Hyundai Genesis to target BMW

[Wretched]

Hyundai is ready to take on the likes of BMW in the race to sell luxury cars.

Edward Lee, former Hyundai Australia boss and now head of international sales for the brand, says Australian Hyundai customers no longer buy cars because of cheap prices but because they love the brand.

Speaking in Seoul ahead of a preview drive for the brand’s first premium car to go on sale in Australia, Lee says the full-sized Genesis sedan can take on luxury brands in Australia.

“I think so, according to research in Korea and the United States and many other places, [customers] think Genesis is purely a luxury car,” he says.

“We are very competitive in many aspects.”

Lee compared the new car to BMW’s small, medium and large luxury sedans.

“This is a serious product,” he says, “The room and the space is similar to the BMW 7-Series, the performance is similar to the BMW 5-Series and the price is similar to the BMW 3-Series.”

However the Genesis lacks one key ingredient luxury buyers crave – a luxury badge.

Many car makers, including Volkswagen, have tried – and failed – to tap into the luxury market with an upmarket car wearing a mainstream badge.

Interestingly the Genesis has almost no Hyundai branding; on the exterior, for example, the only stylised “H” badge is on the bootlid, with all other badging (on the wheel caps and in the grille) of the spread wings of the Genesis model.

As much as features, design, performance and quality luxury buyers are buying into a history and heritage that comes with decades of production and, in many cases, innovation.

It’s understood Hyundai has considered a luxury brand but shied away because of the price of establishing that brand.

The company is believed to have looked closely at Toyota’s experience with Lexus and decided the billions of dollars it has spent establishing the Lexus brand over a quarter of a century would be better spent on the cars.

June Cha, marketing director for Hyundai in Australia, agrees premium customers will be in Hyundai’s sights.

“We surveyed luxury customers and can find something in common for them. They want to be shown luxury and they don’t want it to be unreasonably priced,” he says.

“Mid luxury, or high trim of BMW 3-Series of Lexus ES or even high trim [models] of the Holden Commodore or Honda Accord [range] - those customers can be our customers.”

Hyundai has not released final Australian specifications and prices, though it has hinted that the car will be well-equipped, and confirmed that it will be powered by a 232kW 3.8-litre V6 engine that drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Overseas versions of the car currently on sale are loaded with the sort of gear buyers might expect from the likes of a luxury brand.

A comprehensive suite of driver support programs includes lane keeping assistance and emergency steering support that can help steer drivers out of danger, along with vibrating haptic feedback that lets drivers know when they are wandering out of their lane.

Blind-spot warning, self-parking and radar cruise control systems are present and correct, along with a 360 degree camera and rear cross traffic alert that can warns drivers of other cars when reversing.

Automated emergency braking will stop the car if it predicts a collision, and a heads-up display allows drivers to stay informed without taking their eyes off the road.

On the inside, drivers can adjust their seat in 16 ways, while the front passenger has a 12-way adjustable seat, both cloaked in Nappa leather.

Navigation and entertainment functions are displayed through three 9.2-inch monitors – one in the centre of the dashboard and one in each headrest for back-seat passengers.

Lee says those features make the Genesis an important car for Hyundai.

“We know that to improve our brand is a different story and it will take lots of time,” he says.

“But this is a very good opportunity to change our customer’s mind and improve our brand in Australia.

“People will be very surprised.”

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/h...624-zsjnv.html

Interior looks like a nice place to be.
it's time Ford did something decent with Lincoln.

[Xauterus]

Good luck with that Hyundai.

Lexus has only just made a dent after a lot of years work.

[Franco Cozzo]

LHD markets get a 5L V8 with 320KW and 500NM so I wonder if it will come to RHD markets depending on success?

[rancidpunx]

Unlikely, same as guys shopping M5's are not going to be seen dead in a GTS. Hew Hyundai buyers already feel justified in comparing theirs cars with the equivalent BMW and how they made the better choice. I hear it all the time "we looked at the X3, but decided the IX35 was the better choice and look how much money we saved". I just hold my tongue. They are still cheaply made and feel it and age quickly especially with kids.

[Nikked]

New Hyundai's are incredible in design, feel and function. To early to make a call on the quality of the build over a long term, but I know blokes with Excel's, accent's etc can't fault the driveline.


I'll get shot for this, but at this stage i'ld say they are on par with Volkswagen in some areas...

[kaniSS]

lol NO chance.

[XBv8mmm!]

No way in hell!

[LoudPipes]

I have $250k to spend, would I prefer a Hyundai or M5
It’s a hard choice.
I’d need a test drive to be sure.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by LoudPipes

I have $250k to spend, would I prefer a Hyundai or M5
It’s a hard choice.
I’d need a test drive to be sure.

...“We surveyed luxury customers and can find something in common for them. They want to be shown luxury and they don’t want it to be unreasonably priced,” he says.

“Mid luxury, or high trim of BMW 3-Series of Lexus ES or even high trim [models] of the Holden Commodore or Honda Accord [range] - those customers can be our customers.”

Nothing about crossing shopping an M5.

[Fordman1]

No chance.

