J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Customer Retention Study, and Hyundai ranks the highest among brands in retaining buyers. Hyundai’s retention rate is up four percentage points to 64 percent in 2012, thanks largely to the Elantra and Sonata models. J.D. Power says that much of the manufacturer’s retention rate can be traced to its growing vehicle offerings and positively changing perceptions about Hyundai quality and market appeal.
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The stereotype of elderly drivers preferring Lincolns and Buicks has to come from somewhere. TrueCar.com took a look at the past two years of car sales to buyers at least 65 years old and found a couple common threads. The first thing these buyers are looking for is familiarity. The nameplates and vehicle types that were popular when these buyers were younger rank high with senior buyers, kind of the same way people’s musical preferences get frozen in time.
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SEMA cometh, and that means the near future is to be filled with phrases like “peanut-butter leather center console,” “big brake kit,” “no ground clearance” and “LED overdose.” One of the first entrants we’ll welcome to the party is a blue Hyundai Veloster refitted by PM Lifestyle. Hyundai traditionally rolls deep at SEMA, and this little guy will not be an exception, kitted out with more goodies than we figured a single Veloster could hold.
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After our first drive of the Hyundai Veloster, we described the three-door hatch as an ‘eco-sport’ rather than an ‘all-out performance car’. The 1.6-liter four-pot under the hood produces 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet torque, which provided ‘adequately entertaining’ acceleration. In other words, we wouldn’t mind one bit if the Veloster got an extra dose of power.
The folks over at ARK Performance were thinking the same thing, and are set to debut a custom Veloster at SEMA in November with an extra dose of oomph under the hood. The additional ponies – 210 in total – comes courtesy of intercooled turbocharger system and a high-flow exhaust system. ARK has also worked over the rest of the Veloster with six-piston front brakes, coilover suspension system, custom Alcantara interior and a widebody kit with green and grey graphics.
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“The best Chrysler sedan we’ve seen in decades,” says Consumer Reports, in reference to the 2011 Chrysler 300. At the risk of damning a very fine car with faint praise, that may not be all that much of an accomplishment. And we’d have to add that the last all-new Chrysler 300, which hit the market in model-year 2005, was also the best Chrysler sedan the world had seen in decades.
That said, we agree – the redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300 is indeed a giant leap forward for the brand.
The previous-generation Chrysler 300 only managed to eke out a rather miserable score of 64 points, which placed it near the bottom of its class of upscale sedans. The redesigned 2011 model, though, earns an “Excellent” overall test score of 80. Also receiving Excellent scores are the 2012 Hyundai Genesis (which led the field with 92 points, according to CR) , along with the refreshed Acura TL and Toyota Avalon, all of which fall into the same upscale sedan classification.
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It’s a great time to be a fan of small cars, and Hyundai is nearly ready to add its 2012 Veloster into the marketplace. If you’ve been waiting for this one to appear in your local showroom, we’ve got some news for you. Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik just tweeted that it’s going to cost you $17,300 for a Veloster. Full pricing is due later this week, but that base price undercuts the Honda CR-Z, arguably its most natural rival, by over $2,000, while offering more room and the promise of 40 miles-per-gallon on the freeway.
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Hyundai is reportedly working up a customer service campaign regarding steering issues with certain Sonata models. The Korean automaker told Consumer Reports that the campaign is for sedans equipped with 18-inch wheels, built between September 2010 and May 2011.
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