ca October 22, 1986 AUTOMOTIVE ADVERTISING FEATURE Stellar: for the By TONY WHITNEY From the Vancouver Sun Everyone knows about the remarkable successes of i — the car-building division of a giant Korean conglomerate that aimed at selling 5,000 Pony models in its first year in Canada and ended up top ping the 35,000 mork. 8.C. must have been a por ticulor hot spot for the company, for it seems to me that every other car you see on the road these days is a@ Pony. Although new to us, the Pony is, in fact, quite an old design. With the introduction of the Stellar however, the Canadian market is getting an early crack at Hyundai's newest design — one which moves the firm up-market in style and appointments, if not in price. The body of the Stellar is the work of the Italian master stylist Stocgetre Giugiaro, whose work in the good bet thrifty materials and textures for interior plastic mouldings is good — | particularly liked the way the insides of the doors were trimmed. Why is is that some manutac- turers persist in combining Ywinyl, carpeting, seat fabric, chrome trim and other touches all in the same door panel? There's lots of room for adults in the rear seats and there is a centre arm rest that folds down to reveal a usetul lidded bin. The headlining is of cloth and the cut pile car- peting is quite luxurious. The interior is almost spoiled by a flimsy and tacky-looking vinyl shroud around the gear lever but there are no other cheap touches to speak of The front seats recline, using an_ infinitely variable knob control rather than by the lever and notch method. The knob system is far superior in my view since it helps you get exactly the right seat back past has included t gen Rabbit, in addi to the Lotus Esprit and many other exotic machines trom builders of luxury sports cars. The car is han- dsome any standard, and | place it among my favorite three or four sedans for sheer good looks. All Stellars have four doors and the lines are very tidy all around. The car sits quite low on the road, has neat wrap-around bumpers front and rear and boasts large areas of glass. With every stylish (and easy to clean) aero wheel covers, the car looks as if it costs thousands more than the modest — less than $10,000 — price tag it carries. At first glance it could be an Audi or something similarly desirable; it may be just the car for the more thrifty among the yuppies. There's nothing complicated about the powe train. The Stellar uses a 1600cc water-cooled four- cylinder engine married to either a five-speed manual box or a thr peed i . The ive-speed box on my test car was exceptional and ranks up the best I've tested over the past year or so. Steering is rack and pinion and braking is taken care of with a disc front/drum rear arrangement. My test Stellar was a dark grey metallic GLS — the top model, which comes with a selection of power options and other convenience items for not too much more than the price of the basic car. The interior of the car again belies the low price The plush upholstery is particularly impressive and looks as if it will survive hard wear. The choice of position. The driver's seat has adjustable lumbar sup- port, too Instr is fairly complete and the GSi has a tachometer. The panel is well-planned and all the guages can be seen through the steering wheel spokes The GSL has power windows and mirrors, digital clock, remote gas filler door release, power door locks and a variety of other accessories. All models have Michelin all-season steel-belted radials, halogen headlights, side window demisters and child-proot rear door locks. On driving the car | was surprised to find it quite lively (several fellow automotive writers had men tioned that the car was seriously underpowered at only 1600 cc). It's a small motor but most people will tind it more than nippy enough for their needs — especially with the very slick five-speed gearbox. A V6 under the hood would affect the price and fuel con- sumption The Stellar is a remarkable buy and you get a lot for the money — even a good quality set of wrenches in the tool kit. One of the reasons for this value is that South Korea has developing country status, which makes it exempt from certain tariffs. This status is due to be changed before too long and the prices of all Hyundai cars will jump as a result. They'll still be keenly priced but those with a serious interest in the two models are advised to move fast HYUNDAI