Comments on: Hyundai/Kia Spike FWD V6 Pickup

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:26:21 +0000

Am wondering what a FWD truck would be like with a maxed out cargo bed (weight-wise). Would it be like a standard pickup (no steering, no stopping) except no motive-traction either?

Just curious. I have an FWD/AWD CR-V and with a full load the only way I climb some gravel roads with 5 people on board or pulling our utility trailer is with AWD engaged.

Whatever the case I’m glad if actual small trucks return to the American fleet. Not all of us need F-250s to haul home a couple sheets of plywood.

By: jthorner

jthorner — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:34:59 +0000

If they called the G8 ST an El Camino then at least the market would have a glimmer of a chance of knowing what the )&*)(& it is. G8 ST, what idiot came up with that name!

I’m still shocked and awed that Pontiac went for that stupid G_ naming scheme. Argh.

By: 86er

86er — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:33:47 +0000

I’ll buy that “truck” when hell freezes over and the Devil learns to skate.

By: TriShield

TriShield — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:13:18 +0000

Surprisingly no mention of the G8 ST, a muscle car that can also do most of what a truck can do. Perhaps GM should be releasing a V6 model of that car afterall. Except as TTAC’s review points out you might as well have had the V8.

By: iNeon

iNeon — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:21:28 +0000

Someone watched Frasier last night.

By: improvement_needed

improvement_needed — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:35:13 +0000

menno: a few months from jan 2010 for the accord diesel.. (or jan 2009 if you’re lucky)…

their first north american diesel will go in the redesigned tsx… – so i’ve read…

By: menno

menno — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:57:38 +0000

Mike, you Canadians might just get the diesel Hyundais some day, and both Americans and Canadians were scheduled to get them – but then the big Hyundai head honcho fired the latest US Hyundai CEO (between the entre and dessert at a dealer conference, no less, I believe) and coincidentally or not, now Hyundai is mute about when diesels are coming.

Which probably means, they aren’t.

$4.59 per gallon for diesel where I live vs. $3.89 for gasoline (per US gallon) also plays hell with the “payback time” math for a moderately priced car.

Plus Hyundai and Kia are finally pulling their finger out and are supposed to be introducing the Elantra hybrid within 18 months. But then again, they’ve been promising hybrids for two years now.

Wait a few months and Honda will supposedly have an Accord clean diesel if you gotta have one and are allergic to the break-down truck (and therefore don’t want a Volkswagen diesel).

By: menno

menno — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:53:30 +0000

The folks who want a Ridgeline will go to Honda. Hyundai/Kia keep making smart moves. I suspect that the cars built in the new plant might include the Kia Spectra, which is their compact (and which would mean that the Hyundai Elantra could be produced in the same plant easily, since they share platform components and also engines).

The Kia Optima would be a good 2nd line for the plant, but oddly enough, this mid-sized car does not share a platform with the Hyundai Sonata (the Optima uses front McPherson struts, the Sonata uses double wishbones; the tracks and dimensions of the cars are similar but no cigar, only cousins, not close kin!)

I think the Kia Optima could be built on the lines with the Spectra since the overall construction is similar (front McPherson struts, etc). especially if the plant is going to be flexible.

I think the smallest Kia Rio and cousin, the Hyundai Accent, will continue to come from South Korea since margins are small on these cars (unless of course, Hyundai and Kia could pick up Chrysler’s underutilized Toluca Mexico factory for a song – the PT Cruiser is nearly dead, anyway, and the Dodge Journey could be built on the lines in the states next to the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, with which the Journey shares it’s platform. Goodness knows, Chrysler only needs one plant for these three dogs (get it, 3 dogs?)

By: MikeInCanada

MikeInCanada — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:46:25 +0000

Where is the Hyundai diesel….? They sure make plenty of oil burners for the rest of the world.

http://uk.hyundai-motor.com/

I would think that certifying another engine or two would be more expedient then developing an entire new vehical.