Hyundai i45 One of Three Finalists for North American Car of the Year

SYDNEY – December 20, 2010: Hyundai Motor Company’s game-changing new i45 (known as Sonata in the U.S.), has been named one of three finalists for 2011 North American Car of the Year, one of the most coveted automotive awards in the world.

A jury of 49 independent automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada evaluated all the new cars introduced in 2010, and chose three finalists to compete for the top honour. Cars were appraised on a number of factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for money. The award will be announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10, 2011.

In a breakthrough year in the automotive industry, consumers and journalists alike see the Hyundai i45 as a ground-breaking vehicle. With more than 200,000 i45’s finding homes in North American driveways this year, it appears i45 has created a sea-change in the North American family car segment.

In North America, the i45 broke new ground as the first mid-size sedan to forego a traditional V6 engine option.

i45’s state-of-the art 2.4 litre Theta-II engine utilises the latest direct injection technology to run cleanly and efficiently, producing up to 148 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque for effortless performance. In Australia, transmission options include either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission delivering an impressive fuel economy of 7.9 L/100 km.

Australian prices for i45 start at $29,590 MLP+ for the entry level 2.4-litre Active six-speed manual model.