Hyundai Grandeur Hybrid adds green credentials to lineup

As the demand for environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles is expected to rise further, the country's biggest carmaker plans to introduce more hybrid and electric cars for a share in the technologically advanced car markets.

Hyundai unveiled the Grandeur Hybrid mated with a 2.4-liter gasoline engine during the Seoul Motor Show that began last Friday and runs through this coming Sunday.

On Wednesday, the company held a test-drive event that allowed the local press to experience and evaluate the car on a 40-kilometer course near Seoul.

The hybrid Grandeur's fuel efficiency is rated at 16.2 kmpl using 17-inch tires. The car has a 1.76 kWh battery and can operate longer on electric drive mode that saves gas.

The engine and motor can generate 159 horsepower and 21 kilogram-force meters of torque combined, with the power sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The new hybrid car is also equipped with the "Hyundai Smart Sense," a package of advanced driver assistance systems, which was adopted for the first time in the new Grandeur sedan late last year. 

Hyundai acknowledges that such safety features in vehicles are nothing new as they are often seen in countless other high-end models, but what is different is the concerted effort being placed on car safety to win over more consumers.

Faced with stiffer competition, Hyundai has joined bigger rivals to gain a share of the technologically advanced car market, as safety is the first thing many customers think about when buying a new car.

Hyundai aims to sell more than 10,000 units a year of the hybrid car in the domestic market at prices between 36 million won and 40 million won ($32,000-$36,000).

Hyundai has yet to decide on the timeframe for exporting the Grandeur sedan and the Grandeur Hybrid to markets like the United States. (Yonhap)