More Hyundai news…Gotta love it!

Hyundai's Charge Ahead Pressures Japanese Auto MakersHyundai-Kia's global sales gains have overwhelmed rivals this year, and the climbing yen and South Korea's export-friendly trade pacts are giving Japanese automakers even more worries. According to Automotive News, that's putting pressure on Japanese auto executives, who view the South Korean automakers as competitors for share in markets where the Japanese have built strong followings. The success of Hyundai and Kia comes as the governments of both countries appear to be diverging on their support for the export industry. South Korea last month signed a tentative trade pact with the European Union to add to a list of more than 40 free-trade agreements – called FTAs – with countries ranging from the United States to India. Japan has less than a third as many FTAs, nearly all of them in Asia. The Korean agreement provides an easier outlet for Hyundai to sell to markets that are becoming increasingly interested in its products. Despite the FTAs, Hyundai has not built a car plant at home since 1996. Instead, it has set up shop in the United States, China, India, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.