Hyundai ix35 Series II brings engineering and pricing revisions

The Hyundai ix35 small SUV has been given a mid-life refresh that includes updated petrol engines, revised suspension tuning and small price increases for most models.

A $26,990 starting price continues for the base model ix35 Active 2WD, though mid-spec Elite and range-topping Highlander models increase by $300-$400.

Petrol four-cylinders in 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre sizes continue but this time they feature direct fuel injection.

The 'Nu' 2.0-litre, already found in the mid-size i40, produces the same 122kW as the previous 2.0L but increases torque output from 197Nm to 205Nm, with fuel consumption improving from 8.5 litres per 100km to 8.2L/100km for the manual gearbox or 8.4L/100km for the six-speed auto.

The 'Theta' 2.4-litre increases both power and torque – by 6kW to 136kW and by 13Nm to 240Nm. Efficiency drops, however, from 9.2L/100km to 9.8L/100km.

A 2.0-litre turbo diesel carries over, with the 135kW/392Nm four-cylinder again offered in the Elite and Highlander trim grades.

Hyundai Australia is continuing to offer the European-built Special Edition, priced from $30,990 for a 2WD auto or from $35,990 for an AWD auto.

Other small changes for the Hyundai ix35 include revised headlight treatment, new 17- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs, standard faux-metal roof rails, soft-touch door trim for Elite and Highlander models, and a rear seat with recline function.

Hyundai Australia says it has also spent more time working on the ix35′s suspension and steering, trying to address areas of criticism for the vehicle.

The Hyundai ix35 Series II is on sale now.

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HDEC; a South Korean contractor denounced for USD2.1 million debt refusals of Vietnam's Hyupjin Vina Company

The five-star Marriott Hotel in Tu Liem District's My Dinh Commune Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – Thirty nine Vietnamese sub-contractors have accused South Korea-owned Hyupjin Vina Company of refusing the debt of VND44 billion (USD2.1 million), allegedly owed them.

In a petition sent to DTiNews, the Vietnamese companies said they are subcontractors, providing materials, equipment and aid to the electrical engineering system installation, for the luxury Marriott Hotel project in My Dinh Commune in Hanoi.

Dinh Van Khoi, Deputy Director of Construction Machinery Joint Stock Company No.4. (Coma4), one of the sub-contractors, said the Marriott Hotel project is owned by he Binh Minh Import Export Production and Trade Co. (Bitexco) and Bitexco signed a contract with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company.

After that, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company signed a contract with subcontractor Hyupjin Vina Company at the representative's office in HCM City.

Then Hyupjin Vina Company signed a deal with 39 Vietnamese subcontractors who will provide materials, equipment and electrical engineering systems for the hotel. Under the contract, the Vietnamese side finished their work according to documents agreed by the two sides.

After their work was completed, Hyupjin Vina should have paid the 39 Vietnamese subcontractors a total VND44 billion. But, Hyupjin Vina suddenly announced their bankruptcy, and their inability to pay the debt.

Hyupjin Vina said that Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company still owes them more than USD3.5 million; therefore, they could not pay the debt to the Vietnamese sub-contractors.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company denied this, saying that Hyupjin Vina has still owes them over USD4.2 million.

The Vietnamese sub-contractors have been seeking help from the two South Korean firms, but the firms refused to do this.

Many workers from the Vietnamese company gathered in front of the Marriott Hotel to strike for their rights. They faced the security people blocking the site and no one else appeared to deal with their problem.

Mr. Khoi said they sent a petition to Vietnamese management agencies, but, the problem has not yet been settled.

"We do not know about debt problems between the two South Korean companies, but Hyundai is the main contractor of the project, thus, they should take responsibility for this. We also expect the involvement of Bitexco in order to protect its project," Khoi noted.

DTiNews reporter contacted Hyundai Engineering & Construction and the company said it will provide information about the case as soon as possible.

DTiNews will continue updating the information of the case.

With report from DTriNews

Consortium led by Hyundai HDEC wins US$522 Million order from Sri Lanka

A consortium led by Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HDEC), South Korea's largest builder, has won a US$522 million Dollars order to build an integrated resort in Sri Lanka

Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HDEC) and  Keangnam Enterprises, a mid-sized builder -- are set to complete the resort in Colombo by 2017 under a deal with a subsidiary of Sri Lanka's top conglomerate, John Keells Holdings PLC.

Hyundai E&C said it holds a 65 percent stake in the project, or $339 million, while Keangnam Enterprises has a 25 percent one, or $130 million won, and Sri Lanka's Nawaloka holds the rest.

Shares of HDEC were trading at 61,700 won ($57) on the Seoul bourse as of 10:41 a.m., up 1.48 percent from the previous session's close.

Shares of Keangnam Enterprises, meanwhile, were trading at 5,230 won on the Seoul bourse as of 10:41 a.m., unchanged from the previous session's close.

Hyundai Engineering adopted Autodesk 3D software for Plant Design

Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd., has adopted a 3D model-based design workflow driven by Autodesk Plant Design Suite, a comprehensive solution for designing, modeling, and constructing plant projects.

The Company piloted the use of the software on the A'Seeb Wastewater Treatment Plant project '" a wastewater treatment and recycling plant, capable of handling 80,000 tons of water in Seeb, Muscat, Oman the most populous region of the Sultanate of Oman.

Recognizing the clear industry shift from 2D- to 3D-based industrial and environmental plant design, Hyundai Engineering saw the need to invest in a 3D design solution.

Autodesk Plant Design Suite stood apart from other products on the market because it offered an affordable, flexible and comprehensive solution. The Suite provides design and modeling tools that are compatible with one another, which helps improve multi-discipline collaboration. It also enables 3D visualization, allowing project stakeholders to communicate more easily and effectively.

With Autodesk Plant Design Suite, Hyundai Engineering was able to not only deliver the A'Seeb Wastewater Treatment Plant project within budget and on schedule; the company also improved efficiency both in design and communication, while bringing about technological innovation.

A variety of tools contained in the suite were used on the project. For example, AutoCAD Plant 3D software simplified the modeling of pipeline, and enabled engineers to directly exchange basic data in the 3D models and drawings, helping all parties involved stay up-to-date. Also, Autodesk Navisworks Manage software was used to integrate designs created with various applications and produce a visualization of the integrated model that was used to detect problems early in the design stage of the project.

"Hyundai Engineering's aim was to ensure consistency and quality of 3D design data involved in the plant project. With Autodesk Plant 3D, we were able to implement a 3D wastewater treatment plant design system, which meant we were able to complete the development of a 3D design system that could be applied to various plant projects going forward," said Lee Seungsoo, section chief, Hyundai Engineering IT team.

Autodesk Plant Design Suite 2014 provides comprehensive plant design, intelligent 3D modeling and review software in an economical package. The Suite combines tools that enable intelligent, model-based processes to be utilized throughout project execution to help improve design efficiency and simplify coordination among process plant design stakeholders.

Building on the power of AutoCAD software and Autodesk 360 cloud services, the Suite adds plant-specific content and functionality to drive greater productivity and better project coordination, helping projects stay on schedule and within budget.