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Unless Hyundai’s sneak peek has something to do with the interior décor of the 2012 Accent shown at the annual Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival, there’s really not much to say about the South Korean firm’s cropped photo-posting on Twitter.

True, Hyundai will premiere its new sub-compact for the first time in the USA at the upcoming New York International Auto Show, but it won’t be a first per se as we’ve seen the new car in Beijing, in Moscow with a different name and face and more recently, at the 2011 Montreal Auto Show in January (see the video after the break).

In a very interesting melding of the virtual and real world, Hyundai has crafted a new viral ad to showcase its 2012 Accent sub-compact and highlight the brand’s new slogan “New Thinking. New Possibilities.". What makes this futuristic video intriguing is that the viral includes an actual 2012 Hyundai Accent suspended on a wall with a driver walking down the side to get into the car. At the same time, we see a film being projected on the wall creating an eye-catching combo.

See both the shorter and full version of Hyundai’s new viral of the 2012 Accent right after the jump.

Making its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, is the estate version of Hyundai’s all-new, Europe-specific D-segment model, the i40. Designed and engineered at Hyundai’s R&D headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, with European buyers in mind, the i40 will fill the gap left by the outgoing Sonata model in the South Korean automaker's range and will compete against the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. A four-door sedan version will be introduced this year, with most bets going towards the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

If this ad is to be taken seriously, the only difference between a late 1980s E30 BMW 325i and a Hyundai Excel is price and the engine / transmission layout. After all both have, “[A] plush interior, European styling [and] room for five.”

After all, niggling little details like equipment levels, brand image and build quality have never bothered car buyers before, right? Apparently not, as the Excel went on to become one of U.S.’s best selling imports, with 168,000 of the little blighters sold in its first year stateside. That’s a lot of, “Hun-days,” [sic].

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.

Hyundai has been advertising the all-new generation of its Grandeur for quite some time now, but today, the automaker officially launched the large sedan in its home market. The new Grandeur, which will be badged as the 2012 Azera in the States, arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005.

Codenamed HG, the 2012 Grandeur is result of three-and-a-half years and 450 billion won (about US$415 million) of research, development and testing. Positioned between the Sonata and the Genesis sedan, the new Grandeur measures 4,910mm (193.3") long, 1,860mm (73.2") wide and 1,470mm (57.9") tall. It rides on a 2,845mm-long (112") wheelbase, which is 65mm (2.6") longer than the outgoing model.

On Monday, we got our first taste of the all-new 2012 Hyundai Veloster at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, we have the first video footage of Hyundai's unconventional small sports car, which is distinguished by its asymmetric body with a single door on the driver's side, two doors on the other and a rear hatch.

Power for the front-wheel drive Veloster comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 138-ponies, hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a double clutch transmission. Hit the break to watch the first video of the Veloster on the road with some bonus handbrake/slideways action towards the end of the clip.

Hyundai is banking on the latest film technologies to promote its new Azera sedan, at least on its home turf. The automaker released a new advertisement for the mid-size saloon, which is named Grandeur in its home market, in select 4-D and 3-D movie theaters in South Korea. Read more »

It won't be long before we get to see the production version of the 2007 Veloster Concept as Hyundai has launched a mini site counting down the days and hours left before the small coupe makes its world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in mid-January.

The road-going model will keep the concept car's Veloster nameplate, while according to the official teaser video, it will be equipped with a modern direct-injection engine linked to a dual-clutch transmission with an estimated 40mpg fuel consumption (5.8 lt/100km).

Earlier today, 44-year-old Moscow resident named Oleg N. went on a road rampage for reasons that have yet to be determined. Russian news sites reported that the driver of the silver-colored Hyundai Terracan crashed into some 20 or so cars. The incident was partially caught on video where we see the Moscow resident trying to escape a mob of angry drivers by getting into his SUV and ramming several cars in an attempt to flee the scene. He was eventually caught by the police and a number of drivers who showed him no mercy - guess the Christmas Spirit ain't as infectious as we hoped...

Having wow'd us with teaser renderings at first followed shortly after by official real-life photographs, Hyundai continues to build hype around its all-new-2012 Azera before the full reveal by giving the car a promotional role in a South Korean TV drama called "The Fugitive Plan B".

While official information around the new Azera, which will be sold as the Grandeur in its home market, remains scarce, one of our South Korean readers, Jinhwan H. claims that word around local news sites is that the car will be offered locally with a choice of three engines. These include the Sonata's 2.4-liter GDI with 200hp and 184.4lb-ft torque, a 3.0-liter V6 GDI delivering 263hp and 225.7lb-ft torque plus a 3.0-liter LPI running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas with 230hp, 204.7lb-ft torque.

To say that Demitrios Bisbelis from Melbourne, Australia, is lucky, is an enormous understatement. The 31-year old man escaped almost certain death - or serious injuries at best, when he decided to get out of bed briefly at 2 am to check his computer in another room. A few minutes later, a Hyundai Excel [also know as the Pony] ploughed into his house and onto the bed he was lying on moments ago!

Not to be outdone by the likes of Fiat and its range of fashion house designed special edition models, Hyundai's Italian arm partnered with Milanese fashion brand Fiorucci to create a special series of models based on the i10 city car and the larger i20 supermini.

Both the i10 and i20 by Fiorucci models are characterized by the unique color combos inside and out as well as their upgraded standard equipment and the use of exclusive materials in the cabin.

The most vibrant proposal is the i10 by Fiorucci. It is available with a choice of five colors including Deep Ocean Blue, Oyster Gray, Sleek Silver, Stone Black or Crystal White, with details such as the mirror caps and grille finished in either Fuscia (pink) or Verde Lime (lime green).

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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