Hyundai Excel News

Cars like the Yaris and Corolla are a touch too pricey for many first car buyers to consider now - so what fills that space?

Is the electric vehicle race over before it’s truly begun? That certainly looks to be the case if you dive into the sales data for the first six months of 2023, with Tesla so far ahead of the competition it’s hard to see the catching up anytime in the near future.

As Easter is a time for renewal and re-birth, we've looked at some other nameplates we'd love to see not only make a comeback, but do so with an electric powertrain for a long-term future. Some of these may have an element of optimism to them, but there's actually genuine hope that several of these could be in showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

Australian roads used to be full of them.Long-gone favourites like the Holden Gemini, Ford Telstar, Mitsubishi Magna and Daihatsu Charade are now just that – memories of a bygone era. May they rust in peace.But not every car was discontinued abroad when they reached the end of the road in Australia. Many kept on selling overseas, and some even still live on today, having evolved as required to keep up with ever-changing consumer demands (and the Grim Reaper at bay).Sure, their styling has changed completely and they’ve been rebranded with cooler names to help keep buyers interested, but they all have one thing in common: a direct link to predecessors that were once part of Australia’s automotive landscape.Like some celebrity or outlaw who faked their demise or disappeared into a witness protection program, we expose their lives today. Same lineage. Different design and name. You’re bound to be surprised. Toyota has recently unveiled four completely different looking vehicles under the Crown name for global consumption which, unfortunately, does not include Australia.While there’s a striking fastback sedan, wagon and SUV, it’s the oddball crossover-style all-wheel-drive sedan version created expressly for the North American market that we’re focusing on, since it directly replaces the Avalon over there.Now, over 15 generations since 1955, the Crown has been a flagship Toyota sedan, its innate conservatism underlined by traditional three-box styling and rear-wheel-drive engineering. Australians had a taste from 1963 to 1987.However, the Crown crossover sedan is different, as it adopts a variation of the Toyota New Global Architecture ‘K’ (TNGA-K), as found in the transverse-engined/front-drive-based Camry, Kluger and scores of other models worldwide.That also includes the 2018-2022 Avalon, the final of five generations of Camry-derived Avalons built in and for America. The 1994 original was later made and sold in Australia from 2000 to 2006 after the US plant moved on to the second-gen Avalon in 1999. Unsurprisingly, a sloppy-seconds sedan from the States failed to entice us away from the hot VT/VX Commodore or AU/BA Falcon, though.So… the new, 2023 Crown crossover sedan for America directly continues the Avalon line and positioning as a jumped-up Camry, albeit in a swish, high-riding body and wearing a noble old badge – one not seen in the US in half a century.As a footnote, American left-hand-drive (LHD)-only production precluded the Avalon from being sold in Australia beyond the first series, but as the Crown crossover sedan will be made in Japan, there’s one fewer hurdle to stop an Avalon revival Down Under… but sorry taxi operators, this is highly unlikely to happen. Hyundai debuted in Australia with the pretty, Giugiaro-penned X1 Excel in 1986, but it was the on-point X3 Excel of 1994 that caught Australian light-car buyers’ imagination, often cracking a top-three sales position. They were literally everywhere.Though highly publicised quality glitches and endless discounting prompted the Australian importer to switch to the X3’s global ‘Accent’ name for the redesign in 2000 (LC series), two more generations followed, in 2006 (MC) and 2011 (RB). The latter proved successful later in life, trading on low prices and larger-car packaging.However, the 2017 HC Accent was created primarily for the Americas, China and Eastern Europe, prompting Hyundai to make it LHD-only, precluding Australia. Instead, the South Korean