New Hyundai Azera and Fiat 500 Abarth At LA Show

Ah Twitter; the land of 140-characters where you can follow anyone without creeping them out has lately turned into something like a news board for automakers.

Instead of releasing an announcement on their respective websites, Fiat and Hyundai chose the social network to broadcast their 2011 LA Show debuts, which include the 2012 Azera and the 500 Abarth.
Starting from Hyundai, the South Korean automaker that could, will bring to LA the North American market version of its next generation Azera sedan, which has already been launched in its home market as the Grandeur.
The front-wheel drive Azera slots between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan and will most likely be offered with a 270-horsepower V6 engine.
Fiat's LA Show debut is the sport version of 500 mini called the Abarth. It features an aggressive bodykit along with a tuned chassis and a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine capable of delivering between 140HP and 180HP, depending on the model.

2012 HYUNDAI GRANDEUR

FIAT 500 ABARTH EU

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Internet - The Best Medium To Sell Your Used Cars

The Internet is the best medium today to sell your used car or anything else for that matter. Just be mindful of a few things for getting the best price for your car. There are several advantages of selling your cars online as compared to the conventional methods.

Before the Internet arrived, everything from finding a customer for your car, getting a job or buying a house was usually done through the Yellow Pages or the classifieds ads section of the local newspaper. Now, you can do any of these things in a much better way by using the power of the net. You can type a few search words into Google and find the relevant Internet directories where you can get your classified listed for a considerable period of time.

How to Sell Your Car Online

Thanks to the Internet, selling a car can be an easy task now. You just need to take care of a few things to get the best price for your car. They are discussed below:-

Pricing Your Car � When pricing your car, consider the mileage and condition of the car. Utilize a price guide like the Kelley Blue Book and NADA to find out your car's approximate value.

Make It Ready � If you want to obtain a good price out of your used car, you will have to do a slight touch up job on it. That includes washing, polishing, fixing the scratches and the dents and repairing the interior of your car, if required. Keep all the insurance documents and registration papers ready.

Let People Know � When you are ready with your car, search for an online platform to advertise. Advertise on several sites to maximize the potential number of buyers. When posting your ad online, make sure to include all the information related to your car such as color, model, price, mileage, contact number and suitable time to contact you.

Advantages of Selling Cars Online

You must be thinking as to why you should sell your car online. There are various advantages of selling used cars online as compared to other conventional methods such as newspapers and so on.

* The Internet is used widely and communication is easier and faster. Selling a used car through a website is a better option than any other conventional medium. Through a website your car would be reachable to a mass audience.

* Most online selling platforms would allow you to put relevant details like the model of the car, color, etc. which would give a better insight to your prospective buyer. Even if you forget to add some important details on your listing, you can do it anytime later.

* You get a way to advertise your car all across the world. All other ways of advertising have a limited audience.

* Buyers can ask for the information if required, which is contrary to the newspaper as it only provides one way of communication.

* You can put all information related to your car on the web. Such space would usually not be available on other mediums.

Selling used cars is now easier than ever before. While browsing on the Internet you will come across many service providers which are dealing in used cars for sale by owners. These providers have a large database and will enable you to sell your car sans any worry.

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2012 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai has blessed the South Korean market version of its Sonata mid-size sedan with its very first mild facelift. Just don�t blink because you may very well miss it.
The light cosmetic surgery on the outside brings a revamped front grille with a little bit less chrome on top and around the sides, plus new LED taillights at the back, reshaped mirror casings and a fresh choice of alloy wheel designs including a set of 18-inch multispoke rims.
There are some mild tweaks inside, namely the new trim options, higher quality materials, the addition of LED spot lights and improved standard equipment throughout the range.
In South Korea, while the Sonata continues with the 165-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit, matched to a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission, for the 2012MY, Hyundai replaced the 2.4-liter gasoline engine with the more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot rated at 271-horses.
Hyundai did not say when or if the styling changes will pass on to the international market version of the Sonata, but we promise to act surprised if the U.S. model receives a similar refresh within the next 12 months.

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Toyota and Honda want to Win Back Sales Share from Hyundai Sonata

Not too long ago, if someone told you that a South Korean model would challenge America�s best selling sedan, the Toyota Camry, you would have probably laughed in his or her face.

Needless to say, a lot has changed over the past few years with Hyundai and in particular itslatest Sonata sedan, not only challenging, but this past May even surpassing the Camry in U.S. sales for the first time in history.

Of course, the fact that Toyota�s production capabilities were seriously affected by the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, played a significant role in Hyundai�s accomplishment.

Nevertheless, U.S. sales of the Camry from 2007 to 2010 dropped around 31 percent to 327,804 units, while the new Sonata, which was launched in January of 2010, saw its sales soar 35 percent to 196,623. In the first half of 2011, U.S. sales of the Sonata are up 29 percent to 115,014 units, while the Camry fell 4.4 percent to 147,469 cars.

And of course, Toyota is taking notice.

�Sonata became a very honorable contender in the market,� Yoshimi Inaba, Toyota�s North American chairman, told Bloomberg news on a July 12 interview. �We do have good respect for the model, and the sales figures show it�s increasing quite a bit.�

Toyota is planning to launch a new generation of the Camry later this year. According to the Japanese company, its bread-and-butter mid-size sedan will sport a more modern design as well as improved driving dynamics.

