As Predicted By AutoSpies.com-Hyundai To Test USA Market With 100 $75K Equus Sedans. Will It Be A Success?

And I'm pretty sure they will come WITHOUT the hood ornament here.

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Good call dropping the flying lady hood ornament. Looks stupid with it, looks like a Lexus without it.

and no, with or without that hood ornament I don't think a $75k Hyundai will sell. If VW couldn't sell Phaeton's I don't see Hyundai selling many of these. Hyundai sells by offering low payments on inexpensive vehicles and by selling to credit challenged customers. People who can afford a $75k car aren't going to go to a Hyundai dealership to spend that money. They're not going to buy from a dealer whose radio ad is "$169/mo for 78 months on a brand new Accent! Bad Credit? No Credit? No problem!"

I've seen more new Genesis than old/new Phaetons. The Equus has a fighting chance in the market today. If Cadillac and Lincoln can still sell vehicles, then the luxurious will probably do OK.

We pass them on the highway frequently. My wife never notices them, but the Genesis doesn't look out-of-place among other luxury cars. I can imagine her mistaking an Equus for a new Lexus or Benz. Hey, before you balk, she represents the general public in their ability to recognize & identify most cars. She wouldn't care if the Equus is a $75k Hyundai, as long as it met her expectations of a $75k luxury car.

dumpsty, the Genesis is a $30-40k vehicle. Almost every "regular" car company has $30-40k vehicles, it's only a new phenomenon to the Korean brands. But $75k is a different realm. VW sells plenty of $30-40k vehicles. They couldn't sell a $75k Phaeton. The only times I've successfully seen "normal" car companies successfully sell a car that was significantly more expensive than everything else they sold, it was because the car in question offered supercar performance. Corvette Z06 & ZR1, Dodge Viper, Ford GT, Nissan GT-R, etc. All successful, all sports cars. People buying uber luxury cars, however, are buying the brand as much as the car itself. The guy who bought the Genesis for $35k wouldn't automatically buy the Equus for $75k if he had the money. If faced with a $75k Hyundai Equus or a $80-100k BMW 750Li, Audi A8, Lexus LS, or Mercedes S550, how many people are REALLY going to get the Hyundai? My guess is zero. In fact, I believe even if you capped the expenditure at $75k just to make it 100% even, I believe pretty much everyone would get a one year old 7-Series, S-class, A8, or LS over a $75k Hyundai. Or they'd get a lower model BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, or Audi. That's how much brand means at $75k when you're talking luxury cars.

Detroit is a failure.

LOL

you cant say that it will be a failure.....if they sold 6021 genesis from january to april thats about 2000 cars a month for a car that numerous people say it wouldnt succeed because its a hyudai and I admit i was one of them people. but seeing the genesis in person its a pretty HOT package fully loaded and i have to say I was QUITE impressed by this car even though it looks like they borrowed stuff from the german and the japanese auto manufacturers. Now as for the EQUUS I think those first 100 are going to sell like hotcakes at ihop on a sunday morning. but we need to give this car a chance because if it proves to be better than some luxury cars out there now you may never know what the future holds for them

I was actually considering it, but 75K is a little too high. At 55K, I wouldn't hesitate.

If Lexus could do it I don't see why Hyundai can't make a good luxury car at a bargain price. If it's got the size, engine size, leather seats w/ good quality interior bits the US population will accept this product.

I am an optimist and would love to see Hyundai come from no where and become known in North America as a entry-mid range luxury automaker. I wish them luck and with the Genesis trendsetting the rest of the lineup, Equus can be a success. If it sells 10,000 it's first year it's already a success, especially at that price point.

"If Lexus could do it I don't see why Hyundai can't make a good luxury car at a bargain price. If it's got the size, engine size, leather seats w/ good quality interior bits the US population will accept this product."

I disagree. I don't doubt that Hyundai could make a quality vehicle, but the problem with your analogy is you're neglecting the fact that Lexus had to be spun off of Toyota for that to successfully happen. You think people would have embraced those cars so readily had Toyota brought them over as Toyota's? No. And for proof of that, look no further than... everywhere else in the world. Until a few years ago those same cars that were being sold here so successfully as Lexus models were sold everywhere else as Toyota's... and they didn't sell. So Toyota tried rebranding them as Lexus models since that worked in the U.S. so well... and they still didn't sell. It was too late to unring the bell, to everyone else in the world those were "just Toyota's", even if Toyota was suddenly trying to sell them as Lexus models.

So while I agree that Hyundai could probably make a very fine car and successfully undercut the prestige marques with it, I wholeheartedly disagree that U.S. consumers would embrace it. They didn't embrace the Phaeton when VW tried the exact same thing. And they only embraced Lexus because Toyota was smart enough to come out with a new brand positioned above Toyota (and they weren't smart enough to do that from the start for the rest of the world, which is why the rest of the world doesn't buy them).

