| Hyundai Excel | |
|---|---|
 First generation | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Hyundai |
| Also called | Hyundai Pony Hyundai Pony Excel (X1 hatchback in South Korea)[1] Hyundai Presto (X1 sedan in South Korea)[2] Mitsubishi Precis (United States) Hyundai X2 (United Kingdom)[3] Hyundai XL (Japan) |
| Production | 1985–1999 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Subcompact car (B) |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Related | Hyundai Scoupe Mitsubishi Mirage |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Hyundai Pony |
| Successor | Hyundai Accent |
TheHyundai Excel (Korean:현대 엑셀), also known as theHyundai Pony,Hyundai Pony Excel,Hyundai Presto,Mitsubishi Precis,Hyundai X2 andHyundai XL, is an automobile which was produced byHyundai Motor Company from 1985 to 1999. It was the firstfront-wheel drive car produced by the South Korean manufacturer. The Excel range replaced the rear-wheel-driveHyundai Pony.
The Excel was based on the second generation of theMitsubishi Mirage,[4] but it received its own sheet metal design byGiorgetto Giugiaro. The Excel was available in three- or five-doorhatchback and four-doorsedan models.[5] The Excel was the first Hyundai car to be exported to the United States.
The Excel was available with either amanual orautomatic transmission mated to afour-cylinder engine aspirated by a carburetor or fuel injection system, depending on market and model year.
Originally, the Excel was supposed to be replaced by theElantra in 1990, but it ended up being sold for four more years until being replaced by theHyundai Accent in the model year 1995. From 1990, there was acoupé variant called theHyundai Scoupe, which was replaced by theHyundai Coupé in 1996.
Some markets, including Europe, had the Excel branded as theHyundai Pony, although it is not directly related to itsrear wheel drive predecessor of thesame name. In South Korea thehatchback version was known asHyundai Pony Excel, and the sedan version was known asHyundai Presto.
The Excel was also sold in the United States byMitsubishi Motors from the spring of 1987 as thebadge engineeredMitsubishi Precis.[6] Mitsubishi chose to sell the Precis to circumvent thevoluntary import quota which applied to the Japanese-madeMirage.[7] Available as either a 3-door (Base/LS) or 5-door (LS) hatchback, the Precis received the same 68 hp (51 kW) 1.5-liter Mitsubishi four as did the Excel, theMirage, and most of theDodge/Plymouth-badged Colts.[8] The car received "Precis" badging on the bootlid, grille, hubcaps, and steering wheel, with the only Mitsubishi logo being a small sticker at the rear which read "Imported by Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc." For 1988, the more sporting RS model was added to the lineup, marking the introduction of a five-speed manual transmission which was also fitted to the LS.[9]
After Mirage production inNormal, Illinois commenced in 1989, thus circumventing the import quota restrictions, the facelifted 1990 Precis (equivalent to the Excel X2) did remain on offer in a limited lineup as a "price leader," slotted below the Mirage. Now only available as a three-door hatchback (no Precis sedan was ever offered) it came in either Base or RS equipment levels.[7] For 1991 the RS was discontinued (and with it the five-speed manual), although an RS trim package was still available this year. A new grille appeared in 1993 and the Precis was discontinued in 1994.[7]
| First generation (X1) | |
|---|---|
 1989 Hyundai Excel GL 3-door (USA) | |
| Overview | |
| Production | February 1985 – April 1989 (until January 1990 for taxi models)[10] |
| Assembly | South Korea:Ulsan |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro atItaldesign |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3-doorhatchback 5-doorhatchback 4-doorsedan |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-speedmanual 5-speedmanual 3-speedautomatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93.7 in (2,380 mm) |
| Length | 160.9 in (4,087 mm) (2-door) 168 in (4,267 mm) (4-door) |
| Width | 63.1 in (1,603 mm) |
| Height | 54.1 in (1,374 mm) |
The Excel was introduced as a replacement for theHyundai Pony.[12] In the United States, it was the company's first and only model (the previous Pony could not be sold in that country as it did not meet federal emissions standards), but thanks to a price of $4,995USD and being voted 'Best Product #10'byFortune magazine, it set records for a first-year import by selling 168,882 units, helping push the company's cumulative production past one million by 1986.[13] In Australia, it was priced atA$9,990. While it did not enjoy sales success initially, in part due to the 87% import duty it attracted, it did become the top selling imported small car in 1988.[14]
In Europe, the car continued thePony nameplate. It was much more modern than its predecessor with new engines, front-wheel drive and an all-new design. Available engines were 1.3-litre (1298 cc) and 1.5-litre (1468 cc) inline-four engines, producing 66 HP (49 kW) and 71 HP (53 kW) respectively. On the South Korean home market, the hatchbacks were marketed as "Pony Excel" and the sedan was called Hyundai Presto. The 1985 Pony was only sold as a five-door hatchback in Europe. Unlike the first Pony Sedan, the Pony/Excel X1 Sedan had the boot separated from the passenger compartment.[citation needed]
