Hyundai Elantra Crowned 2012 Car of the Year
The 2012 Hyundai Elantra was named 2012 North American Car of the Year at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.
Sung Hyun Park, president of Hyundai R&D Division, and John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, accept the 2012 North American Car of the Year trophy for the Hyundai Elantra.
DETROIT — The 2012 Hyundai Elantra was named 2012 North American Car of the Year by ajury of 50 independent North American automotive journalists. The judges evaluated each of the new cars introduced last year and chose the 2012 Hyundai Elantra as the winner.
The award was announced at a news conference at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
“Elantra speaks to the success of our recipe of bold design and great fuel economy,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “In a year with some truly breakthrough competitors, we are honored that the jury recognizes Elantra’s far-reaching impact on the industry.”
The judges considered more than 50 new vehicles before selecting the top three cars and top three trucks. The Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus were the other top car finalists.
For more information, visit www.northamericancaroftheyear.org.
More Auto Finance
First-Quarter Sees Long Auto Loan Growth
Experian data show more consumers are tapping the method, along with refinancings, to afford buying. Meanwhile, subprime borrowers are getting more access.
Read More →
Mastering Credit Friction
In this video, Josh Krach explains how to turn credit friction into an advantage.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Auto Lenders, Consumers on a Tightrope
April borrowing data shows that more consumers are bending over backward to buy vehicles, though subprime lending cooled off for the month.
Read More →
Toyota Financial Services President Replaced
Scott Cooke has served in various roles with Toyota Financial Services for over 20 years, including president and CEO, which he retires from on June 30.
Read More →
Permission or Approval: When to Notify Finance Sources
Credit card down payments, multiple vehicle purchases and even straw purchases can be completed without committing bank fraud, as long as you tell the bank first.
Read More →
At-Risk Auto Borrowers Drive Looser Credit Access
Cox Automotive’s index shows the subprime segment, long loan terms, negative-equity borrowers and down payment amounts all grew in February despite ever-higher vehicle prices.
Read More →
Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend
Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.
Read More →
Auto Credit More Plentiful
Growing access shows greater lender appetite for risk as consumers take on heavier debt burden in an inflated market.
Read More →
Auto Loans Long as Stretch Limos
More consumers, faced with ever-rising car prices, are adapting by agreeing to longer loan terms despite the cost of added interest payments.
Read More →