Hyundai Getz 2008 News

Hyundai Australia CEO Edward Lee says the company's plan is no longer centred on entry-level pricing, but values such as safety, driving experience and ride quality. With the exit of the Getz and the introduction of the Accent, the company now has a full five-star safety rating on all of its passenger vehicle fleet. "We're not concerned with leaving the bottom of the market," Lee says. “I think we changed people's perception of the brand a lot already.Five-star safety is our new strategy.” "Australian people think safety is one of the most important things along with driving and ride." Sales and marketing manager Oliver Mann says the Getz name has gone the way of the Excel and doesn't expect to see either model name returned to the brand. Australians bought 153,000 Getz in their model lifetime and only about 400 are left after production ended last year. That's less than half the 1000 they sell each month. The Getz 1.4-litre three-door is listed at $13,990. It's a big hole for Hyundai to fill, but Mann is not concerned. "Even though it was our entry level car, we mainly sold the 1.6-litre five-door model, anyway," Mann says. "We're not planning to fill the entry level price again.” "We're getting out of the bottom end of the market. Getz won't be replaced directly." However, with the introduction of the 1.6-litre, slightly larger Accent, the 1.6-litre i20 models have been deleted and the $15,490 1.4-litre three-door is being sold at $14,990 driveaway. Hyundai also does not have room in its five-star strategy for the four-star i10 as a replacement bargain car. "We looked long and hard at the i10 business case, but it wasn't profitable and didn't fit in with our five-star safety rating strategy," Mann says. Product planning senior manager Roland Rivero says supply of the Indian-made i10 also could not be guaranteed with the factory able to build 450,000 a year and the domestic market taking 400,000. "That would leave Europe and ask to argue over the remainder," he says.

The almost imperceptible hum of the electric motor and the cooling whoosh of the wind are shattered by one comment from the car's driver.“If we built this without the proper parts or the know-how in six months, why is it taking car manufacturers so long?” says Professor Thomas Braunl of the University of WA's engineering faculty.It's difficult to argue. Some university students and their lecturers purchased and transformed a 2008 Hyundai Getz from a petrol-fuelled hatchback to one running solely on plug-in power.It cost $15,000 in materials _ most had to be purpose-built because the components aren't available off the shelf _ and in the real world, perhaps the same again in labour. This is in addition to the purchase of the car.The bonus is that it costs 1.4 cents a kilometre to run _ about 10 per cent of its petrol-fuelled equivalent.“If you recharge at night, using off-peak power, it's less than 1c a kilometre,” Professor Braunl says.“It will charge in four to six hours and that's enough for 100km.“As a household's second car, these are perfect. They produce no emissions, use no fossil fuels (dependant on the electricity source), are simple, quiet and reliable.”The UWA uses roof-mounted solar cells to create electricity to run the car, making the car operate without any greenhouse gas contributions.The conversion required removing the conventional 70kW petrol engine and its ancilliaries _ exhaust, fuel tank, cooling system and clutch _ while retaining the five-speed manual gearbox.Under the bonnet went a 28kW electric motor and its controller, with a 144-volt lithium-ion battery pack set in a safety cage within the boot.Despite the addition of the large battery pack and the electric motor, the Getz weighs the same as its petrol donor.But the conversion requires some different thinking. There is very little heat from the motor so unlike a petrol engine _ where the heater and demister use the heat from the coolant _ the electric car must have an ancillary heater.It also requires small electric motors to run the power steering and the brake system's vacuum pump. The airconditioner needs a bigger motor to operate the compressor.Driving the car is as easy as switching on and pressing the accelerator.Professor Braunl suggests keeping the transmission in third gear. It will accelerate as briskly as the petrol car and without needing to change gears, reach 110km/h.A full load of passengers _ it'll take five adults at a pinch _ may require using second gear and it's possible to select fourth or fifth for country driving.Basically, because of the inherent low-rev torque of an electric motor _ it produces maximum torque at 1rpm _ the driving characteristics are radically different to an internal combustion-engined vehicle.A buzzer fitted to the UWA car warns of excessive accelerator pressure in an attempt to improve economy by extending the range.A simple digital readout on the centre console acts as the fuel gauge.“If the readout gets to about 20 per cent (of charge remaining) then you should start looking for a place to recharge,” Professor Braunl says.While stationary, the energy consumption of the car is 0.8 amps. Use the steering and brakes and that rises to 3 amps. Turn the lights on and it becomes 4 amps and press the accelerator lightly and the drain is 75 amps. Maximum acceleration will draw 150 amps.The DC system isn't as sophisticated as the AC units which, amongst other benefits, has the ability to accept regenerative braking energy. But the DC is simpler and significantly cheaper.“Part of our research is to test the benefits of DC over AC. It may be that DC is more applicable to certain driving conditions than AC, for example,” he says.The Getz was purchased new last year by the UWA without any financial assistance _ despite appeals _ from the car company. Sponsorship has come only from the WA Government's Department for Planning and infrastructure.That hasn't deterred Professor Braunl.“We have purchased a Lotus which will be converted with a high-performance AC electric system,” he says.“The cost is much higher than a DC. The Getz 144-volt motor was about $3500 but the high-performance AC motor with 350-volts is about $30,000 _ it's a very big gap.“We plan to have three cars operating at the same time _ one being built, one being tested and the other being used.“The Getz will be sold at the end of next year. I've already had five serious bids and even requests for us to build cars.“There's a lot of interest.”

