Car of the Year and Truck of the Year in North America Named
Car of the Year, according to 50 automotive journalists in North America, is none other than Hyundai Elantra.
Car of the Year winner was announced at a news conference at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday where 50 independent automotive journalists served as jury.
They picked the 2012 Hyundai Elantra as winner for its bold fluidic sculpture design, fuel economy, and highest buyer satisfaction rate.
The Hyundai Elantra, also known as Hyundai Avante in Korea, is a compact car from Hyundai of South Korea launched in October 1990 for the 1991 model year, and now in its fifth generation.
The Elantra was formerly marketed as the Lantra in Australia and some European markets. In Australia, this was due to the similarly named Mitsubishi Magna Elante model. This gave rise to disagreement from other motor manufacturers, and the name was standardized as "Elantra" worldwide in 2001 (with the exception being Korea and Malaysia still selling under the name "Avante").
Launched in 1990, the Elantra received a mid-term facelift in 1993. It was powered by a Mitsubishi-designed 1.6 L (1596 cc) straight-4 that could push the car to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 9.5 seconds.
The second generation was launched in 1995, and was offered as a sedan and station wagon. It was sold in the South Korean market as the "Hyundai Avante" in sedan form and "Avante Touring" in the wagon body style. Some export markets such as Australia and Europe received the series as the "Hyundai Lantra" as per the first generation. Australian market wagons were titled "Lantra Sportswagon". Between 1996 and 1998, the Elantra was marketed as the "Bimantara Nenggala" (1.8-liter petrol) in Indonesia.
In Europe, 1996 through 1997 sedan models had carried a silver Mercury-type false grille, whereas wagon carried no front grille by not featuring this covering.
The Hyundai Elantra/Lantra received newer grilles in 1998 for the 1998 model year. The Lantra in Europe now converged into a single-front end design, with the sedan and wagon no longer featuring different front-end designs. The facelift model received the "RD2" or "J3" model codes.
A new 2.0-liter engine option became available with the facelift model. In Australia the GLS model was an upgrade on the GL model, and offered the 2.0-litre engine, velour trim, softer cloth seats, and alloy wheels. Also the GLS had body colored rear license plate light holder and exterior side-view mirrors.
An all-new model (third generation) was launched in 2000. The wagon was dropped in favor of a five-door hatchback. Starting in 2001, all American models came with standard front and front-side airbags, air conditioning, power locks, power windows, and power steering. This simplified dealer inventories and repairs and also sought to improve Hyundai's image of "value" cars. In 2003, the Elantra received a facelift for all models; this introduced new headlights and taillights, a new grille, new front and rear bumpers, a refreshed hood and trunk, and a redesigned dashboard.
While compact on the outside, it is listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency? as a mid-size car because of a spacious interior. Although the basic powertrain design has changed little since the second generation, successive improvements have improved fuel economy.
The latest generation Elantra (2012) is powered by an all-new 1.8-liter Nu four-cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque (145 horsepower and 130 lb-ft of torque for Elantra PZEV). Most Elantras sold in California , Oregon and several Northeast states are certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) by the EPA. The PZEV Elantra is as clean as many hybrid electric vehicles. The PZEV Elantra helps Hyundai meet its environmental commitments. Outside of these "green" states, the Elantra is available as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).
This is actually Hyundai's second Car of the Year win. The Hyundai Genesis was named North American Car of the Year in 2009.
Meanwhile, the Truck of the Year award went to the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque beating the BMW X3 and the Honda CR-V.
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