Hyundai Getz News

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 

This year has seen the market share of Commodore, Falcon and the Mitsubishi 380 fall to 19 per cent of new passenger vehicles, with only Toyota's Camry more or less immune.And while it was the biggest sales October ever, the share enjoyed by big Australian cars was reduced to 17.2 per cent. The lighter fare from Thailand achieved a best-ever 15.4 per cent. The Vfacts monthly bulletin, released this week by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, recorded that 89,289 motor vehicles were sold in October; an increase of 9359 on the same month last year.It beats the previous record for October, set in 2004, by more than 8000 sales. Year-to-date the market is up by 70,000 vehicles as it continues its charge towards breaking the one million mark for the first time.Yet against this bumper backdrop, 15,382 Australian-made units were shifted last month, mostly to fleets.Japanese-made cars continued their dominance but Thailand is where Honda's CR-V, Civic and Accord sedans are made. These and others, including Ford's Courier, which accounted for 13,825 sales in October.In sharp contrast to ever-diminishing local sales, that Thai-built percentage has increased by almost 50 per cent so far in 2007.Petrol prices are blamed for the decline of the great Australian six-cylinder. But the fact four medium-sized SUVs sold more than 1000 units each last month gives the lie to that.Yes, light cars, spearheaded by 1193 sales of the new Mazda2, experienced a sales surge, but the truth for the big Aussies is grimmer than the rising cost of the stuff that makes them go. The fact is that given wealth of choice, fewer and fewer Australians want the types of cars made in Australia.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar says the locals have never had it tougher.“The intensely competitive situation in the motor-vehicle market is being driven to a significant degree by the ongoing strength of the Australian dollar,” he says. McKellar says 4400 Commodores (excluding utes) were moved last month, so with about 300 more sales than the Corolla, it is the nation's number-one seller.Toyota's eggs are in more than one basket with the ever-competitive Yaris, Camry, RAV4 and Prado prominent among its 20,212 October sales. Holden managed 11,415 and Ford 8206. It was the first time that Toyota had outsold the combined total of Holden and Ford in any single month.Year-to-date Toyota leads Holden by 71,360 with the launch of the new LandCruiser this month.If Toyota's lead is unassailable, surely the success story is Mazda.At number four, the leading full-imported marque sells not a single car to fleets or rental companies. They all go to private buyers.October's best-ever 7271 sales represented Mazda's 10th record month in a row. Mazda's year-to-date total of 64,929 already surpasses its 2006 full-year sales result of 63,664.  Snapshot   Country of originJapan 31,838Australia 15,382Thailand 13,825Korea 9830Germany 3901South Africa 2434Belgium 1525US 1448Spain 1422France 1206 The biggest sellers1 Holden Commodore (Australia) 44402 Toyota Corolla (Japan) 41233 Mazda3 (Japan) 31254 Ford Falcon (Australia) 24395 Toyota Camry (Australia) 19946 Hyundai Getz (Korea) 18967 Toyota Aurion (Australia) 18318 Mitsubishi Lancer (Japan) 14469 Honda Civic (Thailand) 140910 Honda CR-V (Thailand) 129111 Toyota RAV4 (Japan) 129312 Toyota Prado (Japan) 127313 Suzuki Swift (Japan) 119714 Mazda2 (Japan) 119315 Ford Territory (Australia) 119016 Toyota Kluger and Subaru Forester (both Japan) 117317 Holden Astra (Belgium) 111818 Mitsubishi 380 (Australia) 110019 Holden Captiva (Korea) 109320 Nissan Tiida (Thailand) 1087 

