When Hyundai announced the Genesis luxury sedan in 2008, some were skeptical. A $40,000 Hyundai? But the Genesis has been a hit with buyers, outselling the Audi A6 and Lexus GS combined. After two years on the market, sales of the Genesis are still increasing. Hyundai says this is a sign that American consumers are seeing the brand differently and are ready for Hyundai to head even farther upmarket. And so, with the 2011 Equus , the company has its sights set on the top of the luxury heap: cars like the Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz S-class.
That bold goal comes with a proviso, however. The Equus was designed primarily with its home South Korean market in mind. Shoppers there are fervently loyal to domestic manufacturers—with Hyundai being the largest—and since this Equus went on sale there over a year ago, it has been successful at luring government officials and hot-shot businessmen out of the black Mercedes S-classes that are de rigueur for elites worldwide. So although it would be unfair to call the U.S. an afterthought, Hyundai knows the Equus doesn’t have wide-reaching American appeal, and it has set the sales targets at a realistically modest 2000 to 3000 cars per year.
One of the cornerstones of TTAC's existence is reminding the auto industry that "those who don't learn from the mistakes of the past are destined to repeat them." As a corollary we can say that learning from history's successes forms part of the recipe for a flat-out victory in today's highly segmented, price sensitive market. We have seen almost two decades since the boring sheetmetal of the Lexus LS400 hit our shores, forever changing the way we think about luxury cars. Fast forwarding along that school of thought brings us to the new, V8-powered, Hyundai Genesis 4.6.
Status seekers know the drill: avoid a South Korean automobile at all costs. That explains HyMoCo's last-minute change of the V8 decklid's (America-only) "H" logo to the global market's winged crest. Even with the Genesis name spelled out on its rear, the re-badged badge puts a little Bentley in yo' face for maximum curb appeal. And it's not offensive. Like the Lexus That Started It All, the Genesis demonstrates design-naivety; a socially inept copycat of the hottest sellers in this segment. Think of it as a muscle-bound Milhouse Van Houten on 18" rims.
If the auto industry were a dice game, Hyundai would have wound up dead long ago in a seedy back alley, shot or stabbed by a jealous pimp over having a “hot hand” for too long. Just as everyone else’s luck seemed to run out a few years ago, Hyundai went from punch line to punching well above its weight with a string of products – the Genesis Coupe and Sedan, Elantra, Tucson, Sonata, Equus and Accent have all presented a serious challenge to both domestic and import manufacturers, and industry observers have been asking sotto voce whether Hyundai was due for a fall.
The Veloster is Hyundai’s most important product for the 2012 model year – on the surface, it looks like another inexpensive, sporty offering aimed at Gen Y, a crucial market for automakers who must try and sell cars to a cynical demographic that has come to see driving as an anti-social and wasteful act. While Hyundai was busy touting the car’s 40-mpg highway rating and light weight (only 2,584 lbs with the 6-speed manual) in the run up to the car’s launch, they were also making excuses. Claims abound that the Veloster was fun in the classic “driving a slow car fast” kind of way, and one Hyundai engineer told AutoGuide that the 40 mpg rating would be a bigger selling point than the car’s meager 138 horsepower rating (and he may not be wrong). The Veloster is supposed to be a mix of utility, performance, efficiency and technology, but compromise rarely leads to great automobiles.
This generation of Hyundai Tiburon first debuted for the 2003 model year. The changes for 2005 include design enhancements and packaging adjustments. There is a new ultimate performance edition of the Tiburon called the SE, which builds on the Special Edition package introduced in 2004. And there is the value-packed high-performance GT model.
The exterior of every Tiburon has been revised for 2005. The front end features a new grille and lower fascia, new headlamp and foglamp design. In addition the side garnish has been changed from the original gill design to a horizontal slot style. The side mirrors have been redesigned to improve aerodynamics and provide even better vision for the driver. There is also a new taillight treatment and new badging that reflects the three trim levels.
There are two V6-powered Tiburon models offered for 2005 - the GT and the SE.
The Hyundai Tiburon GT model is fitted with Hyundai's all-aluminum 2.7-liter V6 engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. The DOHC V6 engine is rated at 172 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm.
Following the successful launch of its Genesis sedan, Korean automaker Hyundai rolled out a two-door version of the car, aptly named Genesis Coupe. The car first debuted in pre-production form at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, and later was unveiled in production guise at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show.
Hyundai stuck to its promise of aggressive pricing, making the V6 model of the car the least expensive 300 horsepower coupe in the world.
The four-cylinder model has a starting price of just $22,000. That will buy you the most basic configuration, equipped with a 210-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. If you're looking for some more power, you'll have to pony up $25,000 for the the 306-horsepower, 3.8-liter, V6 engine model.
With the new Hyundai Accent due to be launched next year, Hyundai Motor Company elected to make a detailed exploration of the emotional, high performance and high tech potential of the new model. The result is the Accent SR - a refined, exciting and forward-looking concept car which provides a fascinating glimpse of future possibilities in this class. As a concept car, the Accent SR is significant in demonstrating a new approach by Hyundai to a high-performance market segment which it has not corporately entered in the past. The internal designation of the car is SR and the chassis, engine and styling take the car firmly into up-market grand tourismo territory.
The Accent SR measures 4,035 mm (L) by 1,745 (W) and 1,470 (H). Integrated front, and rear roof spoilers, together with stylish deep sill side spoilers give it a distinguished and purposeful look. Much thought has been invested in the characteristic way in which the frontal treatment blends grille, headlight clusters, character lines and A pillars into a charismatic and powerful stance. The suspension is lowered and widened, and the car rides upon custom designed 18 inch alloy wheels with 225/40R profiled tyres. Extended wheel arches front and rear are unified by a strong shoulder line moulding, while side air vents draw cooling air into the rear wheel arches.
