Miss USA

Detroit- On January 9, Hyundai Motor Co.’s Elantra was named 2012 North American Car of the Year and Jaguar Range Rover Plc’s Evoque won truck of the year, at the North American International Auto Show.

The Automotive Press Association announced that the Elantra beat Ford Motor Co.’s Focus and Volkswagen AG’s Passat, at the largest U.S. auto show. The Elantra, which starts at $16,445, gets an estimated 33 mpg.

Beating out some tough competition from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s (BMW) X3 and Honda Motor Co.’s CR-V, the Evoque drove away with truck of the year.  The Evoque, which starts at $43,995, gets an estimated 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway.

The Hyundai Elantra was completely redesigned for the 2011 model year and hasn’t changed that much in appearance since.  Hyundai improved horn sound, calibrated the steering, added fog lights to the GLS Preferred Package and is offering more color options and an optional roadside assistance kit. The most significant update is the addition of Hyundai’s Active Eco System that comes on all Elantra models with an automatic transmission. Hyundai says this system improves fuel economy by 7 percent, but that claim hasn’t been independently tested.           
            The Evoque is said to be the most stylish of Range Rovers yet, but style is not all you get. Another aspect of the Evoque’s appeals is fuel economy. That results partly from extensive use of lightweight materials, such as an aluminum hood and roof panels and composite and polymer front fenders and tailgate. At 3,902 pounds, the Evoque is the lightest Range Rover yet. Under the hood is a highly efficient turbocharged 2.0-liter, 240-horsepower, four-cylinder engine coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission.

2012 Hyundai Elantra

                                 

2012 Range Rover Evoque