Feels like 1990 again.... Hyundai Genesis

[greg_atlanta]

http://www.edmunds.com/insidel...97785

This is eerily familiar to the Q45 & LS400 introductions. It sounds like Hyundai will be packing the goods into this car, even at the risk of taking a loss and being accused of dumping (like LS400).

It steals styling cues equally from BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, & Nissan -- the rear taillights are the only unique item. (Design theft is nothing new, everyone does it.)

Edmunds video has lot of info, will hit Korean domestic market before US.

Large RWD V-8 sedan for $35K?

[elwesso]

Certainly when Nissan brought us the Q they didnt halfass anything....... Then again, in 1990 NONE of their products were halfass.. For 35k in this market something has to be missing.

I really hope its as good as they say... It really looks like an M from the side and a lexus from the front...

My prediction is it will turn out like the Phaeton.. Some automakers just cant put their badge on high line luxury cars! The phaeton had EVERYTHING right about it except the price. Maybe people will be willing to pay 30k for a hyundai, but the interior had better be NICE.

[lino]

I've always said that I respected the direction Hyundai has been going in, and this new Genesis model looks fabulous. They are not scared to admit that they copy their designs from other top manufacturers. Wjy reinvent thee wheel. I say good for them

[Jesda]

Bland, but hopefully nice.

[DrewQ45]

The car is nice, but they should have detached it from the Hyundai name by creating a new division like Acura, Infiniti, Lexus. Nice as it is, that "H" in the front grill may affect sales. Still, with their great warranty program, it may sell like hot-cakes.

[hannibal]

I think this car will be an icon. Hyundai is making its stand.

[konatown]

The car is nice, but they should have detached it from the Hyundai name by creating a new division like Acura, Infiniti, Lexus. Nice as it is, that "H" in the front grill may affect sales. Still, with their great warranty program, it may sell like hot-cakes.

Hyundai is the slightly upscale cousin of Kia. Same company

[Q451990]

Wow, talk about mixed emotions...

On one hand, it's a freaking Hyundai!

On the other hand, Japanese cars used to be considered inferior "foreign jobbies" - so I won't count it out yet.

If nothing else, it will be fun to watch!

Heath

[DrewQ45]

Wow, talk about mixed emotions...

On one hand, it's a freaking Hyundai!

On the other hand, Japanese cars used to be considered inferior "foreign jobbies" - so I won't count it out yet.

If nothing else, it will be fun to watch!

Heath

Yeah... you may be watching the as$ end disappear. That thing's got power!

[louiegz]

My prediction is it will turn out like the Phaeton.. Some automakers just cant put their badge on high line luxury cars! The phaeton had EVERYTHING right about it except the price. Maybe people will be willing to pay 30k for a hyundai, but the interior had better be NICE.

I don't think it's too much like the Phaeton because VW really priced it way too far from the normal VW price. $80K is a lot for a VW. $30K for a Hyundai, maybe not as bad. I wont say that it will sell like hotcakes, but I think it will make a bigger showing than what VW did with the Phaeton. I think it looks nice. I don't think I'd buy it, but I wouldn't mind checking it out. Hell, a lot of Chrysler 300 sold and it was a $30K V8 sedan. I'm sure this Hyundai will be better that the 300 at least. I wish Acura will jump on board with a V8 RWD sedan. They'd make a great one.

[hannibal]

Hyundai is the slightly upscale cousin of Kia. Same company

Yep, but unlike Honda/ACura, Nissan/Infiniti, etc, they havent positioned Hyundai to be a luxo or upscale brand. Hyundai and Kia's car overlap significantly, like Pontiac and Chevy of the 90's.

Hyundai Motors' parent company purchased Kia, and renamed their auto division Hyundai Kia Auto Group.

[Falkdesigns]

Yeah, I gotta say also that it's not really like the Phaeton at all. The Phaeton was based on the Audi A8, and was WAAAAY too much money for a V-dub, when you could buy the Audi it was based on for just a little more $$. This new Hyundai is very nice, but my Japanese wife would never buy a Korean car (japan vs. korea thing I guess) and honestly, I don't know that I would either.

[Q_SHIP]

Yea, the korean imports are still a little scary to me too. But god do they look like a great bang for the buck!!

I want to see how they do the next couple of years. Have not heard to much bad with recent models though.

[lakeq45]

I think they may be making a mistake aiming at the "millionaire next door" Most of them are smart enough to le someone else take the depreciation hit. Why buy a new 30k lux when you can buy a one year old 50k lux for 30k?

Also, I have to wonder about the maintenance experience of taking your V8 lux car to the same shop that is used to working on disposable I4 cars.

[Secant]

I don't like that this car isn't an original design, it merely copies other existing designs. But, then, that's why I don't like Hyundai - they have no hallmark besides inexpensiveness, they have no struggle, no spirit.

I would guess that this car will sell perhaps even moderately well just because of its low price, but it won't be viewed as a serious contender.

[lakeq45]

The thing that I will find most interesting is if Hyundai can follow the path that are laying out for themselves. The way I see their longterm plans it is very ambitious.

The way that I understood the Lexus/Infiniti/Acura move of the 90's was that the parent companies where following their main target market (baby-boomer) as they aged and their incomes grew. They had grown up watching the Japanese companies grow and driving their highly reliable cars, but did not see them as luxury brands, that was still the realm of Caddie/BMW/MB etc. So they did the brand spit....

Also, if you look back at all but the flagship cars from those days, they were nothing but up badged cars with a little leather and a nicer stereo to differentiate them. So the fact that Hyundai is copycatting is not so unusual.

It looks like Hyundai might be starting down that path. They already have Kia that can be turned into a low end brand and they have a new generation of buyers that are used to looking at them for their prices. I can see this as being a first tentative step toward moving the H badge away from Kia. This can be seen as a very cautious test balloon to see if their target buyer is growing his/her income and if they are starting to be ready to spend more of it on a car.

Oh course, I am pulling all of this straight out of my butt, but I am willing to put it down and see if it plays out this way.

[StarPD]

It would be interesting to see an engineering analysis of the engine/driveline, as well as the accessories and body components/construction.

[Skibane]

Considering that it's just $10K (roughly) more than the Azera (which is a decent car in its own right), I can imagine at least a few prospective Azera buyers going for it instead - particularly when you consider that optional equipment on the Azera could narrow that price gap even further.

Will be interesting to see what the resale value on it is - If it's like other Hyundai models, it might be an even bigger used-car bargain than the Q!