Hyundai (21 Posts)
From the Land of the Rising Sun and its neighbor with people named Sun comes the all-Asian World Cup Face-Off. Defending the sensibly priced and powered Hyundai Genesis Coupe we have former Vice-Admiral of Testing, Inside Line Associate Editor Mike "Kim Jong" Magrath. Behind the wheel of the wildly overpowered and overpriced Lexus LF-A is Associate Editor Mark "Kujira Sushi" Takahashi.
It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, right? While I probably won't ever love Charles Bronson flicks or willingly eat a beef tongue sandwich, the following three cars definitely made me re-evaluate my vehicular attitude and change it in each case.
There have been two redesigned models recently that are so staggeringly different from the cars they replace, it's hard to believe they belong to the same brand, let alone model nameplate.
One is the 2011 Jaguar XJ. The old car was a perfectly modern automobile under the skin, but that skin was a wrinkled, liver spotted rehash of Jaguar's previous 30 years. The interior was so stale, it was practically a crouton growing mold. And Jaguar was suffering for it. For every 72-year-old Jag owner who treasured the crusty old character, there were thousands of luxury car buyers treating it like a velvet-upholstered antique ottoman.
Let's go ahead and throw a disclaimer out there up front. I am not receiving checks from Hyundai, nor do think all Hyundais are great. In fact, I may still have a lingering prejudice leftover from the stigma of the 1980's. But it seems with every new Hyundai I drive, I am pleasantly surprised.
I just attended the press event for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata and I'm pumped. Though I normally don't get too excited over family sedans, Hyundai has been coming on strong the last few years and the new Sonata caught my eye at the LA Auto Show. While other car makes are having their troubles, the Hyundai hits keep coming with strong entries such as the Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Genesis Sedan and Santa Fe. We've a full test live on Inside Line, and some key bullet points after the jump.
If you've been reading my "Karl on Cars" blog entries for any length of time, you already know how I feel about modern vehicles. Essentially, there are no truly "bad" cars today. Sure, there are some subpar cars, but even they aren't truly bad.
(I could Focus on such vehicles, but that would be a low Caliber and unPatriotic approach to this topic, and might annoy people living in Colorado -- or in a Canyon. BTW, Cobalt blue is a nice color).
Anyway, saying there are no truly bad cars isn't news, but I think we've hit another paradigm shift in the last 12 months or so: There are an increasing number of downright great cars.
Sure, the "just fine" part of the graph is still the fattest, but the top part (representing "great cars") is taking on mass and could threaten to topple the whole thing over if things keep going in this direction.
In case you missed it, the first Super Bowl XLIV commercial belonged to Hyundai and the first thing Jeff Bridges voiced over in that commercial was, "Edmunds.com said 'Hyundai just might take over the world with this thing.'"
Hey mom, we're on TV! Actually, that quote comes from my good friend Josh Sadlier and his Edmunds Daily blog regarding the 2011 Hyundai Sonata at the 2009 LA Auto Show. Frankly, though, it's given Sadlier a big head. He's been walking around this week introducing himself as "the guy from the Hyundai ad" and asking all the pretty women in the office if they want his autograph. Thus far, they've all accepted. It's gotta be his beard.
To be honest, I'm jealeous. I made a billboard last year (right), but compared to a Super Bowl commercial, I might as well have made a doodle on a cocktail napkin. I need to do better, and with that in mind, this week's column shall be devoted entirely to the shameless pursuit of TV commercial quotes.
You've probably heard of the "press trip," where one of us departs for some fancy location to drive a car and stay in this or that trendy hotel. It can be fun, but frankly, I prefer the trips held right here in our backyard. I don't need to fly anywhere, I can sleep in my own bed and most importantly, I get to drive on the roads I'm familiar with through Malibu. It's so much easier to evaluate a car if half your brain isn't devoted to making sure you don't get lost in rural Oregon.
