Commodore: “America really does not need ANOTHER faux-luxury Asian nameplate.”
You’re also right

Victor: you failed to realise in his statement that L—s is not a luxury brand

I think the negativity towards Hyundai in these posts just proves exactly why Hyundai is thinking about a luxury nameplate. You can question whether or not it’s a good idea to try to break into the luxury market, but if Hyundai is going to do that, they need another nameplate. Building on my last post, one of the reasons I think it’s expensive to launch a nameplate is the marketing involved. When done right, the average consumer won’t equate Hyundai’s luxury brand with the “Hyundai”–that used car brand they buy for their newly licensed 16 year-old kids.

True but how much was the profit margin on each vehicle? I think the real question is how much money the company makes at the end of the year.

Ignorant monkeys spitting their **** here is exactly why people believe BMW is luxury … kill yourselves, fools.

Ummm… except for the fact that Hyundai/Kia have been posting steady sales gains over the past few years… For NA alone:

2005 – 731371 units
2006 – 749323 units (2.4% YTY increase)
2007 – 772482 units (3% YTY increase)

For 2007, just Hyundai alone (minus Kia sales) sold vehicles more in NA than Acura, BMW, Buick, Cadillac Hummer, Infiniti, Jaguar, (Kia), Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes, Mercury, Mini, Pontiac, Porsche, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Suzuki, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

The only brands that sold more were Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Jeep, Nissan, and Toyota.

When the sales of Hyundai and Kia are combined, the only brands that sold more were Chevy, Dodge, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.

So… I’d like to know where this notion that Hyundais aren’t selling well, especially to the middle/working class?? And they are the ones who are buying the almost all of them, because those above them certainly aren’t going to buy a Hyundai and how often do those below them buy brand new cars?

The fact is that they’re selling and selling well as well as making steady sales increases year-over-year… which again, makes it perfectly acceptable to make the correlation with the Japanese automakers of 15-20 years ago.

GM had to somehow make people believe n Cadillac
Toyota had to somehow make people drive in Lexus

But why cant Hyundai do it?? Is there something wrong with Hyundai?? Every car company had to start somewhere and has to finish somewhere. GM grew and made Cadillac it is today. Toyota made Lexus what it is today, so why cant Hyundai?? I know some of you may say well “Lexus’s are nothing but hopped up Toyota’s” or “Cadillac’s are no good” but thats personal opinion. By corporate opinion and in the corporate world those companies are seen as luxury cars in a luxury class compared among Benz’s & BMW’s. So who is to say can’t Hyundai can’t be compared in the same league. Some of you have said “well they haven’t even got the middle class person yet”.

Is there a Rule Book that states a step by step on how to expand a car company??

Best comment so far and I agree with the argument that it will still be a Hyuandi and therefore far from luxury. When I see a person in a Hyuandi I do what I would imagine a lot of people do, which i think that said person could not afford a better car.

15-20 years from now we’re all going to be talking about how ridiculous it is that the Chinese are thinking about creating some luxury nameplate and this whole cycle will start again…

I just don’t see Hyundai in middle class neighborhoods-I disagree I see Hyundais in working middle and upper middle. I do agree that they have to sell the Genesis separatey from the start How will this be placed in the showroom ? will they have it right by the Accent or Tuscon ? The only succesful luxury or near luxury car that was sold under a non pre name was the Millenia(Amanti) by Mazda. Look at what Mazda did and copy it

At any rate, in my opinion, now is the time for Hyundai to start the luxury brand. The bargain Hyundais of old I don’t think would taint a luxury brand. One of the reasons I suspect that launching a luxo brand is so expensive is the marketing effort involved. I would wager that most nonenthusiasts don’t know that Acura is part of Honda, and they don’t think for a second that Lexus is somehow a prettied up Toyota. How many Infiniti FX35 buyers realize that a version of their SUV’s engine is an option in the Altima?

As has been said, Hyundai is a force to reckon with, and a luxury arm will only make it more so.