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Hyundai is one of the world’s biggest automakers, and the most visible of South Korea’s business and industrial acumen. So you would think a company that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Toyota and pre-bailout GM would be pretty consistent with its model naming conventions, right?

Well, not exactly. When Hyundai first launched the i30 hatchback in Europe, Australia and other markets, it seemed that familiar nameplates such as Elantra and Sonata would soon be dead and buried. Not so. In fact, the i30 CW (basically, the station wagon version of the i30), is still sold in the U.S. as the Elantra Touring.

Hyundai had shared the first photos of its all-new i40 ahead of the car's world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show on March 1. Revealed here in station wagon form, the estate is the first i40 body style to be introduced to Europe, with a four-door sedan model to follow later this year. The i40 essentially replaces the older generation Sonata in Europe eyeing the highly competitive D-segment with rivals such as the Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 508, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat.

Designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Hyundai says the i40 is the company's "first D-segment vehicle to be developed specifically for the European market, with a package of powertrains, equipment and technology tailored for European tastes."

With its three ads programmed to air during the Super Bowl XLV later in the day (Sunday, February 6), Hyundai wants to show the American public that not all compact cars have “uninspired design, cramped interiors and limited innovation”, as marketing portrays them. Two out of the three advertisements showcase the 2011 Elantra sedan, while the third features the 2011 Sonata Hybrid. Videos available after the break.

The well received new Sonata is spearheading Hyundai's North American sales efforts this year, with the South Korean automaker selling more than 200,000 examples of the mid-size sedan in the U.S. and Canada in 2010, setting a new sales record. More importantly, the four-door saloon helped the company deliver more than 530,000 vehicles in the United States and over 110,000 in Canada for the first time ever.

"Sonata has delivered some pretty incredible results for us this year," says John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. "Sonata is the Hyundai brand and it's appropriate that it has led our best year ever. Sonata's innovation has reset the most hotly contested, largest segment in the U.S. car market, with Sonata delivering more year-over-year retail sales growth – about 90,000 units – than any other car in the entire industry."

Hyundai has come out with an official announcement on its new D-segment car for Europe, about a week after the first illustrations of the i40 made their way onto the web. The i40, which was known by the codename ‘VF’ during development, is essentially the European market version of the North American and Korean Sonata, and will compete against cars like Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Citroen C5.

The new i40 will make its world premiere in estate form at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011, with a four door sedan model following later in the same year. It was designed at Hyundai’s European R&D facilities in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and according to the South Korean firm, it is the company’s first D-segment model to be specifically developed for the European market.

Hyundai claims that the i40 will further boost European consumer perception of the brand to "a more aspirational position" thanks to the vehicle's design, quality, performance and technical features.

Hyundai's all-new 2011 Sonata Hybrid sedan will carry a starting price of $25,795 plus a $750 fee for freight charges for a total of $26,545 when it arrives in the firm's dealerships in early January. The most fuel efficient version of the South Korean maker's mid-size sedan will comes in just two flavors, with the next version being the tech-feature-packed Premium model priced at $30,795, or $31,545 if you add the freight charge.

Both variants deliver 40-mpg on the highway and 35 mpg in the city, with a 37 mpg combined rating from the EPA. Hyundai's first hybrid in the States features a proprietary parallel hybrid drive system, which utilizes a 169HP 2.4-liter Theta II (operating on an Atkinson Cycle) linked to a 6-speed automatic transmission, a 30kW (151 lb-ft) electric motor and a lithium polymer batteries.

These are the first teaser renderings of Hyundai's new competitor in the European market D-segment, the i40 that will take on the likes of the VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna and Toyota Avensis from next year. It is based on a modified version of the North American Sonata's platform and aside from the estate model seen here, it will also be offered in a four-door sedan version, which will enter the market later towards the end of 2011.

Designed and developed by Hyundai’s German R&D centre in Russelsheim with European buyers in mind, the station wagon's exterior styling is heavily influenced by the South Korean automaker's Genus Concept model from 2006 (scroll down for photos).

Hyundai's mid-sizer will be available in Europe with the same range of petrol and diesel engines as its sister model, the new [EU-spec] Kia Optima.

In what is surely a sign of the times, Hyundai will be represented by a slew of customized cars at the 2010 SEMA Show, which runs from November 2 to 5. For the creation of this nicely done example of the 2011 Sonata Turbo, Hyundai teamed up with RIDES and 0-60 magazines. According to the South Korean automaker, the customized Sonata Turbo's styling was inspired by Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche models.

"The Sonata Turbo is an ideal platform for us to bridge the worlds of performance, aesthetics, luxury, technology and style," said Ben Harris, executive publisher, RIDES and 0-60 magazines. "The design we've chosen will accentuate the car's lines and style, using influences from exotic supercars."

The designers claim to have used styling cues from the four-door Brabus Mercedes CLS Rocket for the car's exterior modifications, which combine a matte pearl white paint with a set of blacked out 20-inch wheels, custom LED fog lights, and a slew of carbon fiber parts including the roof, grill, side mirrors and rear diffuser.

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced a new and improved 5-star safety rating system for 2011 vehicles. If you're interested about your new car, scroll on down for some of the vehicles tested. As of now, the BMW 5-Series (RWD) and Hyundai Sonata are the only vehicles to be top-rated (33 of the 55 models to be tested have been graded thus far).

What happens when you live in / near the desert and have a bunch of money to waste? Cars get destroyed, that's what. Here's a small clip of somebody taking their Hyundai Sonata out for a little slideways action and utterly shredding the rear passenger side. I'd venture to say it's totaled, considering the rear wheels aren't meant to be pushed up into the wheel well like that.
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The newest member of the 2011 Sonata family, the 2.0 Turbo model, will soon be hitting dealer lots across the States so Hyundai released pricing, which starts at $24,865 MSRP for the Sonata SE 2.0T and $27,765 for the Sonata Limited 2.0T, including a destination charge of $720.

Hoping to build some hype around the new 2011 Sonata 2.0-liter Turbo before it arrives in showrooms later this year, Hyundai has teamed up with RIDES and 0-60 magazines to trick out the 274-horsepower-strong saloon for the SEMA show, which will take place in Las Vegas this November.

The South Korean firm has no problem admitting that the car's tune-up is inspired by Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche models.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Hyundai is recalling certain 2011MY Sonata sedans over a potential issue with the steering system that could result in a total loss or reduction in steering capability. The recall affects all Sonatas manufactured from December 11, 2009, through September 10, 2010.

According to US Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, Hyundai is looking to set an "all-time" sales record in September partially thanks to high demand for the new Sonata sedan.

Krafcik told Autonews that September "looks fantastic [for Hyundai]. The industry looks decent -- I wouldn't say great -- but I think we're going to be fine." That's because the two latest Hyundai models to arrive have been the well received Sonata and the crisp Tucson.