It's one thing to get wiggy with the options list; it's quite another to chuck bucks at a top-line model when the lesser version has the same drive train and essential safety equipment.In the case of several of the most popular models we've chosen, the cheaper version also has the impertinence to be the better drive.So it can come down to deeply personal questions such as: can you live without the caress of leather? Light and easyFirst thing to know about this class of car is that you should learn to drive a manual. Small cars go better this way. They're also cheaper.But some 90 per cent of you would sooner slaughter your own meat than change gear for yourself, which means you'll need to pay $2K more for Hyundai's three-door Getz 1.4 S.Add the absolutely non-negotiable safety pack — with electronic stability program, ABS brakes and traction control — and suddenly you're at $17,280, still better value than the SXi at $18,490.Which brings us into price range of the critical and popular small car du jour. The Mazda2 comes in three-or five-door shape and three model lines, the top auto Genki a touch over $23K.Get the five-door, four-speed automatic Neo with $1100 safety pack — including stability control and extra air bags — for $19,740. Medium fareThat the generality has deserted big 'Strayan family cars for smaller but high-quality imports is no cause for wonder. But, in the lemming-like rush to downsize, they've also skipped over a car that's also more fuel-efficient, faster and safer than the one chalking up the sales.Moreover, with the recent price cut, the class-leading Mazda6 medium car now starts under the upper-echelon versions of the Mazda3. A bigger and better car for less? Oh, yes.Best of all, the base model $28,490 Mazda6 Limited manual sedan has the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and active/passive safety measures as the $42K-plus Sport Luxury.For our money it also has the better ride/handling compromise.If you want a trip computer and the more popular hatch/liftback shape with its truly commodious passenger and luggage space, get the Classic with five-speed auto at $35,990. That's still $8K off the toptop dog.When Volkswagen negotiated a sub-$40K starting price for the brilliant Mark V Golf GTI it didn't anticipate it becoming the second-biggest seller in its perennial hatch's line-up. Now every thrusty tosser in a white baseball cap gets into them.Subtler, cheaper, greener and — in its way — cooler, is the Golf GT Sport TSI with its exceptional twin-charged engine.Never mind the seemingly weedy 1.4-litre capacity, the TSI teams a supercharger with a turbo charger to achieve a 125kW/250Nm output and performance not very distant from its better recognised sibling.At $37,490 you do without a hole in the roof or cowhide, but you do get the six-speed twin-clutch transmission, which is both faster and more efficient than the conventional manual. When size mattersHow Holden and Ford must curse the rise of the soft-roader.To appreciate its dominance of the family car market you need only observe any school drop-off zone.With off-road ability propping up the list of daily requirements, Toyota's Kluger KX-R seven-seat 2WD at $41,490 has the whole package for less than a top-line RAV4. It has the same 3.5 V6 and five-speed auto as the $66K top Kluger, plus all its size, utility and the whole outfit of active and passive measure. Save for all-wheel-drive, that is. But when you're at Woolies, who exactly cares?If you're of the ever-diminishing mob who must have a big sedan, Toyota's Aurion Touring SE Special is another that lacks some of the fruit of the top-line model but has all its wherewithal — not least the 3.5 V6 and excellent six-speed auto.At $34,990, not only is it $15K cheaper than the Presara, it gets by without a stupid name. Aspirational autosMuch, far too much, has been made of the varied faces of the excellent Mercedes-Benz C-Class. You can have the more traditional face of the Classic or Elegance lines or the SLK-emulating Avantgarde.You also get to pay $5K or more for the latter.The up-puffed supercharged 1.8 petrol engine of the C200K is better than before but, once you've sampled the thrust of the 125kW/400Nm diesel C220 CDI Classic ($60,500), there's no going back.It's good enough to make you wonder where the extra $35K is in the top-line C320 CDI. The 220's options list is encyclopedic, but standard kit is a good deal more than adequate.For some, though, the lure of six petrol pots is too much. In that case, the Lexus IS250 Prestige with six-speed flappy paddle auto at $58,990 is our choice.It lacks the sat-nav and phat rims of the exxier versions, but drives better almost all the time.Better yet, the Prestige comes in under the luxury car tax, so you keep Treasurer Wayne Swan's sticky fingers out of your wallet. 

