Okay.

Why did GM kill off their Zeta Platform again… and where is the FORD FALCON?

Man, give them any kind of an opening…

Blakkarr,

Hyundai has their sh!t together and Ford/Gm don’t. That’s it.

Leadership: you’ll find it in the dictionary between lackadaisical and loser. The other part of this equation is the fact that if this effort falls flat on its face so what? Hyundai can afford one bloody nose. Not a lot of others can afford to take that risk right now.

this car belongs in China…it’s looks look to chinese-ish!

JakeK66 Ford does have their **** together. They are bringing the Euro Focus over here and the Fiesta, and possibly the Kuga.

Gosh, I just dont know. Im sure this car will be awesome and everything but I just dont see Hyundai being able to play in that arena. 50k for a Hyundai?? If some one gave me a suit case with that kinda money and told me to go buy a car, I know for damn sure Im not gonna run to my nearest Hyundai dealership. I think that they need to build some SERIOUS momentum with the Genesis first before they go jumping into that price range.

MasterYoda2005,
i agree, paying that much for a hyundai, right now, when hyundai hasnt really had that much time to prove themselves, is like shooting yourself in the foot with a rocket launcher!

But, i sincerely wish them all the best of luck

I say why not?! Hyundai/Kia can afford to take risks when others can’t. If anything it will continue to raise the reputation of Hyundai/Kia. If it doesn’t sell it’s not a big deal…they can just pull it from the US market. Do it!

idrinorbarsaku, how can you say it looks ‘Chinese-ish’ when virtually all Chinese cars look like something else to begin with?

Well I hope GM and Ford get their Australian Platforms(Zeta and whatever the Falcon rides on) that Panther platform is way too outdated

wow

I feel that Ford is looking at GM’s track history of bringing the Aussie offerings over to America as a reason why not to bring the Falcon over. It stinks because the G8 and the GTO are sweet vehicles but in this economic climate, everybody is gun shy.

I don’t think this would go over well here in the US. The Genesis is enough of a shocker for the market… it needs time to establish itself as a serious threat to the up-scale brands before Hyundai brings on the next best thing.

Hyundai might have a steeper hill to climb than the LS400 did because even then Toyota had at some some rep as quality.

Still, in this economics climate, people are cutting back. “C’mon guys, I drive a HYUNDAI!”. This wouldn’t attract buyers of the German brands, either the S/7/A8 or E/5/A6. Buyers of Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, or Lincoln would be more inclined to change brands, as they tend to be a bit less brand conscious.

I was going to hold out for the new 300C/Charger and then decide between those or the Genesis 4.6, but now I might have to pony up a bit more. I’d buy one.

I would love to see Hyundai launch a luxury brand. Both the Genesis sedan and coupe are awesome cars at a wonderful price. Hyundai could easily compete with brands such as Acura and Infiniti. They are nothing but glamorized Hondas and Nissans. Why shouldn’t Hyundai try it?

Other Man… please read the magazine reviews of the Genesis. The 3.8 is just as fast as the 4.6, plus it is cheaper and gets better mileage.

tyler_is_aero_tt,

If Ford had their act together, why have we had an inferior Focus for the past 4 years and for at least 1 more year? Maybe they are getting it together, but it’s far from being together currently.

Think they are overpricing themselves and that will get them into trouble. Ther are competing with Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and cars like that. People shopping for a Infiniti, BMW, Mercedes, etc, will not be cross shopping or considering this. However, those looking at Lincoln, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, etc, will consider this. At some level they could possibly compete with Acura, but not BMW and Infiniti. Good luck though Hyundai.

Your point is sound and I agree on competitors. Though your choice of competitors is a bit off. People looking at BMW, MERCEDES-BENZ, LEXUS, and CADILLAC, to name a few, will not look at HYUNDAI.

But people looking at LINCOLN, ACURA (not HONDA), and INFINITI (not NISSAN) will consider HYUNDAI.

As far as overpricing, I’d have to see this Equus before I made a judgment. The Genesis Sedan looks like a really good car, hence my dismay why GM would stop at only two Zeta cars, the G8 and the CAMARO, and FORD has yet to do or say anything concerning the FALCON.

The GENESIS is exactly what a ZETA BUICK or top trim CHEVY might have been. A NEW CADDILAC STS or DTS would be more in line with the Equus maybe.

I think the car needs some work in the styling department before they begin selling it at such a high price. For 50 grand, someone doesn’t just want luxury, comfort, power, and reliability. They want STYLE. The Genesis is much nicer looking than the Equus. (It also has a name that doesn’t make me giggle inside when I say it.)

You’ll notice that cars in that price range are all one thing: Distinctive. Yeah, some can be called “ugly” and whatnot. But when you hit that price range, you don’t want to look like any of your competitors.

So the Equus could really use a sheetmetal refresher before coming here. It looks about five years older than the Genesis.

Hold up, hold up. The picture attached to this article is pretty lousy. That totally affects everything I said. Found a picture of it in black just now, and it doesn’t look half as bad! It could still use some tweaking though. It can’t afford to be generic at that price.

And that hood ornament HAS to go.

It looks like they are impressed with 12-15k Genesis sedan sales a year
That makes one of us
DrFill

I think the Genesis is a great car, in both coupe and sedan forms. Call me crazy but I would prefer a Genesis 3.8 to a 5-series BMW…. at least from the interior design perspective. Then again selling a $10k Accent in the same showroom as the $35-40k Genesis is a bit of a stretch. Selling the Equus for $50k is even more so. I guess you can argue Nissan sells the GT-R next to a Versa and Chevy sells the ZR1 next to an Aveo…but Vette and GT-R are established names, Equus is not. Hyundai would need to give birth to the Genesis brand (or whatever their PREMIUM line will be). Genesis should take the Genesis and Equus, leaving Elantra, Sonata, Azera, Coupe/Tibby (replacement coming soon), and the CUVs with Hyundai, and then Kia taking up the “sporty and youth” image….sorta what Pontiac was supposed to do for GM buy failed.

