BW: Hyundai Plans Upscale Division

[Perian]

Link: http://yahoo.businessweek.com/autos/...208_647410.htm

Article quote:

"Sales and profit are so strong at Hyundai, that the company has acknowledged it's planning a premium brand similar to Honda's Acura, as well as testing the $30,000 price level with a Hyundai-branded vehicle."

[ocmdog]

Good luck with that.

[SonicAerio]

All I have to say...is that everyone laughed when the japenese were doing it in the late 80s early 90s and look at them now.....

Give Hyundai a couple of years...I can see it happening to decent success

[mgescuro]

Well.... if they are targeting teh entry-luxury market (Volvo, Saab, Acura), I can see some success. If they are targetting the luxury market (BMW, Caddy, Merc, Lexus, Audi) then I think they have another thing coming. The market is far more competitive now than it was 15 years ago when Lexus came on the scene.

ANd if Hyundai does manage some success, it's the low hanging fruit that will suffer the most... meaning Cadillac.

[SobeSVT]

I am among those who laughed at Lexus and Infiniti (for some reason I never found Acura too funny). So this time I will keep quiet, wait and see.

[genjy]

This is going to be interesting. It's just a matter of time anyway. Hyundai has been treading meaningfully on the upscale/luxury ground with the XG, the Amanti, and the Azera, so I wasn't surprised at all.

I don't think the division is going to be as high-techy as Acura; probably more traditional like Buick and Lexus.

[asim]

Nice...if GM could make as much progression as Hyundai in the same amount of time, GM would be "saved".

[Ming]

I hope they give it a decent name. I've always had a problem with the name Hyundai, since I've never heard it pronounced the same way, even on local and national commercials. Even the "Hyu" which if it was Japanese would be "Hee-yuh" I've heard pronounced as "Hun" like in "Honey" - and "Dai" I've heard pronounced as "Day" - where if it was Japanese in the English alphabet, it would be "Die". Some names were never meant to be "Romanized" and spread internationally. Imagine a Chinese guy trying to pronounce "Bonneville", or the way Nguyen sounds when pronounced by anyone but a Vietnamese. Yeah, its bad like that. If its Hun-day, then just Romanize it like it sounds...don't use some ancient Portuguese method or something...

Reminds me of my pet peeve with old-style Japanese Romanization ---- Simorenzyaku. Which is pronounced (and with today's method) "Shimorenjyaku". They leave out the "h" and change an obvious "j" sound to a "z"! Man I hated that. THey changed it, but you still see the old style pop up some times. I guess "Si" is pronounced "Shee" by someone out there, but not me.

[gl1104]

With the success that Hyundai has been making in the last few years, I guess this was just a matter of time. I will be curious to see what they name the division and what types of cars this luxury division will have in its lineup. I believe that Hyundai will have success w/ this new luxury division b/c they will put in the same effort and constant improvements that they do w/ their Hyundai lineup.

This effort at a premium division reminds me of Mazda's failed Amati effort many years ago. However, Hyundai is in better shape right now than Mazda was back then, and shouldn't have too many problems getting this premium division off the ground.

[CRBoyd91]

I heard something about this a while back. If it's true, GM needs to make sure Buick is world class, and quickly, because we don't want more marketshare lost.

[Vintalage]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Well.... if they are targeting teh entry-luxury market (Volvo, Saab, Acura), I can see some success. If they are targetting the luxury market (BMW, Caddy, Merc, Lexus, Audi) then I think they have another thing coming. The market is far more competitive now than it was 15 years ago when Lexus came on the scene.

ANd if Hyundai does manage some success, it's the low hanging fruit that will suffer the most... meaning Cadillac.

They are targeting BMW, Caddy, Merc, Lexus, Audi, etc. They are developing a RWD mid-lux sedan (think lexus GS) that should be released as an '08.

[aball]

Maybe Hyundai should buy a floundering Swedish brand to use as starting point. Hasn't GM got one that it wants to get rid of?

[DemonKnightDK]

as much as I hate saying this, hyundai is starting to become my second favorite brand... they leaning into afordabilty, sytle, performance, and luxary... exactly what pontiac should be... make a RWD grand prix for a price I can afford (wich is about maxed at the price of a Sonota) and I'd be all over it..

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by Vintalage

They are targeting BMW, Caddy, Merc, Lexus, Audi, etc. They are developing a RWD mid-lux sedan (think lexus GS) that should be released as an '08.

Well, by 2008, at least Cadillac will have a revised CTS with a (*knock on wood*) world class interior.

[CobaltSScrazy]

we will see what happens...i know we got this brand, its swedish, york wants to saab it, cough i mean sell it...lol can you spell hyundai? just a POSSIBILITY, and i stress that.