Ever since president and CEO John Krafcik  told Inside Line the Hyundai Veloster will be coming to a dealer in 2011, fans have been looking for spottings to report. This might be it.

 The forum members where these photos were posted are pretty sure that this is indeed the new sporty Hyundai.

Krafcik said the final production model will be “70-80 percent” like the concept and might appear as a “four-passenger CRX” with good mileage to toot. Power will probably come from a 2.0-liter version of Hyundai’s new Theta II GDI (Gas Direct Injection) engine, though we doubt it will make 198 horses. Fun, practical, and cheap. Sounds a lot like Honda’s upcoming CR-Z.

The 2011 Kia Sorento hits showrooms in January, and while there has been no official press release the American Kia website says pricing will start at $20,790 for a base trim Sorento with a 2.4L four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission.

The step up model, the LX, offers a four-banger making 179-hp/169 lb-ft with the option for front-wheel or four-wheel drive. A six-speed automatic gearbox comes with the trim as well. The top tier seven-passenger EX editions can be had with the four-cylinder or the 276-hp 3.5L V-6 with 248 lb-ft of torque. It too gets either front-wheel or four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.

Price List from Kia’s website:

Base — 2.4L I4 M/T 4×2 $20,790
LX — 2.4L I4 A/T 4×2 $23,190
LX — 2.4L I4 A/T 4×4 $24,890
EX — 2.4L I4 A/T 4×2 $25,390
EX — 2.4L I4 A/T 4×4 $27,090
EX — 3.5L V6 A/T 4×2 $27,990
EX — 3.5L V6 A/T 4×4 $29,690

All prices include a $795 destination and handling charge.

Images the of new Hyundai ix35–or the Tucson, as it’s known here in the U.S .– have been leaked ahead of the vehicle’s slated unveiling at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.

The ix35’s revolutionary features begin with the exterior styling which is based on the bold ix-onic concept shown at Geneva Motor Show in March. The power output, fuel-efficiency, comfort and safety features have been all upgraded. Known by the project name LM, it took 36 months and approximately US$225 million to develop.

It will come in an all-new 2.4 litre petrol version and the R-Series diesel. All models will be fitted with Hyundai’s new six-speed automatic transmission. The diesel version achieves a frugal 6.49L/100km fuel economy with a maximum power output of 184 horse power.

In Hyundai’s home market, Korea, the Tucson (known there as the Tucson ix) can be equipped with an all-new 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine, or a 2.0-liter gasoline unit. The 184 horsepower generated by the diesel can be sent to the front or all the wheels, while the 166 horsepower gasoline engine can only be had in front-wheel drive models. Pricing for the Korean-market model starts at 21 million won, or about $16,815.

The ix35 has been conceived and engineered in Europe at the company’s Frankfurt design and technical centre.

Subtle design changes include a redesigned front grille, new bumper treatment and a slightly more aggressive look for the tail lights and rear bumper. Inside, higher grade materials include new seat upholstery, better finishings and new equipment specifications. The new model also gets a reworked center console.

The most important change though comes from underneath the hood. The 2010 Santa Fe comes with a pair of diesel powertrains on the options list: a 2.0-liter with 184HP or a 2.2-liter with 200HP. Both are mated to a 6-speed automatic tranny.

Inside, the center stack has been modified with new faux aluminum trim and upgraded materials, while the green illumination of the instrumentation has been ditched in favor of a new blue hue. Motivation comes courtesy of a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine and Hyundai Korea will continue to offer an “Eco” indicator on the dash that encourages a light foot. The redesigned Verna is rumored to hit Korean dealers this month, although it’s unclear if or when this version of the Accent will be headed to the States.

The Kia Soul has already catapulted the Kia brand into cool territory and now it’s in safe territory also. The European NCAP safety test resulted in the Kia Soul getting the maximum five stars in frontal offset, side impact and pole crash tests. The NCAP rating system gives it a 87% safety rating for adult occupants and 86% safety for child occupents. It does significantly worse for pedestrians: just 39%.  So, if you want a close encounter with a Kia Soul … just make sure you’re inside.

Adult occupant
The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal impact. Structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. Based on dummy readings alone, the Soul scored maximum points for its protection of the driver in the side barrier test. However, the driver’s door was not fully latched after the test and the car was penalised a point. In the side pole test, protection of the chest was marginal. However, good protection was provided against whiplash injuries.

Child occupant
Based on dummy readings, maximum points were scored for the protection provided to both the 3 year and the 1½ year children in the frontal and side impact tests. Forward movement of the head of the 3 year child, sat in a forward-facing seat, was not excessive in the frontal impact the heads of both dummies were contained by the restraints in the side impact. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear.

Pedestrian
The front edge of the bonnet offered poor protection to pedestrians’ legs. In most areas likely to be hit by a pedestrian’s head, the bonnet also provided poor protection. Only the bumper offered predominantly good protection against injury.