BMW vs Hyundai on the snob value scale ? Game over (love from BMW buyers).

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by Wretched

Nothing about crossing shopping an M5.

Yeah my error.
I read BMW 5 Series in the article and the daydreamer in me pictured an M5.

[Bossxr8]

No one in their right mind would compare a Hyundai to a BMW or Merc. Basically because they can't brag to their friends about having a Hyundai, cause that;s all that counts isn't it? Badge snobbery is alive and kicking as much as it always has.

[Franco Cozzo]

Well at least when the locals have given up on you Hyundai took up the slack lol, you guys got your large RWD sedan with a 6, just it doesn't have a Ford or a Holden badge on it.

[NX74205]

June Cha, marketing director for Hyundai in Australia, agrees premium customers will be in Hyundai’s sights.

“We surveyed luxury customers and can find something in common for them. They want to be shown luxury and they don’t want it to be unreasonably priced,” he says.

“Mid luxury, or high trim of BMW 3-Series of Lexus ES or even high trim [models] of the Holden Commodore or Honda Accord [range] - those customers can be our customers.”

Ms Cha obviously doesn't understand badge-snobbism, which is alive and well in this country.

The Genesis may very well be a good car. It may even be better, objectively speaking, than a Lexus ES or even a BMW 3-series. But the chances of those customers actually walking into a Hyundai dealership is next to nothing.

I don't necessarily think badge-snobbism is a bad thing. I'm also very much a badge snob. While I've driven Hyundais and do agree that they've come a long way since two decades ago, I'd still never, ever buy one - not because they aren't any good, but because it's a Hyundai.

[XBv8mmm!]

Originally Posted by NX74205

Ms Cha obviously doesn't understand badge-snobbism, which is alive and well in this country.

The Genesis may very well be a good car. It may even be better, objectively speaking, than a Lexus ES or even a BMW 3-series. But the chances of those customers actually walking into a Hyundai dealership is next to nothing.

I don't necessarily think badge-snobbism is a bad thing. I'm also very much a badge snob. While I've driven Hyundais and do agree that they've come a long way since two decades ago, I'd still never, ever buy one - not because they aren't any good, but because it's a Hyundai.

They may have come a long way since the 90's but then the entire market has too. Having had an X3 Excel and an early 2000's Lantra (wife's cars) and now a 2012 i45 (company car) in the family I can firmly say that they are defiantly no good.

When they were sold as cheap and cheerful cars (remember "say hi to Hyundai") they were fine, now they are trying to convince people that they are a quality product and selling them as such, they are kidding.

Compete with Euro luxury?
Snowball fight in 20 min's, Lucifer is it.

[mik]

Hyundai having a little dig at toyota/lexus there insinuating they spend all their coin on advertising , be interesting to see how these things age, i think i would still go with a brand with runs on the board.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by XBv8mmm!

They may have come a long way since the 90's but then the entire market has too. Having had an X3 Excel and an early 2000's Lantra (wife's cars) and now a 2012 i45 (company car) in the family I can firmly say that they are defiantly no good.

When they were sold as cheap and cheerful cars (remember "say hi to Hyundai") they were fine, now they are trying to convince people that they are a quality product and selling them as such, they are kidding.

Compete with Euro luxury?
Snowball fight in 20 min's, Lucifer is it.

Hyundai I-Max was a pathetic excuse of a van. Had the misfortune of driving it long distance and 300kms into the journey, check engine light on and absolute maximum top speed of 85km/h, slower going uphill. Limped it along for 400km anxiously and swapped it for a Territory, such a breath of fresh air. Hyundai i30 rental had driveline shunt and auto shift thump as bad as a taxi with 900,000kms. However, the KIA Ceratos which are essentially the same car were impressively smooth and quiet. Go figure. Maybe their QC isn't quite there yet.

[flooded one]

why not compare to a Hyundai to a BMW. plenty of people compared an over glorified Commodore to the Euro's. GTS anyone??

[Wretched]

Review is in.

Forget everything you ever thought about Hyundai as the Genesis luxury sedan showcases just how far the South Korean car maker has come in a relatively short period of time.

First things first, it is a very, very accomplished car and one that ticks all the boxes in terms of space, comfort, features and safety. That it costs from just $60,000 (plus on-roads) further challenges the notion of why you need to spend any more on a luxury car.

But prestige owners are generally fickle, loyal and want more from a car than just an opportunity to please the accountant. So can the Genesis tickle the emotions enough to match the status of the Europeans?

The short answer is; it's not quite a resounding yes, but there is no reason why not. Firstly, it looks good from the outside with a bold front design that certainly wouldn't look out of place wearing another badge renowned for its design as well as having good proportions and a clean overall appearance.

It does also have substance and drives well. The naturally-aspirated engine lacks the low-down pulling power of modern European turbo motors, but it revs smoothly and is almost whisper quiet at low engine speeds. It does need to be prodded into action for uphill climbs or swift overtaking moves, where it introduces a raspy – but hardly intrusive – exhaust note as it nears its 6500rpm redline.

But it is well mated to the eight-speed automatic transmission that shifts seamlessly and has a good spread of ratios that allow it to cruise effortlessly at highway speeds.

