Complain about a product or service

Hyundai to Tap U.S. Sport Sedan Market

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 27, 2007

Hyundai • Brakes • Stalling • Transmission • "Just Everything" • Airbags • Engine Failure • Fires • Sludge Problems --- News • Rusting Hyundai Sonatas Prompt Federal Probe • NHTSA Probes Hyundai Air Bag Failure • Hyundai to Tap U.S. Sport Sedan Market • Hyundai Drops Back Into Minivan Market • Hyundai Drops Out of Minivan Market • Airbag Problems Plague New Hyundais • Hyundai Offers $85 Million to Settle Horsepower Suit • Hyundai Aces J.D. Powers Survey • Horsepower Overstated

Hyundai Motor Co. is headed upscale in the U.S. with the launch next year of a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan.

The South Korean automaker's engineers took a long look at BMW and Mercedes-Benz before developing a car featuring all the characteristics of a premium German sedan except the price tag.

The starting price for the sport sedan will be under $30,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. in the second half of 2008, according to Hyundai officials.

Called the Concept Genesis, the car will make a debut at the New York International Auto Show. The sport sedan is equipped with a V-8 engine delivering more than 300 horsepower and a body that Hyundai describes as stiffer than the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class cars in order to produce crisp handling.

The Concept Genesis accelerates from zero to 60 mph in less than six seconds, according to the automaker.

Hyundai will build the sport sedan on a new rear-wheel-drive platform that was developed for Equus now on sale in South Korea. Hyundai has long debated whether to launch the Equus as a premium brand in the U.S. along the lines of the Toyota Lexus nameplate.

The company has delayed some strategic decisions while Chairman Chung Mong Koo appeals a three-year prison term for embezzlement as a result of a company slush fund.

Hyundai has claimed that vehicle quality and a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty are responsible for sales successes in the U.S.

The automaker is now adding upmarket models such as the Azera midsize sedan starting at $24,535 and new Veracruz crossover, while still offering small cars, such as the entry-level Accent, with a $10,415 base price.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |