Hyundai IX35 2015 News

Hyundai has apologised for a commercial that shows a man trying to kill himself by piping emissions into his car. The 60-second ad was intended to be used in the UK, and shows the suicide bid failing because the ix35 SUV model used – a fuel-cell model not sold in Australia -- does not produce harmful emissions. Hyundai said it did not order or approve the “offensive” ad, and apologised for it appearing. “Hyundai Motor deeply and sincerely apologises for the offensive viral ad,” the Korean carmaker said in a statement. “It runs counter to our values as a company and as members of the community. We are very sorry for any offense or distress the video caused. More to the point, Hyundai apologizes to those who have been personally impacted by tragedy.” The ad was created by Innocean, a global agency that handles most advertising for Hyundai and its stablemate Kia, and is owned by the auto group’s chairman Chung Mong-koo and his family. The ad sparked outrage on social media, with one of the widest-spread responses being from UK copywriter Holly Brockwell, who posted an open letter to Hyundai --showing the handwritten note left by her father before he committed suicide in his car  – and describing her emotional reaction to the ad. "My dad never drove a Hyundai. Thanks to you, neither will I," she wrote. * Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.  

Hyundai has slotted a fourth model into its ix35 range of small SUVs. Based on the 2.0-litre two-wheel drive entry level Active model, the $29,990 ix35 SE is the first model to be sourced from Europe. It offers a raft of convenience, comfort, and style elements previously unavailable in the Active model. Available in a limited range of fashionable colours, the nose features a unique front bumper with in-set fog lamps, projector headlamps with dusk sensors, and power folding side mirrors. Smart 17 inch alloys and solar control glass with rear privacy tint add a touch of European chic to the exterior presence. A stylish new interior treatment features full leather/leatherette trim including seats, steering wheel, and gear shift knob. Front and rear heated seats will provide additional comfort for all occupants, and the glove box is cooled. The SE also adds a rear-view camera displayed in the electro-chromatic rear-view mirror. For occupant comfort, the ix35 SE provides a comprehensive multimedia package including; 5 inch touch screen AM/FM radio with integrated Bluetooth, media streaming and hands free, six-speakers including tweeters, AUX and USB audio input with iPod compatibility, and an MP3 / WMA / CD player.  

More go for less dough -- at least at the fuel pump -- is the basis for Hyundai's renewed compact SUV. Due here in the third quarter of this year, the reinvigorated ix35 -- the first of Hyundai's new wave of alpha-numeric models to reach middle age -- does away with its obsolete entry level petrol engine and gets fixtures from the 2012 model Santa Fe. A Europe-made direct injection 2.0-litre replaces the thrashy ancient Theta-II. A new turbo diesel four is also promised. The so-called Flexisteer is adapted from the bigger SUV, a three mode system which in Carsguide's estimation provides little real feel in any setting. Upper specification models get bi-xenon headlights and lusher interiors. While Hyundai is keeping details under wraps until the ix35's unveiling at the Geneva motor show, it is certain that the next entry $26,990 model will easily surpass the current car's 122kW/197Nm and poor 8.5L/100km. The first of Hyundai's "made for Europe" models, it is notable for debuting the Korean carmaker's fluidic design gambit, a striking look that has helped underwrite the brand's success there and in Australia. But though a hit there and here, the Hyundai has been overshadowed by smaller cousin Kia's Sportage. All but a twin under the skin, the Peter Schreyer designed compact SUV benefits from a through local adaptation program led by Graham Gambold which results in bespoke suspension and steering setting. So successful has the Kia precedent proved, Hyundai will adopt a similar approach with the ix35.  