plant that supplied our market switched to the Venue light SUV, and by 2019 stocks of the old RB Accent dried up.Fun fact: Accent is reportedly an acronym, for ‘Advanced Compact Car of Epoch-making New Technology’. The Captiva now represents something of a pariah for Holden loyalists and with good reason, due to poor reliability and iffy quality that tarnished the brand’s reputation, perhaps even irreparably.However, affordable pricing and family-friendly packaging did help propel the South Korean medium-to-large SUV to consistent sales success during much of its considerable lifespan, so there’s no arguing that it also helped keep Holden afloat during hugely turbulent times.As it turns out, the Captiva – which was offered as both a short-body five-seater and long-body 5/7-seater wagon – was set to be replaced by a trio of Chevrolet and GMC-based SUVs.Holden released the Equinox and Acadia in 2017 and 2018 respectively, but the Blazer that was slated to sit in between as the main event never eventuated, since GM pulled the plug on Holden in early 2020.The Blazer now represents Holden’s lost opportunity, being everything its Captiva predecessor was not: Camaro muscle-car-inspired styling, a dynamic chassis and just-right sizing. Of all the what-might-have-been Holdens, this is surely one of the most heartbreaking for not having been given a chance to fly.In 2024, the Blazer will morph into an all-new EV. Would it have been Holden’s first full electric car? The Territory is now steeped in Australian motoring folklore, championed by a visionary leader (the late Geoff Polites), funded extensively through the sale of large swathes of land around Ford Australia’s Melbourne headquarters, lauded as one of the world’s best SUVs at the time, prolonging local production and ending up as Australia’s only-ever truly indigenous SUV.With such accolades, it’s no surprise that the Australian team was reportedly later developing an all-new large-car architecture for the 2010s that was going to replace the Falcon, Mustang and a host of other Ford and Lincolns globally.But the project was pulled and the design and engineering of the T6 truck platform was taken on instead, leading on to the wildly successful Ranger.However, eventually, that large-vehicle architecture surfaced underneath what might have been the Territory’s direct replacement, the sixth-generation (U625) Explorer of 2020. Along with broadly similar proportions and packaging, the big SUV features rear-wheel as well as all-wheel drive configurations, mirroring its legendary Aussie cousin of two decades prior.Ironically, the thing that helped prove fatal to Territory all those years ago keeps the Explorer from being sold in Australia: Ford did not develop it for the steering wheel to be offered on either side of the vehicle. Or, in other words, it's LHD-only.Needless to say, from Byron to Broome, SUV-mad buyers would be queueing up for the American Territory by any other name. Pity. Released locally at the dawn of the SUV craze in 1997, the original, J100 Daihatsu Terios was civilised enough for urban buyers with its monocoque construction and car-like interior, yet provided some off-road capability, with high ground clearance, live rear axle, 4WD and a lockable centre diff.It also foresaw the rise of the light SUV, but the series’ potential was cut short in Australia when controlling shareholder Toyota pulled the pin on Daihatsu in 2005.Sadly, we thus missed out on the chunky J200 Terios of 2006, which improved the design and proportions, looking more like a scaled-down RAV4 of the time. That ran until 2018, and was replaced by 2020 in many overseas markets by the A200 Rocky.We’ve said this before here, but the latest Rocky and its Toyota Raize twin are exactly what Australian new-car buyers need right now, with their compact, city-friendly dimensions and affordable pricing.The Rocky name, by the name, was used by the original Terios’ predecessor of the 1980s, but that was a properly tough ladder-frame-chassis 4x4 rival to the Suzuki Sierra.

If you're looking for evidence that Hyundai has left its cheap and cheerful image in its rear-view mirror, you'll find it written all over the all-new Venue SUV that launched in Australia last month.