Its biggest drawback though is fuel consumption. Even though Hyundai claims owners would have to clock up a serious amount of kilometres to overcome the car's price advantage, it is still a thirsty engine and having to fork out and re-fill it more often may prove to be a frustration for some.

However, the Genesis has a relaxing ambience in the way it drives, with a great degree of comfort from the locally-tuned suspension set-up. While it doesn't have the kind of sporty character of other Europeans and therefore can't mask its weight when pushed through the bends, with the front-end tending to roll and then push wide during hard cornering, it does offer good body control and manages to soak up most of the bumps in the road with poise.

Similarly, the cabin feels spacious, well built and the seats are comfortable for long distance journeys, but it looks a generation behind the Europeans in terms of overall design and the quality of materials used. Where its rivals are cleaning up the dash and aggregating most of the functions on offer into simple-to-use menu-based systems controlled through a rotary dial, the Genesis' dash still has a myriad of buttons for the air con and audio system. Also, the leather isn't as supple, the mixture of brushed aluminium and faux carbon-look silver on the centre console clashes against the woodgrain dash insert and the hard plastics used in the upper part of the dash and door panels can't match the look and feel of an Audi, for example.

But, in reality, you forget this is a $60,000 Hyundai and end up nit picking for flaws.

Does that make it good enough to be a game changer and a genuine luxury car challenger?

For Hyundai – as a brand – absolutely. You certainly wouldn't feel poor driving one, but it doesn't have the overall polish and brand lustre – at least not yet – to drag the badge snobs away from the big name Europeans.

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...106-3jpa3.html

Interior looks a nice place to be (except the steering wheel, the hell happened there?)

[fgpsi]

The steering wheel looks like it's from a 90s honda prelude


[/IMG]

[futura]

Not a fan of the interior. The FG interior looks 1000 times better

[timeout]

Take that logic and apply to what the FG G series should have been.

[jpblue1000]

Im not sure they will win over Euro slaves but what they will win if the product is well put together and marketed well is the sales war.
If the cars are that good average joe can have a car as good as the Euros for half or less of the price. Luxury, performance and safety for reasonable money.
And I'm pretty sure Hyundai would prefer to sell 100,000 units to those who can afford them than steal 50 customers from BMW.
Despite the common misconception the people heading these organisations are not idiots.

JP

[duaned]

Only people that buy LG TV's and LG appliances will love this car. The rest of us will either like it or hate it.

[DFB FGXR6]

Personally, I think the Genesis will be appealing to the sort of people that would be considering a Volvo, Lexus, Infiniti or Jaguar. In other words, a buyer who doesn't want to follow the crowd into one of the German brands. I cant see to many prospective BMW, Benz or Audi buyers even looking at this car, for them its all about a badge to park in the driveway.

Hyundai have even stated they are targeting limo companies ect so I don't they even think they are competing for BMW sales.

[timeout]

Well it's a good move longer term when the statesman goes and the hire car and taxi companies want something other than a hybrid Camry.

Ahhaha looks like the aus and state govts will have to ferry the politicians around in these.

[danzvtil]

I love how all the ford lovers get all defensive over a car they haven't driven or owned yet.
You forget one thing-that is WHY some people buy a BMW or merc. If they do so because of the badge, then nothing else will matter, they will buy it anyway. If they are having a good subjective look at it, there may be other factors perceived or otherwise for them to buy a luxury Hyundai. Value for money is probably up there.
The genesis range will only be a niche vehicle in Australia, as its still a big, heavy car with a 3.8 v6, not what the average driver is after.

[wranger]

Bloody good looking car imo. For mid 50s I'd have a very good look at it considering that gets you a base 3 series..Not my kind of car though.

[chevypower]

Oh it's terrible to have choices and competition in the luxury car market isn't it? BMW and Mercedes should get everyone's business to the point where they become complacent. If I were buying a luxury car, I can guarantee you it would be based on substance, not the badge. It's a bit like people who buy Bose because they think the name will impress their friends, but in reality they have just ended up with an overpriced set of paper-cone speakers with a terrible frequency response. I would seriously consider the Genesis or the Kia K900. I'm not after a car in that market though.

[LoudPipes]

I agree buying a car based on substance is the logical smart thing to do but as all car enthusiasts know, buying a car for many is just as often based on emotion or even that one little thing a particular model has over another even though the other may offer better all-round value.

For others buying is no more than a sheep mentality thing.

As far as becoming complacent, the likes of BMW, Audi & Mercedes are competing in a market against each other and therefore tend to be leaders in innovation and development and because of it, their innovations filter down their model hierarchy and eventually to other brands which is a good thing.

The Genesis is more than likely good value on a dollar basis and I can’t say if they are a leader, I do suspect they are a follower but I do know that interior sends a shiver down my spine and that photo posted by wranger reminds me of a cross between the outgoing Mercedes C-Class and a Holden Calais. It's not bad looking but nothing special.

I see nothing new to set the imagination alight for me and that’s not to say it won’t be a success, if the price is right people will sit up and take notice but they won't be those who aspire to own the Euro’s, more someone looking for an upmarket Camry.