The launch for the completely redesigned 2010 Hyundai Tucson was one such event. Unveiled in its American guise last week at the 2009 LA Auto Show (click for video), the Tucson is the first introduction within Hyundai's latest 24/7 product push (seven intros/redesigns in 24 months). The Sonata and Equus (official name still to be finalized) will join Tucson for 2010, with a new Elantra, Accent and Santa Fe arriving for 2011 along with the production version of the Veloster sporty coupe concept.
Here are the basics of the 2010 Tucson and my initial impressions of this compact crossover SUV.
So I've been hanging out at the Auto Show this week, and I am extremely pleased to report that I have learned exactly three worthwhile lessons. Weekly Top 3? Three lessons? Just in time for my inaugural CarPool post on December 3rd 4th? Sometimes, friends, everything happens for a reason. Read on, and learn well.
I was interviewed by the Canadian Business News Network on Hyundai's growth and success in the U.S. market in recent years. Here's the clip: http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/april-2009/headline-april-28-2009/#clip166531
Remember when buying an Acura or Audi or BMW or Lexus or any other premium brand meant you got a premium car? The idea was pretty simple: If you wanted a premium car ownership experience you had to pay a premium price and purchase a premium vehicle.
As I drove the new 2009 Volkswagen CC recently it occurred to me the only thing separating this car from its Audi brethren was the emblem on the grille. Interior materials, performance, high-tech features, heck even exterior styling and "presence" were all up to Audi standards.
So was the price, of course, with a VR6 4Motion model starting at $40,000 (though $27,000 will get you into a base 2.0T car, which is still quite nice and a much better value).
I spent just over 300 miles in a new 2009 Hyundai Genesis yesterday, driving it on twisty roads, freeways and a race track (including drag racing a 750i and back-to-back slalom runs against an E-Class).
There are plenty of facts and figures to throw around, but the really important ones you probably already know: The Hyundai Genesis offers more performance/luxury/space/fuel economy than comparable premium brands that cost a lot more money.
That philosophy has been the hallmark of Hyundai's success over the past decade, as seen in everything from the Elantra to the Veracruz. The Genesis continues the tradition, though with an untraditional V8 engine, rear-wheel drive and luxury features normally associated with BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
Can a $36,525 Hyundai possibly be a good deal?
Possibly, but I'm honest enough to admit that it seems unlikely. For a Hyundai-badged vehicle to approach $40,000, and still be a good deal, it would have to offer a stellar combination of performance, comfort, luxury, refinement and feature content. And it would have to do these things better than the established players while costing less.
Well, if those are the requirements, I guess the $36,525 Hyundai Veracruz is a good deal.
We all know Chinese cars are coming, and while no U.S.-sold brands are anxious for extra competition, some are more vulnerable than others. After looking at Automotive News' coverage on the future of Hyundai and Kia it's clear both brands want to be well beyond the "great car for the money" phase before the Chinese arrive. Personally I think they've already gotten there, as I don't see the need to qualify a Hyunday/Kia purchase with a "not bad for the money" or "at least the warranty means you're covered" remark.
Word on the street (and on certain Web sites) insists there's a Hyundai pickup truck in the making. Technically anything is possible, but we have it on good authority that Hyundai has backed off any plans to produce an open-bed vehicle. The costs are simply too high and the margins too low. Neither a midsize nor fullsize body-on-frame model washes out in the accounting department, at least in the short- to mid-term...
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Recent Posts
Face-Off World Cup: Lexus LF-A versus Hyundai Genesis Coupe
July 19, 2010 3:00 AM
Weekly Top 3: Cars That Changed My Mind
April 16, 2010 3:00 AM
Thoughts from the Curb: The Theories of Evolution (and Revolution)
March 17, 2010 3:00 AM
Test Car Notes: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Blue
March 11, 2010 6:00 AM
Test Car Notes: 2011 Hyundai Sonata
February 19, 2010 11:25 AM
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