Some car brands are more open than others; some owners are in the dark. Australia is on track to post a record number of vehicle recalls this year. It has already eclipsed a 10-year high.In 2004, about 776,000 cars were recalled - so far this year, the figure is more than 800,000 and looks certain to surpass the 855,000 in 2001.So are cars becoming less reliable or are manufacturers more concerned about being sued for negligence, and so being more open about problems with their vehicles?The answer to both questions is yes.As car companies drive down costs, they outsource more parts that can be bought more cheaply due to global economies of scale.For example Japanese company Takata makes airbags for most leading car brands. But when something goes wrong, it's monumental.There is currently a global recall of 16 million cars from nine brands - including about 100,000 in Australia - because Takata airbags could inflate with excessive force and potentially spray shrapnel at occupants. So far, the fault has been linked to at least four deaths in the US.General Motors, meanwhile, recalled 2.6 million cars in North America because of a faulty ignition switch that could turn off the engine and disable the airbags. So far the fault has been linked to at least 27 deaths in the US, according to Reuters.US authorities found General Motors executives hid the fault for almost 10 years. Senior staff involved in the scandal have since been sacked.Recalls are in the spotlight in Australia because Holden - possibly spurred by the investigation into the parent company's handling of the ignition switch recall - has been more open than it might have been in the past. Holden's 13 recalls so far this year is more than any other car brand in a calendar year and more than half of these relate to Australian-made cars.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The next highest on the local list are Jeep (nine recalls) and Toyota (seven). Some Holden recalls, such as a faulty windscreen wiper, may seem overcautious. Some, however, are disturbing.One of the latest recalls was issued because manual transmission versions of the Holden Trax compact SUV and Barina small car can unintentionally 'bunny hop' and then stall if the driver bumps the key when it is in the ignition - even in the off position.Authorities argue that safety is safety, though the definition of 'safety' is open to interpretation. Despite the tough wording, recalls in Australia are still voluntary.This is why some brands don't issue a recall and instead divert the repair work to a 'dealer service campaign'.For example, Hyundai Australia last year voluntarily called 227,000 cars to dealerships to replace a faulty brake light switch in eight models, representing most of its range. News Corp Australia exclusively unearthed the fault the year before.But the company stopped short of calling it a safety recall because the Federal Department of Transport advised the consumer watchdog that the brake light switch fault was "not a safety issue".Hyundai has previously shown a reluctance to recall.In November 1998 it refused to recall 46,000 examples of the Excel even though several were found to have a welding defect that could lead to the collapse of the front suspension.In words eerily similar to the brake light issue, Hyundai claimed at the time it was "not a safety issue".An NRMA technical report said of the Excel's suspension: "In extreme cases the right front wheel and drive shaft can become detached and jam the wheel in the housing." The Federal Government threatened to issue a compulsory recall - which it had never done - if Hyundai did not take action. Despite the seriousness of the fault, and the tough talk from government, Hyundai issued a dealer service campaign.Holden may be more transparent now but it too has recently avoided at least one serious recall. It insists there is no local recall required for a faulty ignition switch despite 46,000 export versions of the Australian-made Commodore and Caprice being recalled in the US earlier this month. In doing so Holden has avoided what would become the biggest recall in Australian automotive history as it would involve approximately 432,000 Commodores made since 2006.Holden engineers insist the GM ignition fault in the US does not affect Commodores in Australia because the position of the key is different.The risk of faults increases as cars become more complex and incorporate more parts from outside suppliers. Furthermore, the handling of recalls differs from brand to brand.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The alternative is to hope for repair work under the guise of a 'dealer service campaign' - but that is contingent on taking the car back to the selling dealer rather than an independent mechanic.Federal authorities need to provide a clearer definition of what constitutes a safety recall to make the response more consistent across all brands.For now, some car brands are more open than others in this respect and some car owners are none the wiser.

