jrw1621 wrote:
So, Hyundai is heading upscale. It seems to me that they should have taken a page out of the Lexus playbook and maybe need to re-brand a division of the company. Genesis could have been the name for the whole division. I just see it hard to sell "premium cars" in a brand that is known for super cheap cars. Will the Accents parked next to Genesis(es) (Genesi) detract from the image?
Or, maybe this low end will fall on Kia and Hyundai will be the upscale?
Personally, I will admit that I had such a bad experience with a Sonata rental car that I had Hertz note my account with "no Sonatas." Earlier this year I did have to take a '09 Sonata and it really was nice.
From the article:
"...Hyundai at one time considered creating a luxury brand for models such as the Genesis but decided the cost was too high for the rewards.
Hyundai was wise in moving gradually up-market from its current position, avoiding the marketing boondoggle of Volkswagen's exotically priced Phaeton... "
I wouldn't be surprised, though, if the new cars are really successful, they might make Genesis into its own division down the road.