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

The gauntlet is down. Is there a manufacturer, importer or government out there prepared to put corporate citizenship ahead of value equations and claim the moral high ground in the ESP argument? Electronic stability, active stability, dynamic stability ... call it what you will, the inescapable truth is that these systems have an enormous potential to avoid or moderate serious traffic accidents and the social and economic devastation that follows.In essence, ESP is a computer-controlled system that uses the car's brakes and throttle to maintain a stable attitude when sensors indicate a loss of control has taken place or is imminent.It is not a save-all for reckless driving but it can straighten and balance a car, which may in other circumstances, have succumbed to one or more of Newton's laws and speared away into the bush or oncoming traffic. Not so long ago such stability programs could be found only in luxury vehicles, a personal bodyguard for those who could afford to be saved. Not unlike the airbag.From the early days of the airbag features, a manufacturer asked why it supplied the lifesaving technology in its upper-end models only, but not in the more affordable and more common base models. As the story goes, the answer was along the lines of: “We are only killing poor people.”Airbags are now considered essential equipment in any new car and while there is no suggestion that any motoring or government body subscribes to the 'poor people' theory in relation to ESP, the reluctance to hasten the availability of a proven accident avoidance system is baffling. Nearly every luxury and premium marque includes an ESP program of some type in its cars. Others from the more mainstream end of the pond have been nibbling at the edges.Holden and Ford have it available as standard on parts of their extensive ranges, optional on others. Toyota last week announced Camry will have VSC standard from this month, albeit with an across-the-range price rise. Hyundai made a move of sorts by offering the technology as part of an optional safety pack on the Getz, at $1290 for the ESP and extra airbags it wasn't punitively expensive yet the uptake was just 1 per cent.Therein lies the issue. Buying patterns for optional extras suggest Australians eschew safety in favour of extra speakers and shiny wheels, the smiles lasting until they spin off to an appointment with their neighbourhood tree, telegraph pole or oncoming vehicle. Several Australian states have been pushing to have the department of transport mandate ESP for new cars in a move similar to that in the US, where all new cars must have ESP by 2011.Within 10-15 years of such a mandate most used vehicles in Australia, those in the hands of the greatest at-risk group such as young drivers would have the technology. Disturbingly, Australia's peak automotive manufacturer and importer body has been reluctant to support such a move.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries president and Chairman Emeritus of Toyota Australia John Conomos, speaking at the launch of the new Toyota Corolla, on which ESP is available in Europe and the US but deleted for the Australian market, Conomos said “We don't support it ... we have had discussions in Chamber (FCAI) about it and the reason we do not support it is that it potentially ties you into old technology, legislation is static, technology is dynamic.”The FCAI points to figures that show ESP availability in new cars will hit 40 per cent by the end of this year and argues that the market should be allowed to dictate its growth.“The market will determine it from that point on, so we believe government intervention in these areas is not appropriate unless it is a critical safety issue,” Conomos said at the launch. What is not made clear is that most of that availability is still at the top end of the market. Let's not call them poor, less financially empowered buyers continue to face the choice between comfort and safety.On the question of it being a “critical safety issue,” many safety experts believe the high proportion of deaths and injury resulting from loss of vehicle control does constitute a critical issue, particularly among young and inexperienced drivers.Industry commentator John Cadogan of the Immedia Group consultancy, describes ESP as having “the greatest potential to change the accident landscape ... If you're a young driver, your risk of dying on the road is elevated 200 or 300 per cent in comparison to drivers over the age of 24,” Cadogan says. “This is not a problem unique to Australia. It's really a global epidemic.”Cadogan says RTA statistics indicate 28 per cent of accidents involving drivers under the age of 24 have a further 17 per cent constituting head-on crashes.“ESP has the capacity to change the landscape of this phenomenon ... ESP is designed to protect middle Australia from itself.” 