They bring glitz and glamour to the Clipsal 500 - but there's more than meets the eye when it comes to these grid girls. JESSICA (23) Usual occupation: Marketing co-ordinator at Stamford Hotels. How long have you been a grid girl? Three years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? Having the chance to be involved with such an iconic Adelaide event as the Clipsal 500 is an amazing opportunity and every year I can't wait for February to come around.Best thing about being a grid girl? Working with such beautiful and amazing girls and meeting lots of interesting people.Worst thing? It only comes around once a year.Tell me about your usual day job: Busy!How different is your day job to being a grid girl? I work in a corporate environment, so it's nice to get all glammed up for the Clipsal 500 weekend.How do you think grid girls are perceived? For the most part, quite well. Clipsal always choose the girls who can best represent their company as well as themselves, and it shows through the amazing girls we have on the team. There will always be those few negative people no matter what you do.Do some people have the wrong perception of grid girls? Everyone in the team has and is achieving great things in their life. There is definitely more than meets the eye.V8 team of choice? It has to be Holden.What type of car do you drive? Hyundai Excel. KARA (25) Usual occupation: Miner/trades assistant/student.How long have you been a grid girl? Two years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? When I was in high school I saw them and thought what a glamorous and amazing job that would be.Best thing about being a grid girl? The atmosphere and excitement of the Clipsal 500 is an amazing experience.What's the worst aspect? That Clipsal 500 only lasts four days and the week flies by too fast.Day job? I work at a mine site 600km from Adelaide, doing shutdowns as a gas tester and standby person. The site has both below ground and above ground plants. My job involves testing atmospheres where people will be working to make sure it is safe for them to do their job and to implement any precautions if necessary. When I am not in the mines I work as a trades assistant in Adelaide for a company that installs, repairs and maintains bore pumps. I am also studying my diploma in Occupational Health and Safety to gain a more permanent position in the mining industry.How different is your day job to being a grid girl? Extremely! I go from no hair and make-up, being hot and sweaty, dirty and wearing baggy overalls and a hard hat, to wearing gorgeous outfits made by an amazing South Australian designer with full hair and make-up and lots of people wanting to take photos.How do you think grid girls are perceived? They're an exciting addition to the racing scene, adding glitz and glamour.Do you think some people have the wrong perception of them? People will always have their own perceptions. But we get a positive response from the fans and spectators and we thoroughly enjoy what we do.V8 team of choice? Holden. Craig Lowndes for Red Bull Racing is always exciting to watch and is a real gentleman.What car do you drive? A 1993 Mazda MX5 Clubman.BRITTANY (20) Usual occupation: Sammy D Foundation volunteer, student, bartender at Sky City Adelaide.How long have you been a grid girl? Three years.Why did you decide to be a grid girl? I wanted to be a grid girl since I attended Clipsal 500 with my dad from a young age. Seeing the girls in their outfits looked like so much fun. Best thing about being a grid girl? Being on the grid and the Harley Davidson lap.Worst thing? Early mornings!Tell me about your day job? I volunteer on the Sammy D Foundation's Great Night Out blog-a-van, which goes around SA collecting video blogs from young people on their thoughts about alcohol-fuelled violence and what must be done about it. Several years ago a good friend, Sam Davis, was king-hit and died in an unprovoked attack, so it's good to spend time supporting the Sammy D Foundation set up in his memory, and help educate young people to understand why it's important to make good decisions, look after mates and ways to avoid violence. I'm also studying psychology and criminal justice at Flinders Uni.How different is your day job to being a grid girl? Being a grid girl we get to meet many different types of people, which is quite similar to what I do every day, just with less glitz.How do you think grid girls are perceived? Too often we're seen as being a bit 'ditzy".Do people have the wrong perception of them? I think some do. Most of us are either studying or in careers, as well as knowing a lot about the race.V8 team of choice? Holden.What car do you drive? Holden Barina. 

