The Hyundai Genesis was first released in 2008 to rival with two German luxury car makers, the BMW and the Mercedes Benz. For a short while, the sales went well. The pricing was correct and the car was designed luxuriously enough. However, the two German car makers decided to have a few changes made to their cars, so the Hyundai Genesis suddenly lost its sparkle.

On the other hand, the Hyundai Sonata was more recently released. It was first seen in 2010. However, two years have passed, and the vehicle still looked exactly the same. The Sonata was also designed before Hyundai decided to step out of the box and produce braver-looking car designs. As a result, the Hyundai Genesis and the Hyundai Sonata are not exactly looking old, but they do look outdated and out of place compared to Hyundai’s other lines.

Hyundai has been keeping mum about what changes they would be doing with their Genesis model, but consumers can look forward to the front grille, the headlamps, bumpers and bonnets. The Genesis will also benefit from new comfort technologies to be implemented on its interiors. The changes done on the Sonata are bound to be less drastic as this model still sells well. However, we never know with Hyundai. After their stunt on the Equus, the car manufacturer has been known for pulling nice surprises.

The Hyundai Sonata was designed to compete with middle-range cars including the Toyota Camry, the Nissan Altima, and the Honda Accord. It’s expected that Hyundai will be making exterior facelifts to make the Sonata edgier than these rival models.

The Korean carmaker placed a Gamma 1.6L 4-cylinder engine with direct injection under its bonnet. This is a version of the same engine that you will find in the Accent and the Veloster but this time the powerplant was fitted with a twin turbocharger that ups the ante to 201 horsepower and more powerful torque even at lower revs.

This should make being behind the wheels of a Veloster a great experience compared to its non-turbo versions which just lack the oomph while on low rev. The engine of the Veloster Turbo will get a 6-speed manual gearbox while automatic transmission is optional. The dual clutch gearbox which was offered for the non-turbo version will not be offered here since it will not be able to handle the engine’s more powerful torque.

Hyundai is also saying that the Veloster edges the Volkswagen GTI and the MINI Cooper S in terms of power-weigh ratio. The fuel efficiency is also great at 27 miles per gallon for city driving and 38 mpg on the highway.

The base price of the Veloster at $20,000 makes it a good option for those looking for a sporty ride but also after great value buy. It is practicality and style rolled into one with its good specs, coupe design lines, and great fuel mileage. The Veloster also comes with impressive in car technology for its entertainment system and other functions.

Some experts and consumers have been eager for a supercharged version of the Genesis and it is a fact that engineers that the technical center of Hyundai America have been working hard on the concept supercharged Hyundai Genesis in the last two years. Although the carmaker dismissed the possibilities of a supercharged version in the near future, they admitted that they are considering all options.

For the meantime, the Magnuson supercharged showcar gets an improvement of 144 horsepower for itss V6 3.8L engine making its total output 450 horsepower. The Genesis Hurrican SC will not be hitting the Nurburgring but it will be tapped for demos in other race tracks. Details about this speed demos though were not yet revealed.

The SEMA bound Genesis Hurricane SC is a product of side by side collaboration of Hyundai, Magnuson Products, Harman International, Torvec Inc., and Rhys Millen Racing.

The supercharger of HATCI and Magnuson just demonstrates the potential of the V6 of the Genesis Coupe. The car’s engineering is designed to handle extra boost in power.

The exterior upgrades were provided by the team from Rhys Millen Racing. Harman provided the sounds setup while Katzkin did the suede and leather seats.

This good news is one of the reasons behind the statement provided by the CEO and President of Hyundai Motor America, John Krafcik, during an auto event that was held last month. According to him, the redesigned 2014 model of the Hyundai Genesis sedan will have an all-wheel drive option. Moreover, Krafcik expressed that the brand has been planning to make an all-wheel drive option for its famous semi-luxury model.

The 2012 Genesis 5.0 R-Spec has been confirmed to carry a 5.0-liter V8 engine with a massive 429 horsepower. This means having to offer two displacement V8 engines in a small target market, which is quite an unusual practice. No official reports have been made yet about the engine but most experts presume that the Korean brand might go for the 5-liter V8 engines for the Genesis models that don’t carry the 5.0 R-Spec badge.

Now that the car industry is starting to see the Hyundai Genesis sedan as a competent player in the luxury car arena, the Korean brand needs to up its game when it comes to upgrades to keep its model in the game. Having an All-Wheel Drive option is just the start of the list of things they need to upgrade to keep the Hyundai Genesis sedan on board.

During an interview recently, the top executives of Hyundai revealed that their company is thinking of producing a conventional four-door Veloster that will be released to their global markets.The team tasked for product planning confirmed that Hyundai is developing a four door hatchback version of the Veloster.

Sounds exciting but we still need to wait what will happen in the next few months if the drawings will turn into a cool ride.

The 2012 Veloster of Hyundai runs using its 1.6L Gamma Direct Injection engine that runs on gasoline. The GDI powerplant can give out 138 horsepower and a torque of 123 lb-ft. The buyers will have two options for the transmission. The engine can be paired with a six speed manual gearbox or a new automatic transmission using a dual clutch system with six speeds. The Hyundai Veloster has its fuel efficiency numbers at around 40 miles per gallon.

Now for some trivia. A lot of people might think that the three door configuration of the Hyundai Veloster is just a gimmick but there is really a function. The door on the driver side was designed long enough to allow easy entry. The B pillar also allows more visibility for the drivers who are are tall. On the passenger side, the two doors are designed to allow easy entry of multiple passengers avoiding a design error similar to suicide doors like those you see on pickups and unsuccessful coupes.