If Hyundai wants to sell these, they need to create a higher end brand. Disassociate themselves from Hyundai. And do it from the start.

Point taken. It's just I've given up on Hyundai creating a new brand. Perhaps if they name the new brand Genesis and call this the Genesis Equus it may be better off. I don't disagree with you on that point though, they do need a serious luxury nameplate in order to be successful worldwide. Their name has been tainted with cheap economy cars. Lexus in most countries are still viewed as "just toyotas'. Only in North America and Japan are they embraced as something equal to Mercedes. I don't blame the world for thinking that. Mercedes has always been a prestigious brand, where as Lexus is a subsidiary of Toyota. But with that said, I don't see why Hyundai can't be just as successful with a luxury brand as Lexus are today, even if it's major market is North America.

It will be a success for 100 chuckleheads.

EL34 - Your friendly Orange County, Ca Realtor :-)

How soon we forget the Phaeton...

I like how the overseas version has no obvious Hyundai badging(unless I've missed something). This might actually play into the favor of Hyundai here in the states. I wish they'd do the same with the Genesis sedan and coupe, and remove the Hyundai badging altogether.

IMHO, I think it speaks highly to have a luxury lineup placed alongside its marque's lower cost options that have garnered a high dependability rating. I would definitely consider a vehicle like this. But, then again, I judge a vehicle more on it'e merit than it's badge.

I was hoping they could put more lights and chrome in the front. Does it come with one of those crown-shaped car scents?

*cough* Phaeton *cough*

When did Autospies.com predict this out of curiosity? I think Autospies over estimates its influence in the automotive world.

Is it just me or does the interior wood of this thing look cheap or what?? Hasn't Hyundai looked at the Germans non-gloss, non-orange wood selections that are now on offer at BMW, MB and Audi?? I hate the wood in this car. As for $75K??? Uhhhhh I wouldn't. Depreciation will be like a cinder block being tossed into the Hudson.

Ongoing, will you sum up your thoughts into one post please? Your filling up the page with your hyuandai nonsense!

Huu76,wake up, with 1 million Koreans in Los Angeles, drive thru Koreatown and see how many Genesis you'll see(a lot). There is a new sense of national pride. I don't think Hyundai is trying to prove anything to anybody. Don't worry, they are not trying to overtake the germans nor Lexus. They are just following the basic guidelines of a business to stay alive. Offering something fresh in a good package, at a reasonable price.

It all depends...but I think it broadens the competition with infiniti and Lexus.

It will be a smashing success, because, and I guarantee you this, 100 Korean Americans will pre-order it the very first day that it is available for pre-ordering. They have a strong sense of patriotism, and they will gobble it up to make it seem like that over-priced thing is a smashing success. I say let them buy them all up. This will be Hyundai's downfall for being so ignorant. Hyundai will think that they have a successful $75,000 car on hand that will put their brand on equal terms with those from Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes, and so they will ship a lot more than 100 of these over. No one else will buy these cars, and they will be taking huge losses like the Big Three-soon to be the Gigantic One.

10 years ago I was selected to drive the XG350 for a week by Hyundai, for marketing research purposes. Of course I had to an extensive survey afterwards. This car was a failure, and I think this extensive research led to the Genesis. So, don't assume they are not doing their homework.

They should have learned from VW and their Phaeton.

This just doesnt sound right, I dont think Hyundai is dum enough to repeat the Phaeton fiasco, and at a 75,000 asking price it isnt a bargain, and is priced above/at the price of many other would be competition, just doesnt seem likely for Hyundai to fight these brands at the same price point they dont have the Prestige or Brand to do so. At 75 grand its more than the XJ,LS, and Phaeton, starting at the same price as the A8, and very close to the 7 series. Even if the 75 grand is a fully decked model unless this car is in the 50-60 grand price bracket why would anyone take this car over the LS, it has the reputation, quality, prestige, and is alot cheaper base price sounds like a fail on Hyundais part, the Genesis was good at luring people but they arent there yet to fight the luxury brands at the same price point.

It's all Marketing, before Hyundai would target Honda and Toyota and no one listened, once they mentioned BWM,Lexus,MB people were listening. Will they sell for the same price? Of course not, some idiots here think so and that's why the Hyundai blogs are getting longer.

I think 55 should do it...75 to me is just too much. I would hesitate to pay that even for the Germans.

Nite, could't agree more. $55k is the max I would pay for this car. I would also expect a fully loaded version with massaging seats.

yeah...i guess i want one with just a teeny bit more chrome and bigger headlights in the front...then it would look even more luxurious!

LOL!