In the tsunami of email scams, you could be forgiven for scoffing at that announcement. But for one lucky Australian Hyundai buyer, it was genuine – and will see them getting a special prize with their car. The milestone Hyundai, an ix35 SUV, was sold just after 5pm last Wednesday -- at the same dealer who sold the first one way back in 1986, John Hughes Hyundai in Perth.  “We’re delighted that that the millionth new Hyundai was sold in the same city where it all began back in 1986,” Hyundai marketing director Oliver Mann says. Hyundai says the buyer will be getting VIP treatment with a package to attend the Hopman Cup in Perth -- and a hamper of chocolate and other sweets to keep their blood sugar up while courtside.  Mr Mann said: “The true significance of reaching one million sales in Australia is that so many astute local buyers have put their faith in the Hyundai brand when there is so much choice in the market," "We thank them for their loyalty, and pledge to continue our efforts to provide them with superior quality and service.” Hyundai has been pressing the sales accelerator. It took 18 years to reach the half-million mark, but the remaining 500,000 vehicles have rolled out the door in just the past eight years since 2004.  The growth has seen Hyundai become the fifth-largest automotive brand in Australia – and helped towards it being the fastest-growing in the world, with last year’s global sales exceeding 4 million.  

... with an all-wheel drive, 2.4 litre petrol Highlander joining the turbo diesel Highlander at the top of the range.  The engine's already available in the mid-level trimed ix35 Elite AWD but almost half the local demand's been for Highlanders. Here the four cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential manual mode and pumps out 130kW at 6000rpm plus 227Nm of torque at 4000rpm. Hyundai's ix35 range is also available with a 2 litre petrol engine in the entry level Active two-wheel drive model while the turbo diesel engine is available in mid-trim ix35 Elite AWD and ix35 Highlander AWD models. List prices start at $26,990 and run through to $38,490. The new petrol-engined Highlander starts at $35,490 before on-road costs.

The company is closely guarding images of the new ix35 — the replacement for the Tucson compact SUV — until its official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month but it will owe much of its styling to the sexy ix-onic Concept displayed at the Geneva show earlier this year. "It is really attractive and it is closer in reality to its concept than a lot of others I have seen," Hyundai Australia's director for sales and marketing, Kevin McCann says. "I think, in that segment, people are starting to look for aesthetics. "They no longer want the chunky styling anymore but are looking for something that is sleek and fluid and slim-lined. This car certainly offers that." The ix35 will also be the launch platform for a range of new technologies to Hyundai including stop and go engine management, a family of double-clutch gearboxes for the two- and four-wheel drive platform and at least one new 1.6-litre four-cylinder direct injection petrol engine with an impressive 130kW output. "They are all things that we are looking at, although not everything is available to us," McCann says. "For example, ISG (idle engine stop/start) is only made in the Eastern European factory for the European market. "We would have to guarantee the factory in Korea sufficient demand for those items to justify them being made there, but that is something we are working on." While McCann would not be specific about which engine, gearbox and drivetrain combinations would be offered in Australia he did confirm that the new generation engines were part of the planning along with the new generation of transmissions. The Tucson is the company's third-best selling model behind the Getz and the i30 and McCann knows there can be no mistakes with its replacement when it arrives towards the middle of next year. "The compact SUV segment is an important part of our volume base," McCann says. "We do very well there right now because we are at the lower end of the price band for those SUVs. I think there is a natural ceiling at which you can price a Tucson, but with the new ix35 we will be able to have a very solid entry-level competitor and the design of the car will enable us to offer a wider range across the price band. We will be able to richen our mix considerably with it." That is likely to mean upward pressure on the larger Santa Fe, a heavily revised version of which will also be unveiled at the Frankfurt show. "This (the Santa Fe upgrade) is quite significant," McCann says. "We are respecifying some aspects of the car but I can't really give you the details of that right now." If the highly-specified ix35 is moved up-market into a price-range currently occupied by an entry-level Santa Fe the outcome is likely to be an opportunity for Hyundai to offer the new Santa Fe in less models but with a higher level of standard inclusions. The ix35 styling comes from the same team at the company's European design centre near Frankfurt which penned the i30. Speaking of the ix-onic concept in Geneva, design boss Thomas Buerkle said: "This is a dynamic sculpture ... it is an urban nomad. It is the new generation of SUV; a car of contrasts for a world of contrasts." Slightly larger than the Tucson at 4.4m long, the ix-onic was designed specifically for the European market with the target of younger buyers.