New Cars for 2012: Hyundai Full Lineup Info

[ MARKET SHARE 2012 EST., CHANGE FROM 2011: 5.78%, +1.13% ]
–Veloster: The best new-car name in a while is attached to a weirdly practical three-door (plus glass hatchback) sports coupe. The Veloster has front doors of differing lengths (shorter on the passenger side to accommodate a front-hinged third door behind it, unlike other three-doors whose rear-hinged suicide doors can’t be used without opening the front door). The car is spacious, with a 16-cubic-foot cargo hold and 35 cubes for the rear seats. Drive comes from Hyundai’s new Gamma direct-injected 1.6-liter four, which puts 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque to a six-speed manual or “EcoShift DCT” six-speed dual-clutch automatic—Hyundai’s first. Suspension is struts up front with a twist-beam rear. Four-wheel disc brakes pull the stops inside 17- or 18-inch aluminum wheels. Curb weights are below 2700 pounds, says Hyundai, and prices should start at about $18,000, which includes a standard touch-screen display. We’re told a 210-hp turbo version likely will appear sometime in 2012.
Accent: see drive.

Azera: An all-new sedan based on the Korean-market Grandeur (pictured) arrives in 2012 and wedges itself into the microscopic fissure between the loaded Sonata and the base Genesis V-6. The stretched and widened front-drive Sonata platform is topped by another opus from Hyundai’s “fluidic styling” playbook, combining elements from the Sonata and Equus. Extra legroom, upscale trim, and a direct-injection 3.0-liter V-6 making 266 horses will be the major differentiators between the Avalon-fighting Azera and the four-cylinder-only Sonata.
Elantra: Though just one year old, the “new” Elantra gets an “Active ECO” button on automatic-equipped cars. The go-slow mode changes the transmission and throttle settings to smooth everything out for less fuel consumption and is worth a seven-percent mileage gain, says the company. Also, the steering has been recalibrated for better on-center feel.
Equus: In another quick change for a practically new car, the one-year-old Equus dumps its 385-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 for the new direct-injected Tau 5.0-liter V-8 making 429 horses [see Tech Tidbit] and pairs it with a new Hyundai-developed eight-speed that replaces a ZF six-speed. This is the same power team as in the forthcoming Genesis R-Spec. Though the Equus’s equus-power climbs, the new engine and extra gears preserve fuel economy at 16 mpg city and 24 highway.

Genesis sedan: A major midcycle refresh puts direct fuel injection on the base 3.8-liter V-6, bumping output 15 percent, to 333 horsepower, and fuel economy to 19 mpg city and 29 highway. The headlights, grille, fascia, rocker panels, taillights, and interior trim are updated, and, as noted above, a sporty R-Spec model with the new 5.0-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic has been added. The R-Spec comes with a firmer suspension tune, larger anti-roll bars, 19-inch wheels, Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position summer tires, larger brakes, and revised steering.
Santa Fe: Hyundai’s mid-size crossover gets a new grille for ’12
Tucson: The size-small crossover goes on a fuel-economy tear, getting the Elantra’s Active ECO button (with automatics), low-rolling-resistance tires, and a revised climate system aided by solar-control glass. EPA highway mileage for 2.4-liter front-drive autos rises from 31 mpg to 32.