Just because the Genesis is a success, does not mean they will automatically be able to compete with a high end luxury sedan such as an A8/750LI/S550. If anything they should compete with Lexus first. I think a Genesis/Lexus owner (IMO) might consider this but not a BMW/MB owner. Id buy a S550 any day of the year before an Equus. I am sure people here will agree with me.

For Top Notch escorts, got to South America you'll get them for Hyundai prices.

This would undercut the LS by quite a bit...

It makes me laugh when old farts willingly go out and buy Lexus not knowing they are rebadged Toyota, but I'll be rolling on the floor laughing my ass off, when some of those old farts go out and buy a Hyundai for $75k. Hyundai is nothing more then bargain basement transportation like those from Japan but there are those idiots that believes Lexus/Infiniti/Acura is supreme luxurious cars. I guess there are enough suckers/idiots in this world that can cough up their money to buy Hyundai for $75K but I wouldn't go near that thing unless Hyundai bring that thing with 5.0 with 420+ horse power version for about $50k-$60k.

In S.Korea, Equus costs US75k and an S550 is US200K, amazingly you see a whole bunch of them on the streets. Maybe We are the idiots who can't afford 80k on an S550 and bitch about it here on Autospies.

I don't remember saying I'll actually buy the thing even it cost $50k-$60k. I haven't bought any Asian branded car in nearly decade and half. I had been buying domestic or European for most of my life and it will be so until I die.

I don't think the Phaeton comments make sense. The Phaeton was aimed to steal sales from Benz.

This thing is just an experiment in the US. Smart move by Hyundai for giving it a try.

I really don't have time to see this stupid thing. Who is going to spend 75 000$ in a mixer copy of Lexus ,Mercedes,BMW,Infinity,etc etc, is not for me. If you have taste for authentic car just buy the original and that's all.
NO WAY....................

people who've had a reliable little hyundai during college and have moved up in the world might at least take a look at it.

and is the LS any less of a car just b/c toyota sells a yaris

I personally think enough is ... well enough, LOL! I am so proud that Hyundai has improved tremendously over the years. However, it is still a Hyundai. Although I am not currently in the market for a 75k automobile, there are so many other cars that I would buy. I just don't even feel comfortable knowing that this car exists. It has been hard enough for me to adapt to actually seeing this 5 series/M 35 Genesis in the road. I just want to go back to the good old days when Hyundais were designed with those in mind who may have had difficulty affording a nice car. I don't like that they now make nice cars that I cannot afford, lol.

Toyota should also export their Toyota Crown Majesta, it has better technology than in Lexus LS.

Not sure this is a good idea or who would pay that much for one. However, if someone feels it is worth it, then more power to them.

So in about a year I will be able to pick up a slightly used one for around 25k. Or maybe a new one that did sell at a significant discount.

Failure. Hyundai's are still perceived as cheap. No one will be able to tell their next door neighbor that they bought a Hyundai for $75,000 without having them laugh in their face. Out loud. For a long time.

uhh... most people that i talk to about the Genesis and the coupe are surprised that theyre hyundais and LIKE them... the normal public is NOT going to laugh at you because you bought one... in fact theyll be curious and check the car out itself.

Sure 75k is aot, but somethings telling me that its not going to be that expensive once it steps foot on US soil. Im guessing 55-60k.

People really gotta stop bashing Hyundai because of they motherf**kin past. GET OVER IT. Its 2009. Theyre a major player in markets everywhere. If you dont like it move to mars because Hyundai is the next toyota.

Hyundai has made some really good moves lately. Important ones. They too realize that very rightly that as the Largest market/ growing market passes from NA to China, they have to move up teh food chain to prevent their affordable tag from being cannablized by the Chinese companies. Their strategic play comes at a time when the entire industry is undergoing a sesimic shift.
with the right kind of advertisement , Hyundai can jump right up there to play with the majors in the luxury market. They have the size and capacity to do that.
As for simply sayign its only Koreans who are going to buy it .. I would deem that wrong. Hyundai will do well along the entire US market.

However , the 75k car is only a marketign gimmick ( 100 cars only gives that away ) but it will remain an important market test to see and change perceptions of what a Hyundai must be .

i heard the equus costs 100k in korea.
we will get it for 50-60k according to motortrend.

well..

benz costs 100k so it's about the half price. still doesn't make sense?

Suprising isn't it? Considering about 15-20 years ago the most technologically advanced product from Korea was Kim Chee! Mmmm I love Kim Chee!

Success depend on price.

55K = LS460

75K = VW Phaeton

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...plus the Civic is a Japanese car smart guy.
I'll commend Hyundai for upping their quality, but this may be a overly optimistic.

I could see this brand taking sales away from Lexus or accura but less so BMW/MB

huu76,
why so much hate against Koreans? Is your boss Korean? Did he stuff some kimchee up ur ass? It's German or nothing. That's the stupidest comment I have ever heard. You have no sense of reality.