Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America Inc. has won a $1.9-million award from a federal jury in Las Vegas that found that a dent repair company's employees defrauded the U.S. arm of South Korea's largest auto maker. The Fountain Valley company filed papers in court Thursday under federal racketeering laws to seek a court order tripling the award, which was rendered three weeks ago. The company's suit against three employees of closely held Ace-A-Dent Inc.

The U.S. units of Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. in Orange County said Thursday that they have agreed to share parts-distribution centers in Atlanta and Aurora, Ill., to speed up deliveries to the South Korean auto makers' dealers. Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor, will use the largest South Korean auto maker's Illinois center starting April 2 to supply parts to 126 dealers in the Midwest, the companies said.

The federal government ended a 20-month investigation into Hyundai Accent air-bag systems that have been linked to the deaths of 10 children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not rule on the presence or absence of a safety defect when the bags are deployed but said there was insufficient evidence to warrant continued investigation. Almost 250,000 Accent models were equipped with the systems being investigated.

Figuring that what's done wonders for big brother will be good for little brother too, Irvine-based Kia Motors America today will launch its version of the auto industry's longest warranty--a carbon copy of the 10-year, 100,000-mile coverage offered by Hyundai Motor America. Providing the long-term warranty is an effort by the South Korean auto importer to assure potential customers that the quality of its vehicles has improved dramatically since they were introduced in the U.S. in 1994.

Hyundai Motor America, enjoying its best sales in a decade, plans to bring a near-luxury sedan to the U.S. by the end of next year, company President Finbarr O'Neill has confirmed. The long-discussed move would give the Fountain Valley-based importer an important "move-up" vehicle beyond its current lineup of small and mid-size cars while helping its parent, Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Corp., regain sales volume that it has lost because of South Korea's economic woes.

Hyundai Motor America, enjoying its best sales in a decade, plans to bring a near-luxury sedan to the U.S. by the end of next year, company President Finbarr O'Neill has confirmed. The long-discussed move would give the Fountain Valley-based importer an important "move-up" vehicle beyond its current lineup of small and mid-size cars while helping its parent, Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Corp., maintain sales volume that it has lost because of South Korea's economic woes.

Auto makers have tried just about everything to persuade women to embrace car buying, from running slick ad campaigns to redesigning door latches for long fingernails. Hyundai Motor America, stuck with a tiny budget and an enormous image problem, is taking an unconventional, grass-roots approach to winning female consumers.

Hyundai Motor America said it has shelved plans to import a minivan for that already crowded niche in the U.S. market and instead will focus on marketing the sport-utility vehicle it will introduce here in the spring of 2000. Finbarr O'Neill, president of the Fountain Valley-based U.S. arm of South Korea's largest car maker, said the minivan was abandoned because it was designed for the European and Asian markets and simply was not good enough for the more competitive U.S. market.