But Toyota isn�t the only Japanese automaker worried about the success of the Sonata; so is Honda which saw U.S. sales of its Accord drop 28 percent to 282,530 in the period from 2007 to 2010.

�We recognize that the Korean models are very competitive because of their good quality and affordable price,� said Keitaro Yamamoto, a Honda spokesperson in Tokyo. �Before, it was Accord versus Camry, but it�s definitely becoming Accord versus Camry versus Sonata.�

Honda is also said to be working on a redesign for its Accord sedan, which should arrive in North American showrooms sometime next year.

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New Generation Y Buyer Survey Spells Trouble for Detroit

Auto pricing website TrueCar studied the car buying behaviour of four million Gen Y (18 to 27 year-old) over a twenty-four month period and here�s what they found.

Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).

Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.

American carmakers secured fifth place in the model line-up with the Ford Focus Coupe, even though Ford only scored a mere 5.1% of the market overall.

Nissan and Toyota scored big on Gen Y appeal, with Hyundai and Honda following close behind. Kristen Andersson, one of TrueCar�s automotive analysts describes the generation thusly:

�Generation Y buyers want vehicles that look distinct and can be tailored to their individual tastes. Buyers from this generation are also looking for vehicles that have the technology features they are accustomed to built into the vehicle at an affordable price.�

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Six Top Auto Picks Based On Low Depreciation

NADA Guides has released its Quarterly Car Buyers Market Rep?rt, and six models earned the ?rganizations Top Recommended Buys designati?n. The 2011 Acura TL, Dodge Challenger R/T, GMC Terrain SLE-2, Hyundai Azera Limited, T?yota Tacoma D?uble Cab V6 Manual and Toyota Venza I4 AWD all made the cut.

While l?w first-year depreciation rates fact?r into which vehicles win ?ut in the report, NADA Guides als? evaluates vehicles based on criteria like whether ?r not a m?del is competitively priced, is available with incentives ?r rebates, and dealer inventory v?lumes.
Surprisingly en?ugh, the 2011 Dodge Challenger R/T carried the l?west first-year depreciation rate ?f all the vehicles on the list. With a rate ?f just 8 percent, the Mopar muscle car beat ?ut the vehicle with the next-lowest rate � the T?yota Tacoma D?uble Cab V6 Manual � by two percentage p?ints.
Meanwhile, the Hyundai Azera limited packed the highest depreciati?n rate am?ng the vehicles on the list at 21 percent, f?llowed by the Acura TL at 19 percent.

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Argentina Allow Hyundai and Kia Imports for Peanuts � Literally�

Argentina�s exports for imports saga continues, with South Korean carmaker Hyundai agreeing to export peanuts, wine, biodiesel and soy flour to offset the US$91 million (�64 million) it added to Argentina�s growing trade deficit in 2010. Partner company / subsidiary Kia has agreed export white goods and plastics for their contribution.
The South American nation�s US$6 billion (�4.19 billion) trade deficit has already led to one Porsche distributor agreeing to export wine and olive products, while similar deals have been struck with carmakers Chery, GM, Peugeot-Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat and Ford.
Soaring consumer demand for foreign goods, which is up some 38% year-to-date for the January to April period, has resulted in these highly protectionist policies with the Argentine government flat out refusing imports from parties that don�t agree. An undisclosed source in the motor industry told the Financial Times:
�In December, they told us and all the other car importers to reduce imports by 20 per cent compared with 2010. [When they want to enforce things] they simply give a call to customs and say, from now on, don�t let any vehicles come in.�
Hyundai is expected to earn a surplus of US$55 million (�38 million) in 2012, thanks to the US$157 million (�110 million) deal it�s made with Argentina�s federal government in Buenos Aires.
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2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Pricing

The 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan is hitting dealer l?ts as y?u read this, and pricing has officially been set at $34,200, n?t including $850 f?r destination als? delivery. The facelifted Genesis four-d??r was unveiled at the 2011 Chicago Aut? Sh?w, and though it received a min?r facelift and some ?ther small interior changes, the big news f?r the 2012 model year is what�s under the h??d. That $34,200 price point corresp?nds t? the base Genesis 3.8 sedan, which n?w uses a direct-injected 3.8-liter V6, rated at 333 horsepower and 291 pound-feet ?f torque � gains ?f 43 and 27, respectively, versus the 2011 m?del.

A new eight-speed aut?matic transmission is also ?n tap, meaning the Genesis 3.8 will achieve up t? 29 miles per gallon ?n the highway. M?ving up in the range, the Genesis 4.6 � $44,500 � als? gets an eight-speed automatic transmission, th?ugh its V8 engine remains largely unchanged. P?wer ratings carry ?ver from 2011 � 385 hp and 333 lb-ft ?f torque.

The 4.6 used t? be the range-topping Genesis, but f?r 2012, Hyundai has intr?duced the new 5.0 R-Spec model, which, as its name suggests, is fitted with the aut?maker�s brand new 5.0-liter direct-injected V8. Paired with an eight-speed aut?matic transmission, the Tau 5.0 is g??d f?r 429 hp and 376 lb-ft ?f torque, while still returning 16/25 mpg city/highway. The R-Spec m?del als? features unique 19-inch wheels, sportier suspension tuning and m?re aggressive appearance updates. The t?p-shelf Genesis retails f?r $46,500. Hit the jump f?r the full details in Hyundai�s press release.

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