If I remember what I read in Hyundai’s 10-year plan that was put out a little while ago correctly… Hyundai is supposed to move upscale to compete with brands like Infiniti, Lexus, Acura, and Caddilac. Kia will remain as the sporty main-line brand. Genesis is merely the first step.

Raineman- I think if that were the plan, it would be wise of them to market their top level cars under a different name, as Honda, Nissan, and Toyota do with Acura, Infinity and Lexus.

I think an upscale buyer would rather buy something with the Genesis BRAND attached to it, don’t you? I mean, rather than Hyundai. It kind of comes with the stigma of their past cars. They should separate it more that way. There is talk from some people about them making a “Genesis Brand”, kind of like Toyota wants a “Prius Brand” to release different hybrid cars without having a hugely swollen lineup.

What you are seeing with the Genesis (and with the Equus) is the creation of a new market: the Value Luxury market. Sure, I can go to Lexus, BMW, et al, and spend $70k-$90k for an LS, 7 series, or something else, but why do that if I can get a car with more hp, more torque, and a buttload of options for $50-$60k? Plus I have a warranty that in its current form decimates most brands from ALL segments? It’s a total win-win for the consumer, and something that an investor more concerned with his finances than his image should get behind. It is the truth: Buyers of BMW, Lexus, Benz, and the usual suspects of luxury are buying these cars primarily for their perceived image and self-worth, and all these companies know this, which is why they charge so much.

Simply put, the Genesis is legit. It took a lot of trial and error (remember the XG300?), but the car is strong, stronger than anyone ever thought possible. I drove the car. I spent a lot of time in the vehicle, and I can tell you that the Genesis sedan is revolutionary, and will finally help Hyundai shed its stereotype.

So Spykerman, in short, what you’re saying is that the Genesis is a luxury car for people who don’t need a prestigious badge on their car as a symbolic penile extension?

If so, then, agreed. And sign me up for one.

Look at Chevrolet and the Corvette
Ford and the Ford GT
Dodge and the Viper

This doesn’t mean much to the rest of the brand
Your core is what puts food on the table
Check Elantra and Sonata sales
Hyundai still has a lot of work to do

They should put this extra energy into a new brand, or their core vehicles
This is Lipstick on a pig

If people don’t want good sales service, vehicle service, or resale value, which would all be better under a new luxury brand, the joke is on them
I say this will not reflect on the brand, just as it never has before in history
It’s a sign of desperation, not good strategy
The market is in desperate straits, so bad strategy can be overcome by price

If they were really smart, they could shut down the Acuras and Lincolns of the world by putting the coupe, sedan, and Equus together in a luxury brand
DrFill

Shane train:That’s a great way to put it, bro… I’m giving my props to a car that is exceptionally well put together, drives really well, and is the best luxury value on the market. Think about it: at one point, which brand was the undisputed value luxury champ? Acura. You could get a luxury car with a little bit of sportiness for a song compared to the prestige brands, and now look at them. A Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring offers more power (244 hp vs. 240), more gears (6-speed AT vs. 5), and better laid-out equipment than the RDX, and costs $4000 less!!! What does that say? That Acura, although a virtual fledgling luxury brand, has basically become just as full of themselves as the prestige brands. Hyundai has created, I believe, a totally new benchmark for luxury and value.

DrFill: I agree. It needs to be done. Keeping the current warranty in place while adding 5yr./60k miles of free maintenance would help in getting immediate momentum for Hyundai’s new lux brand

Shane Train, all luxury cars are symbolic penile extensions.

Raineman- But more so is a luxury car that you can take to the country club and proclaim the superiority and prestige of your brand in. I mean, many people are not going to offer you the same instant respect points, but you can laugh all the way to the bank at them to deposit the difference you saved.

Spykerman- Definetely. It seems like they get lazy once they’ve established themselves on the market. It’s like Nike making ten dollar flip flops but the total price for the flip flops and the swoosh on them is forty dollars. That badge costs alot extra.

I really really don’t care this Korean 560-units-sold-per-year hits U.S.

Rafa- Make that into an actual sentence and we’ll talk.

If White castle started selling Filet Mignon, at $25 a meal, would you go down there every week, for the next 5 years, to have it?
DrFill

DrFill- Sure, if the White Castle Filet Mignon was the 2009 North American Filet Mignon of the Year and had the same Lexicon Discrete Surround audio sauce as the Rolls Royce Filet Mignon…

How exactly do you figure Hyundai is the White Castle of cars? The true automotive White Castle is without a doubt a Chinese company.

You do know to be the NACOTY you only need to beat like 6 cars, right?
People have to decide if they want more bells and whistles, or get a few less bells from a respected luxury maker
DrFill

A few less bells for a bunch more dollars?

Forget it.

No, for the same money
Like get a 335i or Lexus ES350
DrFill

But the Genesis is truer competition for the 5 series.

In content, not badge pride BS.

So is a Pontiac G8
In performance, and with more room

The point is some people will buy a car just for the bells and whistles
Some want to buy from a company, that has sold them before, and will sell them again
$35k is a ton for a Hyundai
Unless you really want bells and whistles
DrFill