Given the cloying, choking blanket of grey coating the Beijing Olympics, it comes as no great surprise that China is en route to becoming the world's biggest car market.Well within the next decade, China should also overtake the US as the world's biggest maker of cars.It already manufactures more car components than any other nation, and the first Chinese cars to reach Australia will go on sale on November 1.The coming of the Chinese presages a seismic shock to the Australian new car market, of the sort not felt since the arrival of Korean cars in the 1980s.This push is aimed at the market's biggest growth segments. A new, well-equipped Chinese small car will cost about $12,000 and a compact SUV as little as $18,000 — or even less.Ateco Automotive — best known for importing Italian marques from Ferrari to Fiat — will this week announce details of a far humbler vehicle than the members of that prestigious, heritage-rich stable.The functionally named SA230 is a no-nonsense, twin-cab utility made by the altogether more evocatively titled Great Wall Motors (GWM).As the vehicle is known at home by the rather Chinglish model name Sailor, a less flowery moniker was deemed wise.GWM's ute for budget-conscious tradies will be followed by the Peri small car and the Hover compact SUV.The other half of the Sino-Ateco pincer movement is formed by the Chery company, whose budget wares, including the QQ3 small car and the Tiggo compact SUV, arrive next year.The tiny QQ3 has been on sale in South Africa since May, priced at less than $A11,600.Although ultra-cheap, it will be above the sub-$10,000 mark forecast by some more hysterical — not to say tacitly xenophobic — commentators who have sought to present the introduction of Chinese-made cars as a kind of automotive yellow peril that threatens our very way of life.This episode can more reasonably be seen as a delayed sequel to the early 1990s, when Hyundai priced its drive-away-then-throw-away Excel at $13,990 with a five-year warranty.“Strategically, I'm certain that China is the next major source of value-for-money products,” says Ateco managing director Ric Hull, who was previously in charge of the company's imports of Korean brand Kia.“China seems to be the future for everything. Even so, the approach will be gradual.“We're going to launch Great Wall with one product and, if everything goes perfectly to plan, we'll be selling some hundreds a month.“That's minuscule in the overall market. It will take years to earn a market share that affects anyone else.”But, if the strategy is initially more that of an incursion than an invasion, there's little doubt Ateco will achieve five-figure sales of its cheap and cheerful GWMs and Cherys sooner rather than later.Ateco boss Neville Crichton has been outspoken in his belief that Chinese cars are the next massive thing.The formidable New Zealand-born millionaire car salesman — perhaps best known as the owner and successful skipper of the maxi yacht Alfa Romeo — is no more known for backing losers than he is for suffering fools.So the derisive laughter with which adherents of the status quo greeted Ateco's announcement is beginning to sound hollow. And not a little desperate.Hyundai shook local car-makers to the core by turning out a functional new car for less than half the price of a Commodore or a Falcon.Now the ramparts formed by tariffs and multi-billion-dollar government assistance, which Holden and Ford have complacently sheltered behind, have almost crumbled.Among the recommendations in the Federal Government's review of Australia's car industry, which was handed down on Friday, tariffs on imported cars will be reduced to five per cent by 2010. Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr said pointedly that “the industry needs to continue embracing global competition”.In other words, if Australian manufacturers wish to survive, they should expect to do so without the help of taxpayers who long ago lost interest in the big family cars Holden and Ford continue to churn out.These cars rely on fleet and government sales to the tune of more than 75 per cent — and even that source is drying up.According to used-car dealers, a Commodore or Falcon bought new today will retain less than half its value — some $16,000 — after three years' ownership.That's hardly an attractive proposition for the private buyer, especially given the high fuel consumption of this type of car.Australians have never been so burdened by choice: the 50 car brands on sale here come from more than 20 countries.Indeed, in April this year, cars built in Thailand outsold those made locally.In a sense, the Chinese are already here in the form of SsangYong, a Korean car-maker 59 per cent owned by Shanghai Automotive Industries, one of the wealthiest manufacturers in China.“China is hardly a backward, Third World industry,” Ric Hull says. “It makes about 10 million vehicles a year.”But the salient concern remains that the vast majority of these vehicles are simply not of First World standard.In 2005, the Chinese Landwind 4WD earned no stars out of five in independent German testing, as did the unfortunately branded Brilliance BS6.Blood-curdling vision of patently poorly built Chinese cars can be seen on YouTube (enter “Chinese car crash tests”), but so can respectable efforts by more recent models.Nicholas Clarke, of the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which conducts independent crash tests of vehicles on sale here, says test results of the first GWM will be available in November.Chery was to have been Ateco's first Chinese offering, but for the decision to await a new model range from which superior test results are expected.Still, the spectre of safety hasn't dissuaded as many as 1000 buyers a month from Holden's Barina, which achieved only two stars — the least of any new car on sale here.Although the Barina is a rebadged, eight-year-old Daewoo Kalos — described by The Sunday Telegraph's Carsguide as “genuinely appalling” — buyers don't see beyond the price tag.Alex Bombaci, of the pricing authority Redbook, says Australians just won't buy base-model or poverty-pack cars.