STELLAR. . . The in- strumentation is clearly visible. HYUNDAI STELLAR Engine: 1600 cc four- cylinder. Transmission: Five- speed manual (automatic optional). Performance: Zero to 100 km/h in opproximately 13% seconds Fuel economy: 7.6 1/100 km (city/highway combined). Price: Base Stellar, $9595 plus freight and dealer preparation. Hyundai selected official car for the '88 Olympiad BLOCK HEATER Fall Special on All ‘86 Models Must Be Cleared Lille % Financing 0.A.C. Full Term On EVERY ‘86 STELLAR In Stock Only 14 Left to Go! Hyundai Motor Co. (HMC) was designated os the éfficial supplier for Pony, Stellar the.:86 Asiad and ‘88 Olympiad, both of which will be held in Korea. Under the agreement concluded between the Seoul Olympic or Excel Organizing Committee (SLOOC) and HMC, HMC will provide 290 passenger cars for the 86 Asian Games and a total of 430 passenger cars and minibuses for the ‘88 Olympic Games. In return, HMC was given the right to use the emblem of the Seou! Olympic Games. The passenger cars, including the tront-wheel drive subcompact Ex cel, the larger Stellar and the latest model, Grandeur, will be used to carry important guests who are participating in the two events Fully Loaded Stellar GSLs... Most Colours, All Options, Your Choice of Transmission. The Hyundai story so far In 1984, 25,000 Canadians bought a car most Canadians to a combination of quality workmanship people had never heard of, built by a company whose and low cost; to a new definition of value name they could scarcely pronounce, from a country They did it so successfully that by the start of 1986 many of them would have trouble finding on the map. there were more than 100,000 Hyundai cars on Includes Parts, Labour and Tax on Installation of Block Heater on Pony, Stellar and Excel Cars Only. The Hyundai Pony was an instant hit It was followed by the Stellar, the car that brought the cost of luxury down to earth and then the Excel, with the latest front-wheel drive technology Canada's roads. $ 2 8 This wonderful acceptance explains Hyundai's ” desire to put down roots in this country; to share their phenomenal success with the people who made it happen Available for Individually and collectively, they introduced The people of Canada immediate delivery! TRADE-INS NEEDED! ae... . Hyundai test facilities PLUS Will install black wire headlamp covers NO PAYMENTS UNTIL On the Spot Financing Sree ee 1986 Pony prevention. L Auto $ 0 0 +e Ww va PER MONTH a : t & TAX OAC On Remaining 1986 Ponys & Excels TEST DRIVE Canada’s No. | Selling Import Car Today! Tol | F ree BARRY LYCHAK 1-800-332-7087 = ‘zzAz 365-7241 0“ BUD CASTLEGAR fam HYWUMDAl '% Block North of Maloney Pontiac Dealer 7596 Every Stellar sold in Canada is the product of thorough research, careful manufacturing and tough testing in Korea The Hyundai Motor Company is part of the Hyundai Group with 160,000 employees and 31 plants. Hyundai is the largest enterprise in Korea and an experienced automobile manufacturer whose products are sold in 60 countries The Hyundai is committed to building cars that are not only beautiful, but also sate and thoroughly dependable under the toughest conditions Hyundai Building Canadian Plant BROMONT IS OUR FUTURE The new Hyundai plant in Bromont, Quebec represents a major investment in buildings, equip ment, technology and, most importantly, people. It will cover more than a million square feet and incorporate a body shop, faint shop, assembly lines and modern test facilities By 1991, the Bromont location will employ 1,500 on-site workers and produce 100,000 cars o year ty will also play a key role in Hyundai's lop sophisticated new products for the The Hyundai commitment to Canada has already involved the development of a national dealer net- work which employs more than 3,500 Canadians and the construction of extensive distribution centres in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto Future plans call for a new head oftice/central distribution tacility in Ontario In addition, it extends to an active search for Canodian-made components for use in all our Bromont-produced vehicles In total, it demonstrates our enormous confidence both in Hyundai's future in Canada and Canada's future place in the automotive world Front, rear and side collision testing was used to design Stellar's satety features. ° Research was not complete until Stellar went through a winter of cold weather testing in the Co jan north.