Korean Car Makers Hitting Back Big Time This Time!

The New York Autoshow is taking place at this very moment and it comes down to the finest South Korean cars ever to be revealed till date. Yes the Koreans are hitting back big time this time....Did you know that South Korea has the fastest internet broadband service average around 14mbps download speed per household? Did you know that South Korea is the 13th wealthiest nation (8th biggest exporter) in the world? South Korea is all about technology and its a complete showcase of their best achievements in the New York Auto show with both Hyundai and Kia giving the Japs a run for its money.

Toyota (world's largest car manufacturer) has officially launched one of the largest automotive recalls in the automotive history, sure they lost around 10-20% of their current customers but they are coming back strong indicating better sales last February compared to that of February 2009. This maybe good news for Toyota after the devastating recall but this was well predicted by most automotive experts since 2010 seems to be a better financial year for the global market compared to 2009. However, the Japanese car makers have not gained any market share, rather lost a huge percentage of what they could achieve to American/South Korean & German car makers.

At the New York Auto show, Hyundai kicked off the event with the global launch of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata (Hybrid) which reports better fuel economy compared to that of the Ford Fusion, Lexus HS250h, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry. Better fuel economy plus much more powerful, given the fact that it is the lightest among the current midsized hybrid car market. The Sonata hybrid uses an all-aluminum 2.4-liter engine that produces 169 horsepower (126 kW, 171 PS) and up to 156 ft-lb of torque. It is paired with a 40-horsepower (30-kW, 41-PS) electric motor that produces 151 ft-lb of torque. The full parallel system is mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission.


Hyundai wasn't done quite yet, yes their big bad ass full size sedan has been launched in the North American market as well. The Korean ambassador in Bangladesh has imported one himself, this might just be the absolute nightmare for the Lexus LS460 if the Korean car maker can keep up with its aim. Power comes from a 4.6-liter Tau V8 with 385 hp (287 kW / 390 PS) and 333 lb-ft (451 Nm) of torque. Connected to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission, the engine enables the Equus to accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 6.4 seconds. The Equus will go on sale this summer undercutting all of its competitors mentioned above with a base price in the mid $50,000 range.

Quite often, we ignore one major car maker, yes its KIA (BMW's official dealer in Bangladesh, Executive Motors) is the first to bring Kia Motors to Bangladesh and right now it seems, Kia can gain a big market in Bangladesh as well. With unbelievable prices for a brand new car and such radical designs, Kia has stepped up big time. Kia unveiled its midsized sedan, Optima to the North American market in the New York Auto show and so far it's a complete head turner judged by its new design. In its base model form, the sedan will use a 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder engine, but customers wanting more power can opt for a 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI.

Last but not least, lets not forget Kia's very own Forte. I have been watching Canadians jumping right into these cars without hesitations and no regrets whatsoever. Build quality is splendid, car looks sporty and and I am already seeing some folks modding their Kia Fortes. By now, Bangladesh should be loaded with Kia Forte's but unfortunately it hasn't caught much attention as of yet. When we get under the skin of Forte we find a 124 bhp 1.6-liter gas motor, and a 1.6-liter turbo diesel plant of 128 bhp. A 2.0-liter version is on the cards to supplement the range.

The global automotive industry has boomed massively over the last 20 years. The Japanese car makers have benefited the most, taking a big lead on the North American market. Europe still prefers their own car makers more but more and more people are jumping into an Asian vehicle. Hyundai and Kia always trailed behind with build quality and a doubt over their reliability. Let's not think like that anymore, Korean cars are all still running, they haven't at least have had gas pedal problems which took away few unfortunate lives in the US mostly. At this moment, I am happy that Honda hasn't faced such a problem as off yet, but you never know if they face the same problem too. Mr. Toyoda himself said "we have grown so fast in such a short time, that we hardly cope up with such technical faults". The Germans have steered clear from such reliability issues and sudden recalls over the last 100+ years and I am honestly proud of their build quality. The Koreans have hit back big this time with such inexpensive price tags and such radical designs, Hyundai and Kia are finally holding their grip at the Automotive market.