The traditional six-cylinder family sedan is clawing its way back into the minds of car buyers.In doing so, family car buyers are helping the market continue its record run, according to the latest Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries sales figures.Last month, large-car sales rose 1945 vehicles, or 18.6 per cent, medium-car sales increased 1323, or 21.7 per cent, and compact crossover-wagon sales were up 1468, or 23.7 per cent.The Holden Commodore continues to be the most popular six, and 5134 sold last month. Ford sold 3186 Falcons, Toyota's Aurion managed 1925 and Mitsubishi sold 949 of its 380.Vfacts industry figures for July show that a record 86,291 cars, trucks and buses were sold, up 8729 vehicles, or 11.3 per cent, on the same month last year.Though most segments enjoyed reasonable growth, the strongest additional sales were in the family-oriented segments of large and medium cars and compact off-roaders.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar says sales growth this year is more widely spread across segments than last year.“In 2006 the dynamics of the automotive market were dominated by small and light-car sales but this year sales action has been more broadly based,” he says.So far this year the market total of 610,667 vehicles is running 8.9 per cent ahead of the same period last year.The FCAI continues to forecast a record sales year of more than one million vehicles.McKellar says the continued sales buoyancy is pleasing, but he is cautious about the future because of economic challenges ahead.“The overall strength of the market in July is a tremendous result and we are on track for record annual sales, but we shouldn't take the strength of the motor-vehicle market for granted,” he says.“In particular, there is nothing in these sales figures that in any way supports the case for an interest-rate increase. There is no evidence of excess demand in the motor-vehicle market.“Supply has responded strongly to meet consumer demand, competition is intense and vehicle affordability is at record levels.”  Top 10 makes1 Toyota 19,0472 Holden 12,3433 Ford 90064 Mazda 64565 Mitsubishi 53086 Honda 56327 Nissan 45978 Hyundai 40059 Subaru 300710 Volkswagen 2383 Top 10 models 1 Holden Commodore 51342 Toyota Corolla 44603 Toyota HiLux 33004 Ford Falcon 31865 Mazda3 29096 Toyota Yaris 24497 Toyota Camry 19908 Toyota Aurion 19259 Hyundai Getz 172010 Mitsubishi Lancer 1676(Source: VFACTS) 

The type of used car you buy could mean the difference between life and death, an Australian study says.The study found, for example, that drivers and passengers are 26 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a Daihatsu Hi-Jet microvan (made between 1982-1990), than a VW Golf hatch (1999-2004), the 2007 Used Car Safety Ratings report says.And the Transport Accident Commission believes the report's release could potentially slash the road toll by a third.Released in Melbourne yesterday, the study examined more than 2.8 million cars of 279 different types involved in crashes from 1987-2005 in Australia and New Zealand.Researchers rated vehicles on how much protection was offered to drivers and how much the vehicle was likely to harm other road users in an accident.Small cars and other vehicles built before 1990 performed worst for safety, with the Daihatsu Hi-Jet, Daewoo Kalos (2003-2004) and Ford Falcon XE/XF (1982-1988) poor examples.About two-thirds of cars in the worst performing category were light cars, including the Daewoo Kalos (now badged as Holden Barina) and the Hyundai Getz.Cars rated the highest for protection were the VW Golf and Bora models (built between 1999 and 2004) and the Holden Astra TS (1998-2005).Most four-wheel drives scored average or better results for occupant protection, but were more likely to harm or kill other road users.The report was conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre with support from Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, TAC, VicRoads and state and federal road authorities.VicRoads vehicle safety chief Ross McArthur said selecting a vehicle that met minimum safety standards was not enough.“You can get good performing cars that are cheaper and you can get cars that are more expensive that don't perform as well,” Mr McArthur said.“As a rule, the newer the car is, the better performance it has, but that's not always the case so you need to be informed.”The cost of a vehicle also did not necessarily mean it was safer, said RACV chief vehicle engineer Michael Case.Consumers needed to consider the safety ratings when buying a car to ensure its safety.Mr Case said structural design and safety equipment such as airbags played an important role.“Among small cars, the Toyota Corolla, the Holden Astra and the VW Golf have performed well and these vehicles are very affordable for used-car buyers,” he said.  Safety scoreVehicles scoring better than average in crashes:VW Golf/Bora (1999-2004)Holden Astra TS (1998-2005)Toyota Corolla (1998-2001)Honda Accord (1991-1993)Mercedes C Class (1995-2000)Peugeot 405 (1989-1997)Subaru Liberty/Legacy (1989-1993)Toyota Cressida/Mark II (1989-1993)Subaru Forester (1997-2002) Models that scored worse than average:Mitsubishi Cordia (1983-1987)Ford Falcon XE/XF (1982-1988)Mitsubishi Starwagon/Delica/L300 (1983-1986 and 1987-1993)Toyota Tarago (1983-1989)Toyota Hiace/Liteace (1982-1986 and 1987-1989 and 1990-1995).Source: 2007 Used Car Safety Ratings report 

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.