Hyundai Making Cool Change in 1994 Models : Cars: The company will put new air-conditioning systems that use an environmentally sound refrigerant in its Elantra, Scoupe and Excel.

Hyundai Motor America joins a growing list of auto makers putting “ozone-friendly” air conditioners in their new models.

Hyundai said its 1994 Elantra, Scoupe and Excel models will feature air-conditioning systems that use an environmentally sound refrigerant. The 1994 Sonata will be a carry-over from this year’s model and will not receive the new air conditioner until 1995.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is phasing out the production of Freon, the brand name for a refrigerant found to deplete the Earth’s protective ozone layer. By December, 1995, the worldwide production of Freon will be banned altogether--forcing auto makers to switch to air conditioners that use a substitute coolant, R-134a.

While Freon--or, generically, R-12--still will be available for sale after the deadline, it will become increasingly expensive as its supply diminishes.

Converting to the new systems ahead of time “is the environmentally conscious thing to do,” said Hyundai spokeswoman Dotty Diemer.

But it is also the financially smart thing to do, analysts noted. Already, most car makers have dropped Freon-dependent air conditioners from many of their 1994 models.

“This way, Hyundai won’t have to redesign its cars in a couple of years,” said Scott Soffen, a first vice president with the Lehman Bros. brokerage in New York. “Cars are designed very specifically so that every piece is where it should be. If you change the shape of the air conditioner, there is a domino effect and you have to change other things about the car, also.”

And as consumers learn of the impending ban, they will gravitate toward cars with up-to-date air conditioner systems, said Michael Luckey, president of Luckey Consulting Group in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. While the soon-to-be obsolete systems will remain legal, the air conditioners will become more costly to maintain.

“Companies that start selling cars with the new air conditioners by 1994 will have an advantage over companies that don’t,” Luckey said. “A lot of luxury cars, such as Saab and BMW, have been going in this direction for a couple of years. Now the low- and mid-range car makers like Hyundai are following suit.”