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Versions available were:
North America
Australia
United Kingdom
On mostEuropean markets, the Pony X1 was available in six configurations:
With the 1987 facelift, the Pony name got theXP suffix in Europe which was also found on the car itself. More important, this series saw the return of both the three-door hatchback and the four-door sedan in Europe. The 1.3-liter engine was discontinued, the 1.5-liter remained unchanged.[15] In Europe, the LE was added as fourth trim level, this being the new entry level followed by the familiar L, GL and GLS models. All trim levels could be combined with all three body styles.[16] An automatic gearbox was again available only on the GLS model.[17]
| Second generation (X2) | |
|---|---|
_GS_3-door_hatchback.jpg) | |
| Overview | |
| Also called | Hyundai X2 (UK)[3] |
| Production | April 1989 – July 1994 1995–1998 (Philippines) |
| Assembly | South Korea:Ulsan Philippines:Makati (Francisco Motors Corporation) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3/5-doorhatchback 4-doorsedan 3-doorpanel van[18] |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-speedmanual 5-speedmanual 3-speedautomatic 4-speedautomatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 93.8 in (2,383 mm) |
| Length | 1990–91 & 1993–94 3-Door Hatchback: 161.4 in (4,100 mm) 1990–91 & 1993–94 5-Door Hatchback: 168.3 in (4,275 mm) 1992 Sedan: 168.6 in (4,282 mm) 1992 Hatchback: 161.7 in (4,107 mm) |
| Width | 1990–91 & 1993–94: 63.3 in (1,608 mm) 1992: 63.1 in (1,603 mm) |
| Height | 1993–94: 54.5 in (1,384 mm) 1992: 51.4 in (1,306 mm) 1990: 51.6 in (1,311 mm) |
Brought as a new generation, the 1989 Excel was more like a next facelift. A new version of the 1.5-litre engine was introduced, with electronic fuel-injection instead of a carburetor. This1.5 MPI produced 85 HP (62 kW).[20]
Most remarkable, the 1989 look was very short lived: with the 1990 model year yet another facelift appeared. Another notable fact was the renaming of the four-door Pony Sedan toExcel in Europe. This transition went gradually, for example in the Dutch 1989 brochure photos of a Pony badged sedan are shown while the text refers to Excel. The 1990 brochure shows an actual Excel.[21]
The 1.5 MPI engine was not offered in the five-door Pony. On the other hand, both the Pony three-door hatchback as well as the Excel four-door sedan came in a vast amount of models.[22]
The second-generation Excel was given a facelift and slightly enlarged from 1990 onwards, while its engine adoptedmulti-point fuel injection, and a new 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission was offered.[23]
The 1.3 model and theMitsubishi Colt also share the same engine and gearbox.[24]
The Excel's 1989 styling was closely related to the all-newSonata, which was launched in Europe for the 1989 model year. The mid-sized Sonata underwent a near-immediate facelift for the 1990 model year. The styling of the Excel followed in late 1991 to keep the resemblance with the Sonata. Most noticeable was the front end, where all three cars' orange indicator lenses were replaced by clear ones and the headlamps became less rectangular.[25]
From 1991, the 1.5 versions were badged 1.5i to denotefuel injection.[26]
_Sprint_3-door_hatchback_(2015-11-13)_01.jpg)
_Sprint_3-door_hatchback_(2015-11-13)_02.jpg)
_LS_5-door_hatchback_03.jpg)
_LS_5-door_hatchback_04.jpg)
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_LS_sedan_03.jpg)
It was sold in CX, LX and CXL trim levels inSouth Korea.The South Korean (home market) range was:
All models sold inNorth America had the 1.5-liter engine producing 81 hp (60 kW) and 91 lb⋅ft (123 N⋅m), with automatic transmission as a freestanding option for any model. The lineup available atU.S. Hyundai dealers was;
The 5-door model may have been available inCanada for a longer period and in a wider variety of trims. The Mitsubishi Precis came as a 3-door only, in trim levels equivalent to the base and GL Hyundai-branded cars.
Hyundai launched the Excel inThailand in the early 1990s. The lineup consisted of:
The Excel was marketed inEurasia as the Hyundai Pony or Pony X2 (X2 representing second generation). In theUnited Kingdom and some parts ofEurope, versions available were:
However, some European markets did not get the 1.3 version and the range was:
The 1989 European Pony and Excel lineup was the most extensive, although not all models were available in any single market.
Pony three-door hatchback:
| Pony five-door hatchback:
| Excel four-door sedan:
|
For 1990, the trim levels were reduced and simplified.
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_LX_sedan_(2010-07-13)_01.jpg)
When theHyundai Accent was introduced in 1994 for the 1995 model year, it continued to be calledHyundai Excel in some markets, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Australia.
Also in Indonesia, the first, second and fourth generation Hyundai Accent sedans were sold as Excel, Excel II and Excel III. Based off of the lowest trim level of each model, they were only sold totaxi companies.
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