The grey nomad trek into the Outback is just one of the dream drives for people who spend most of their days stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on a suburb-to-city commute.And there are all those “gunnas” with four-wheel drives who are going to hit the bush — one day.But new figures from the Federal Government show we are not the trekkies we believe.Even though new-car warranties are typically set at three years and 100,000km on the average distance covered by Australian buyers — and Mitsubishi went out to five years/130,000km as bait for the doomed 380 — the actual distance we drive is much lower.How much lower? About half, according to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in Canberra.It has just released figures on fuel economy and emissions for the Green Vehicle Guide, computing the average impact of a car on the environment.It is bad news for the planet, but the numbers are surprising as a reflection of average travel.The figure for light vehicles — the class that covers the Hyundai Getz and Toyota Yaris — is only 15,200km a year. 

After coming under fire, Hyundai is increasing the number of models with electronic stability control.The Elantra, Tucson City and Getz will get stability control as standard from this month, the South Korean brand has announced.The trio join the Grandeur, Tiburon and the new iMax van with the safety feature.The company has been questioned for offering stability control only as an optional extra, despite admitting it is life-saving.Hyundai Australia executives were questioned about the decision not to offer it as standard on the 3.3-litre Santa Fe at last year's launch.The new deal is part of the company's rollout of the feature across its range before the State Government's new laws mandating it by 2012 come into effect.“Our vision is to see electronic stability control mandated across all new vehicles in Australia,” Hyundai Australia's director of sales and marketing Kevin McCann says.“Our research shows that stability control can reduce the risk of single-car accidents by as much as 68 per cent.”Hyundai now charges $990 for the ProtectX Pack that offers electronic stability control as part of a safety upgrade.Hyundai spokeswoman Tiffany Junee says: “Hyundai has been progressively introducing stability control across its range of lifestyle vehicles.”She says the company completely supports the new Victorian laws.“We presented at the Victorian Government's vehicle safety inquiry at the end of last year and have invested significantly in training and making the lifesaving technology available to Australian new-car buyers.“Our research indicates that stability control is the biggest safety technology in motoring since the seatbelt."“Not surprisingly, we have thrown our full weight behind mandating stability control across all new cars sold in Australia.” 

Less than 20 per cent of Australians are now buying Australian, with imported vehicles taking 81 per cent of the record 1,049,982 vehicle sales last year.The Holden Commodore was still the country's favourite car for the 12th straight year, but the swing to imports was reflected in the Ford Falcon's slide to a lowly fifth place in the ranking of best sellers.It was beaten by the Mazda3 and the Toyota Hilux pickup.The Mitsubishi 380 did not even make the top 10.The strong performance of imported vehicles came as many more Australians turned to small cars and four-wheel-drives, which rebounded after the fuel shocks of 2006, in preference to locally made family cars.Sales of 4WDs were up 16 per cent against an industry average of 9.1 per cent, while sales of light cars priced below $15,000 improved 10.2 per cent.Toyota dominated the new-car results last year, taking its run at No.1 to five straight years, with a margin of more than 90,000 over second-placed GM Holden and a 128,000-car gap over Ford in third.Toyota also lifted its sales to more than 200,000 and is aiming for 250,000 in 2008.The one-million-vehicle milestone was a first for the industry but is expected to be bettered this year with sales of at least 1,060,000, according the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which compiles the official VFacts sales results.“Last year the motor vehicle market grew at approximately twice the rate of the economy as a whole,” FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.“One million new motor vehicles in a country of 21 million people is an impressive achievement."“The Australian motor vehicle market has now grown in six out of the last seven years, driven by the strength of the labour market, rising asset values and improving vehicle affordability.”Though Australia's sales rate of about 1 in 20 people was even better than Britain's 1 in 25, Mr McKellar sounded a warning.“Although economic fundamentals remain strong and consumer confidence is proving to be robust, we think future growth will be more closely aligned with trends in overall domestic demand,” Mr McKellar said.The industry also faces a review of federal government policy this year, with local carmakers arguing for an extension of the existing arrangements, including support from the Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme.They will point to the growth in exports in recent years, with overseas deliveries by GM Holden and Toyota now totalling more than $5 billion a year.Toyota said the domestic sales of its Camry and V6 Aurion, which totalled close to 50,000 cars last year, were easily beaten by exports of more than 90,000 cars.   Our top 10 favourite carsRanking 2006 2007Holden Commodore: 56,531 57,307Toyota Corolla: 46,256 47,792Toyota HiLux: 36,885 42,009Mazda3: 32,432 34,394Ford Falcon: 42,390 33,941Toyota Yaris: 29,663 27,990Toyota Camry: 24,221 26,336Toyota Aurion: 3380 22,036Hyundai Getz: 20,853 21,166Holden Astra: 19,364 20,588