European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 1 a. 198b the stars and stripes Pago 13 Low Cost Thrifty but no powerhouse Hyundai Excel is a neat package by Malcolm Donahoo Magazine editor ask an american to name 10 foreign automakers. The reply is no Likely 10 include Hyundai of Korea. Hyundai rhymes with sunday is determined to change that. And  of to a Good Hart with by enc an attractive if not spectacular vehicle at an affordable Price. There arc two versions of the Excel Bolh designed by inc italian studio of Giorello gig Faro. There s a stylish four door Sedan and a sporty looking Hatchback the latter available in trim arid five door models. In addition there Are four equipment packages the Basic Excel the go the cos and the ton of the lir Recs. The Lesi car a three door five Speed is equipped with a four speaker sound system was provided by John Gordon of eurasian motor co. Of Mann Heim West Germany where it Sells for 110,289. Eurasian has Basic Model priced below $8,000. In the United states where easels Are jelling briskly 168,000 of them Las year Slicker prices Start considerably lower Well under $6,000 Forth Price Lender the four Speed three door  puts the korean import on solid footing against such Well established Competition As the Toyota Tercel Honda civic and Nissan sentry in lie so called icon oboe class. From the Bottom of he line to the lop excels Are powered if the word is used generously by a Thrifty four Cylinder 1.5-liter engine that quietly develops 68horsepower at 5,500 rpm. The Over had Cam engine also boasts electronic ignition and an electronically controlled car Burtion system. Other Excel standards include front wheel drive rack and Pinion steering Power Assis cd brakes with discs in front and self adjusting Drums in Back and suspension system that boasts Macpherson struts up front Independent railing arms in the rear and Coil Springs and stabilizers at both ends. Whatever the Model excels ride on the Hyundai Excel c5 3-dour Hab tuck from Keren. Steel belted Alt weather radial tires in the Case of the of. Mourned on sly Isle aluminium Alloy wheels. Hyundai the new kid on the Block also shows up some of the big name manufacturers by providing a full size spare not one of those Liny temporary tires it is. In sum a Well coordinated pack age. The ride of the is Hatchback was a pleasant Surprise very comfortable even for five and fairly quiet even at top speeds. The handling was responsive confident braking cornering and Maneu vering in heavy traffic. But if you re looking for the kind of performance thai shows up on the Speed Ometer look elsewhere. The car is de signed for american driving not the left Lane of Germany s am Bahns. It needed a Long Flat stretch of Highway to creep up to its top Speed just under do Mph. Nor did it display much Pep in working through the lower Ean passing or climbing Long sleep Hills on the plus Side the test car prove itself a gasoline miser gelling about 34 Miles per gallon on the open Road 27 a mpg in City driving. Its 10.6-Galkm fuel taut gave it a cruising Range of More than 350 Miles. On go and Gas Model with the optional five Speed transmission the Lank holds 13.2 Gallons another plus is Hyundai s obvious at Tention o detail. Standard features on every Excel include Luch Nice touches Asa maintenance free Battery an electric defroster for the rear window and Side window  a lockable illuminated Glov Cox variable Speed wind shield wipers and a Day night rear vie Mirror. Even the top of the Linc is Hatchback is after All a comparatively inexpensive vehicle and you might expect it to have a Bare Bones look inside if so you d be wrong. The Tat car came with such Stan Dard Interior features As Cut pile carpets attractive cloth upholstery Roomy comfortable bucket scats up front with a Ipin raid Down rear Bench full instrumentation including a tachometer re Mote releases for the rear Hatch and fuel door and an am pm stereo cassette sys tem. The Kieel he made a splashy in trance into the . Market. If this korean new Comer prove itself Over the Long haul Hyundai May someday have the name recognition it dreams of. Here s a rundown on Lead free Gas availability by Randy Barnett Auto editor if you re planning to do some extensive Holiday travelling this summer you should be aware that while Lead free gasoline is now totally available in Many european countries it remains from medium to scarce i others. According to the German Auto club adar dense and Complete networks of Lead free Gas stations Are found in Austria West Germany Denmark Luxembourg the Netherlands nor Way Sweden and Switzerland. Countries with Lead free stations but without Complete networks Are Bel Gium. Britain Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Finland France Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Portu Gal Spain and Yugoslavia the adar offers a leaflet with a Complete listing of lend free stations in european countries so that planned Tan Slop itineraries can be made this leaflet is available without Cost at All adar offices in Germany. Strong increases in the number of stations Are expected to continue in All countries the adar says. Running Down the list of countries without Complete Lead free fuel net works the adar sums the situation up As follows with the current Numerof stations listed in parenthesis Belgium 76 Slat ions there arc few Lead free stations in the Southeast or in the Charleroi Liege area otherwise the network is Complete throughout Belgium Britain 280 stations the Lead free station network in England is in order except for the Cornwall Peninsula. The Supply is absolutely insufficient in Wales Scotland and Northern ire land Bulgaria 16 stations the net work is thin but sufficient for transit 0 Greece and Turkey no Lead free Gas in Turkey. Czechoslovakia is the network is full of gaps so it is necessary to plan Lead free station stops. East Germany 33 tank  Only possible on primary transit autobahn. On other roads Supply is insufficient. Finland is Lead free fuel i available throughout Southern Finland but insufficient in the North. France 263 very Good network on the vacation routes from Germany through tic Rhone Valley on the Mediterranean coast and in Paris and its surrounding area. There Are sufficient stations in Brittany the Atlantic coast line area in the South and on Auto routes. For other regions precise plan Ning for Lank slops is necessary. Greece 34 very thin network but hopefully a total of 133 a unions by mid july. Hungary in Western Hungary the Supply is sufficient and the same for the main roads East of Budapest but Many gaps remain in the Eastern area. Ireland 9 the Lead free net work is just in the process of being set up and at the moment the Supply is insufficient. Leal 496 there is an adequate Supply of Lead free Gas on Trie aut Ostra Das. Off the Autostrada supplies Are sufficient from Northern Italy to Flor ence and on the Adriatic coast All the Way to the Heel of the  there is an insufficient Supply South of Florence on the West coast however As Well As in the Interior regions. In Sardinia and Sicily the Supply is scarce. Portugal 21 the Lead free net work especially along the coastal areas is sufficient. Spain 43 an adequate number of Lead free stations exists Only on the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona to Alwinie. Throughout the Spanish Inte nor and South of Alicante thorough Tan Stop planning is a necessity. Yugoslavia 63 the nations along the Adriatic coast Are Well supplied with Lead free gasoline. Elsewhere Tup plies Are thin but sufficient with proper Unk Slop planning