-to-car crashes at a 30 degree angle into the front and rear doors to further validate the performance of the door structure. We also built a special rig to test the reinforced latch mechanism. The forces involved in these tests are massive and the doors performed exactly as expected.”

In addition to being subjected to more than 5,000 computer simulated crash tests, the team conducted 40 complete crash tests and another 100 tests where the car was mounted on a sled and fired into a barrier.

Each physical test takes four days to set up but the impact itself, is over in fractions of a second.

The result is a car capable of withstanding a side impact force in excess of 165 kilonewtons, the equivalent of a small car being dropped from a height of 6.5 metres or the combined weight of three elephants.

“We’re delighted with the performance of the Ford B-MAX,” said Overington. “We are targeting a maximum five-star safety rating when the vehicle is assessed by Euro NCAP later this year.”

The all-new Ford B-MAX on sale now from £12,995 will be in UK dealerships by September.

Record European Sales for Hyundai in First Quarter of 2012

Hyundai registered a record number of new cars in Europe between January and March 2012 – 114,571 units – resulting in a European market share high for the first quarter of 3.3%.


According to figures released today by European industry body ACEA, Hyundai’s sales during the first three months of 2011 represented an increase of 12.5% compared to the same period 12 months ago. In contrast, the overall European new car market declined by 7.3%.


Hyundai recorded 50,131 new car registrations across Europe in March – another new record and an increase of 13.8% over 2011. The overall European new-car market declined by 6.6% during the same month. Hyundai has now outperformed the European market trend for 39 consecutive months since January 2009.


Sales of i30, ix35 and ix20 – the three models built at Hyundai’s plant in Nošovice, Czech Republic – represented over 50% of Hyundai’s European sales during the first quarter.


Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “Hyundai cars are designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe for Europeans – our performance in quarter one demonstrates how well this strategy is working. Another European car, the New Generation Hyundai i30, has just gone on sale and we expect this new model to drive us towards our market share goal of 3.5% by the end of 2012.”


The New Generation i30 is available with Five Year Triple Care, Hyundai’s award-winning customer care package that includes a five-year warranty with no mileage limit, five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks.

Auto Puppets

A group of puppeteers is challenged with designing and building two large-scale puppets using only car parts. Sponsored By Hyundai Motor Company

The Parisian Pinball Parking Game.

The producer decided to demonstrate Ford Active Park Assist on the streets of Paris, where parking is a bit of a contact sport! So he built a giant pinball machine to score the number of 'strikes' drivers made as they attempted to get into a tight spot.

Then a Ford Focus arrives and it's game over!

FORD FIESTA STUDIO WINS SMALL HATCHBACK OF THE YEAR FROM PARKERS

The Ford Fiesta Studio three-door, 1.25-litre petrol is the UK's most cost effective Small Hatchback of the Year under £13,000 according to a leading car buying website, Parkers.

In deciding the awards from Parkers, the website combined list price with running costs, including depreciation, showroom and road tax, servicing and fuel consumption.

Kieren Puffet, Parkers editor, said:  "The Fiesta 1.25 Studio three-door has proved to be an excellent value-for-money small hatchback that is still holding its own in a very competitive segment. It came out top in the under-£13,000 price bracket in the Parkers Cost of Motoring New Car Awards’ small hatchback category because it has affordable running costs to go with its fantastic handling abilities and competitive list price.

Priced from £9,795 the Ford Fiesta is Britain’s best-selling car and the latest ECOnetic model delivers 85mpg emitting 87g/km CO₂.

Hyundai Motor Unveils All-New Santa Fe at the 2012 New York International Auto Show

In its latest form, the popular Santa Fe SUV is re-styled inside and out, fitted with enhanced features and new technology, and powered by re-tuned engines with improved efficiency – ensuring that it will offer European buyers a visually-appealing, sophisticated lifestyle vehicle when it goes on sale in late summer.

Hyundai is keeping the name, Santa Fe, continuing the heritage of the car manufacturer’s well-established SUV model as it enters its third generation.  The Hyundai Santa Fe has achieved worldwide cumulative sales of almost 2,56 million units, and more than 350.000 in Europe, since its 2000 debut.

Influenced by Hyundai’s form language, Fluidic Sculpture, the third-generation Santa Fe adopts its own design concept called ‘Storm Edge’, which captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm.

Featuring sophisticated and refined lines, which are in harmony with its bold and voluminous surfaces, New Generation Hyundai Santa Fe presents a more masculine, more aggressive and more characterful SUV appearance than its predecessor.

Three powertrain options will be available to European buyers, including a new, super-efficient, Euro 6- compliant 2,0-litre ‘R’ VGT diesel engine.  Producing 150ps, this powerplant emits just 155g/km of CO₂.  The 2,2-litre diesel unit has been tuned for greater efficiency, making it one of the cleanest offerings in the segment with CO₂ emissions of only 145 g/km.

To ensure the newcomer is best suited to the tastes of European drivers, extensive development work has been completed for the European-specification model.  This includes modifications to the steering, suspension and brakes, as well as changes to the car’s set-up to aid to high-speed stability and towing ability.

As with all newly-launched models in Europe, the New Generation Santa Fe will come with Hyundai’s industry-best customer care package, Five Year Triple Care – comprising a five-year unlimited warranty, five years of roadside assistance, and five years of vehicle health checks.

Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, Allan Rushforth, commented, “The original Hyundai Santa Fe has maintained strong sales year-on-year across Europe, thanks to its combination of quality, practicality and value.  Now, New Generation Santa Fe retains the earlier model’s key strengths – practicality, roominess and dependability – while also offering consumers much more.

“With its fresh exterior styling, more efficient engines, greater comfort and improved quality, New Generation Santa Fe is a truly attractive proposition that will build on the successes of the previous model by broadening its emotional appeal.”

The company expects the New Generation Santa Fe to appeal to new consumers from a wider demographic range – including some owners of premium-brand SUVs.