Safety assist
Electronic stability control is standard equipment on all Kia Souls, as is a seatbelt reminder system for both front and rear seats.

The Opirus Premium is no head turner but it’s Buick, Jaguar, Lincoln and Rolls Royce design cues are enough to constitute a closer inspection. The round headlamps and LED turn and rear lights look cool enough but seeing them on a Kia just looks tacky. The 18-inch alloys and large chrome moldings dont make it any classier.

The inside also screams cheap. The leather seats might be cooled but high gloss piano black trim doesn’t fool anyone. The try-hard interior’s sad because the car borrows a lot from the very cool Hyundai Equus. If the Opirus didn’t try so hard it just might have been a winner.

Mechanically, the car’s new 6-speed automatic is rock solid together with either 2.6L V6, 3.3L Lambda V6 or 3.8L V6. The engines pump out 195, 259 and 284 horsepower respectively.

The car goes on sale in South Korea with a starting price of $27,300 USD. The range topping GH380 costs $43,200 USD. Thankfully Kia has no plan to bring the car to North America.

[TheCarConnection]

These garage photos from Hyundai Blog show a glimpse of the Sonata we haven’t really seen before. The shots give us a decent look at the car’s general profile and front fascia. But that’s about it.

Rumors are circulating that the newly developed Sonata, which is a whole new car by the way, will get an entirely new updated engine lineup. There might be a diesel in the mix, and an Estate version doesn’t sound too far out either. I’ve got my hands on a few renders of the car and I’ll slam them up on the interwebs soon.

The Genesis has caught enough attention to convince Hyundai to bring 100 Hyundai Equus sedans to the States. The luxury cars will be displayed at dealerships around the country to gauge public interest. Translation: They’re serious about the whole Genesis luxury brand business.

The Equus is supposed to compete with the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes Benz S-Class and Lexus LS460. But if USA Today’s right, the $75,000 price tag might be too much for a Hyundai badge.

USAToday: With Hyundai having found unlikely success selling luxury cars in the U.S., now it’s toying with the idea of moving up in price point again — to $75,000 sedans.

It’s exploring whether Equus, an updated large sedan that just went on sale in South Korea, can take on the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS 460L in America.

Long known for cheap cars and a 10-year warranty aimed at dispelling a reputation for inferior quality, Hyundai is hoping its luxury strategy will burnish its image. It already has two luxury models in the U.S. under the name Genesis, a midsize sedan and a sporty coupe.

Success of the Equus “would decisively shift public opinion in our favor. It would be the capstone,” said spokesman Oles Gadacz at Hyundai’s Research & Development complex outside Seoul.

This summer, the South Korean automaker plans to ship 100 Equus luxury sedans to U.S. dealerships to quietly gauge what American customers think about the model. Equus also was displayed at the New York International Auto Show last month simply to gauge reaction. “We have modest expectations,” Gadacz said.

Hyundai sold 6,021 Genesis sedans this year through April, Autodata says. Prices ranged from $32,250 for a V-6-powered version to about $42,000 for a fully loaded V-8 model. To lure luxury buyers, Hyundai is discreet about where its logos appear on the Genesis. Buyers so far have included those moving over from entry-level Lexus or BMW 3 Series, as well as those trading in Toyota Avalons or other large non-luxury sedans, says Art Spinella of CNW Marketing Research.

Jeff Schuster, executive director of forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates, says that while there is promise, Hyundai needs to worry about stretching its brand too far. But Milton Pedraza of the Luxury Institute says upscale buyers now yearn for value, not just sophistication, and there is room for a lower-price alternative luxury brand.

The larger Equus uses the same 4.6-liter, 375-horsepower V-8 as is found in Genesis. In South Korea, Equus comes in a chauffeur version with a rear-seat power leg rest and seat massage unit.

If it decides to sell Equus in the U.S., Hyundai could face “a stronger challenge” than Genesis did, says Alexander Edwards, CEO of Strategic Vision.

CNBC: LeBron James and Dwight Howard have many endorsement deals, but both are currently free agents as far as national car deals go. That’s why it’s a good thing that the offensive and defensive MVP award winners don’t actually have to accept cars from Kia, which sponsor the awards.

Since Kia does the deal with the league, the league asks the players what charity they want the car to go to. Agents are relieved by this practice, so as not to compromise their player’s ability to market another car brand.

Last year, Kobe Bryant donated his Kia Borrego to the East L.A. Boys and Girls Club. Howard already donated his car to the Orlando Day Nursery.

It’s a nice gesture, but the practice of donating the car isn’t necessarily the best endorsement for Kia. It would make much more sense if the player would turn the key and drive away in the thing. That being said, a car that one of these players wants isn’t the type of car that can be mass marketed to America.

When he finally does the deal, James’ car endorsement deal could come out at a discount because he is so associated with the Hummer he drove in high school. General Motors is currently looking for buyers to take the Hummer brand off its hands.