The sticker price of the Hybrid Sonata has not been announced yet but we can expect some figures to be revealed when we come close to the official release date. Hyundai boasts that the hybrid car will hit around 40 miles for every gallon of fuel while cruising on the highway. They attribute the efficiency of the hybrid Hyundai Sonata to the battery pack made of lithium ion polymer, the aerodynamic components, and the 6-speed automatic gearbox. The non hybrid version of the Sonata hits 33 mpg on the highway.

For those still casting some doubts on hybrids, the Sonata can speed up to 62 mph while only using its battery power.

Hyundai gives consumers an 8-year minimum warranty for the purchase of the hybrid Sonata. We can expect more details for this coverage soon.  The car manufacturer will also look at the demand for the vehicle to determine the volume of production.

During a ceremony, Hyundai emphasized their commitment to average 50 mpg for their fleet by 2025. The company though will have to discuss measures that should be taken in case the standard increases to 62 miles per gallon.

The 2+2 compact vehicle was specifically designed by the Korean carmaker to meet head on the Scirocco of Volkswagen and is expected to have a lower tag price than the latter.

Looking at the spy photos posted by AutoCar, the next gen Coupe is expected to have a rear deck that is a bit long but flat with the design lines looking similar to the Veloster concept displayed back in 2007.

Insiders have hinted that the Hyundai Coupe will make use of an asymmetric body design with 2 doors on the left side to make access to the rear cabin easier. It will also have the conventional design of a hatchback.

The new Hyundai Coupe will be fitted with a 1.6L Theta direct injection powerplant which is the latest from the Korean car manufacturer. The entry level unit will be capable of giving out 140 bhp and will have an optional gearbox that makes use of twin-clutch. After its official launch, a 200 bhp variant will be released featuring a 1.6L turbo engine.

The 2011 Sonata concept was introduced a few years ago, and for a lot of consumers, its release is long overdue. The 2010 Hyundai Accent boasts of the Sonata’s same fluid sculpture only in a significantly smaller package.

Set to be released to the Chinese market on the latter half of 2010, and globally on 2011, the Accent is 1,460 mm high, 1,700 mm wide and 4,340 long.

According to Hyundai, the cabin dimensions of the small sedan are bigger than its rivals in the market, today. The 454 ft trunk is said to easily accommodate four gold bags and three tote bags—obviously designed for the city dweller who likes to take his vacation once in a while.

Hyundai’s Accent Verna will be available to the Chinese market in a selection of two petrol engines. The 1.4 L inline-four can produce 106HP and 135.4Nm of torque/5,000 rpm. Consumers can also choose from a five-speed manual transmission, or a four-speed automatic. The larger 1.6 L engine can deliver 121HP and 155Nm of torque with slightly worse fuel efficiency. This engine will, however, be offered exclusively in a four-speed transmission model.

Hyundai will begin the production of the Verna for China this July. Replacements for the current Hyundai Accent will also be released to North America by the first half of 2011.

The i-Flow is a clear indicator that Hyundai is going the right direction on following their fluid design philosophy. Same is true for its sister carmaker Kia which has its Ray Concept catching eyes at the Chicago Auto Show.

The rendered i-Flow though does not come with details about the car but Hyundai hints that it will be part of their D-segment line-up which will meet head on with the Ford Mondeo in the European market. Given that, we can expect a diesel engine variant on the drawing boards, and a good possibility for a hybrid system coupled with i-Flows solar cells.

The concept car was designed in Hyundai’s European Headquarters in Russelheim. The striking appearance will definitely catch the eyes of the autoworld as the sheets will be pulled off on March 2 in Geneva.

The car will be utilizing several technologies including lightweight materials, solar cells, and inputs from chemical company BASF so the car can be made lighter to improve its fuel efficiency.

We are sure more images and details about the i-Flow will be released prior to the press conference at Hall 1 of the Geneva Auto Show come March 2. We will keep you posted.

The design team of Hyundai calls the look of the car part of their fluidic sculpture architecture. We are not sure if the LED display panel on the grille of the car is part of that idea. We are more however interested with the plug-in hybrid engines of the vehicle.

The Korean carmaker considers the Blue-Will as their concept car which serves as testing grounds for their new ideas. These ideas focus on the future trend of Hyundai hybrid vehicles rolling out of their assembly plants. Some of the cars in the production line up include the 2011 Sonata BlueDrive hybrid due this 2010 with a 2012 model which will will be a plug-in hybrid unit.

Hyundai insiders say that their plug-in units will be dedicated hybrids which will use body designs different from the platform used by the gasoline models. The Blue-Will made its first appearance during the Seoul Auto Show in 2009. The Detroit Auto Show participation is Blue-Will’s North American debut.

The Blue-Will provides enough range on a single charge if it will be based on a recent study that suggests drivers travel daily on an average of 40 miles. The car also uses a lighter battery technology using lithium-polymer cell which utilizes electrolyte in a solid polymer form. Other lithium ion designs make use of the electrolyte in its liquid form. The technology permits Hyundai to pack 16 kW-hr battery compared to what is expected in the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Hyundai released the fuel mileage numbers at 50 to 55 miles per gallon driving as a hybrid and about 100 mpg as plug-in hybrid. Overall range comes at 650 miles.