Finally joining the hybrid party, Hyundai launched its first hybrid vehicle today in its domestic market of South Korea. Dubbed the Elantra LPI, Hyundai’s first hybrid uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and a set of lithium-ion polymer batteries.
The timing of Hyundai’s hybrid launch coincides with new hybrids from Honda – the Insight – and Toyota – the third-generation Prius. Although the Elantra LPI won’t see a wide enough offering to go toe-to-toe with the aforementioned hybrids, it should serve as a solid launching point for the company’s first gas-electric hybrid – the Sonata hybrid — due out next year.
Hyundai says the Elantra LPI returns about 62 mpg (U.S.) and is clean enough to qualify for California’s Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard.
Hyundai is expecting to sell about 7,500 units of the Elantra LPI during its first 12 months on the market, with that figure set to double by 2010. Hyundai has no current plans to export the hybrid.
Pricing for the Elantra LPI starts at 20.5 million won, the equivalent of about $15,700.
07/08, 5:18 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
interesting numbers…not exactly a chick magnet, and probably not very speedy, but in terms of dollars (mpg and price) it looks very efficient…
07/08, 5:39 PM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
A 62mpg car that only costs around 15-16 grand?
Sounds too good to be true!
Ohhhhh… it IS too good to be true.
We can’t buy it, and it comes with a LPG powered motor instead of a gas one…
Thank God I live in a country where I’m free to look at pictures of the cool stuff you can’t buy here.
07/08, 5:42 PM
posted by:
aggie531
krap that is cheap for a hybrid
prius 22,000 mpg- 50
insight 19,800 mpg-43
sonata hybrid- 15,700 mpg- 62
export the pruis-eater please
07/08, 6:29 PM
posted by:
worst 3
the first car to use lithium-ion polymer batteries in a mainstream car is from hyundai, bet no one saw that coming a few years ago. they talking about an Elantra not sonata for 15,700 aggie531. wonder how much Sonata hybrid would be here. also if the Elantra Hybrid came to the U.S. it would coast more then 15,700 once it got here, and there Elantra may be different then the one sold here in some ways.
07/08, 6:41 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Aggie531,
Stop playing to stereotypes. I know you read the article. This was their “Elantra LPI”, basically the smallest car HYUNDAI makes (KIA’s is the RIO). The SONATA is HYUNDAI:S mid-sized family sedan.
Anyway, Without knowing more about this ELANTRA LPI, it is debatable whether or not this 62mpg or the pricing is for real or blowing smoke.
07/08, 9:03 PM
posted by:
Borat
I smell BS. It may return 62 mpg if you push it off the long steep cliff.
Lefty, I think it has a chick magnet. Just not the chick you would want to penetrate.
07/08, 10:04 PM
posted by:
Bimmer
Blakkarr,
the smallest car Hyundai makes called i10, not Elantra.
07/08, 11:30 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
The title of this article is somewhat misleading. The first Hyundai ever brought to these shores- the Pony- was also a hybrid. It ran on gas and gravity because if you were on anything other than an incline you weren’t going anywhere.
07/09, 3:37 AM
posted by:
Bankruptcy2009
Well Borat It might be BS but at Least Hyundai has joined the party. I got a close look at the Blue Hybrid Tech at the Chicago Autoshow and it looked pretty advanced. not saying its better than the Hybrids at Ford, Honda, or Toyota but its a worthy competitor. Did they inflate their MPG’s by Hypermiling Hmmm then that would not be the True MPG. We’ll see. Reserve judgement when it comes to our shores late next year.
07/09, 10:48 AM
posted by:
HoosierHero
This is definitely BS as Hyundai would certainly rip-off the Prius in looks and features. Look for a Hyundai Premis in a couple of years here that looks exactly like the Prius.
07/09, 11:18 PM
posted by:
CP1
@Blakkarr
The smallest model Hyundai has is the i10 overseas and in the US, the Accent (not the Elantra).
“This is definitely BS as Hyundai would certainly rip-off the Prius in looks and features”
Who would want to rip-off the fugly Prius – well, other than Honda?
Both, btw, ripping off the 3-bar grille from Ford.