“That's been proved again and again. It's going to take anyone a long time to establish a presence,” Bombaci says.Predictably, Ric Hull is ready for this. “The state of sophistication of the vehicles that will be coming in from China bears no relationship to the state of sophistication of those that came in from Korea,” he says.“We'll be around Korean pricing, but we'll have a better specification level.“The Chinese may be largely substitutes for used cars, so will create a market in that sense.“The interesting possibility is that the Koreans will no longer be the cheapest cars on the market. What are they going to do with that new-found status?“It was the Koreans who enabled the Japanese to push themselves up in the market.“I wonder if the Chinese will do for the Koreans what the Koreans did for the Japanese?” Impact of importsGREAT WALL MOTORS SA230Price: $16,000 (est.) Due November 1Rivals: Ssangyong Sports DualCab $28,990Toyota HiLux SR 4X2 XTRA CAB $28,470GWM HOVERPrice: $20,000 (est.) Due TBARivals: Kia Sportage $24,990Hyundai Tucson: $24,990CHERY QQ3Price: $12,000 (est.) Due 2009Rivals: Holden Barina $13,690Hyundai Getz $13,990Kia Rio $14,990CHERY TIGGOPrice: $18,000 (est.) Due: 2009/2010Rivals: Suzuki SX4 $19,990 

Hyundai set the pattern for compact cars with its Excel in the 1990s, including its landmark $13,990 driveaway deals, and has a new European baby with the potential to repeat that program for as littl

First, though it was the follow-up to the ultra-popular Hyundai Excel, the change of name from Excel to Accent confused a lot of buyers. The car had been called Accent in other countries for several years, however the Koreans feel that a new model needs a different name to keep it fresh, but Australians tend to think the opposite.If a car has earned its stripes, we prefer to hold on to the existing name. Reading between the lines, it seems there was quite a battle over the name, and the Australian importers lost. Accent it was.When Accent was launched in June 2000, Hyundai tried to push the car a little further upmarket, by charging higher prices. Not that it was expensive, but compared to some of the rock-bottom deals being done on the superseded Excel, the Accent came up looking on the pricey side.Finally, a couple of years after the launch of the Accent, Hyundai brought in another smaller car, the Getz. Though it was not quite in the same class, buyers tended to opt for Getz against Accent, which did the Accent no good in the sales race.The result is that it's bargain-priced as a used car and canny buyers are doing deals that get them a lot of car for a minimal outlay. That may change soon, as there are signs that the Accent is finally starting to hit its straps on the new-car scene.Towards the end of 2002, most of the more expensive Accent models were pulled off the market. At the same time the body range was reduced to just one choice. If you didn't want a three-door hatchback, tough luck. Before that, there had also been the options of a five-door hatch and a four-door sedan.Incidentally, the last of the superseded 2002 models weren't retailed until several months into 2003. These are sometimes resold as 2003 models as far as price is concerned, but it's the build date on the compliance plate that's important, and that's the one that's likely to be quoted back at you when you trade in the Accent down the track.In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away with the somewhat bland look of the original model. This later model is proving more popular in the used scene, and it's worth rustling up the extra cash to buy one. At the same time as the body was revamped in 2003, the Accent's engine capacity was increased from 1.5 to 1.6 litres.Performance from the new 78kW unit made the small-medium Hyundai reasonably zippy, not exactly a ball of fire in the acceleration stakes, after all it's quite a big car for an engine of that size, but it has enough for the average owner.The Accent is a pleasant car to drive. Handling is quite lively and the feel through the steering is good. There's a fair bit of understeer if you push hard, a keen driver will find it quite acceptable, if not exactly exciting.It has good interior room for its class, and we know of more than one family with young children that is happy with it as a family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape.Hyundai's build quality, which was a bit hit and miss in earlier times, was very much improved by the time the Accent arrived. The Accent appears to be holding up well to the rigours of rough Aussie roads.Hyundai is now well and truly established as part of the local automotive scene and its dealer network is large and widespread. However, as is often the way with city cars, there are not so many dealers in rural areas. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts and the Accent has good under-bonnet space so it's easy enough to work on.  Danger SignsRust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe.Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible, that should be done with the engine cold, preferably after the car has been standing overnight.Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gearchanges, especially the three-two downchange.Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other while travelling at very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. They probably indicate the universal joints are worn.Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage. It may indicate the complete car has been treated harshly, or it may just be that the kids have run a muck from time to time.