Hyundai Says They See No Issues Selling Luxury Next To Economy Cars - Who Else Can Pull That Off?

The next-generation Hyundai Genesis starting to arrive in showrooms to take on the likes of the BMW 5 series features taut, stately sheet metal that wraps a leather-bathed interior trimmed in matte-finished real wood, and a sticker price topping $51,000 for the 420-hp V-8 edition.

And it's taking its place barely a car length away from the entry-est of entry-level vehicles, a $15,000 Hyundai Accent, with cloth seats, a CD player and 1.6-liter four-banger.

What's wrong with this picture? Nothing, Hyundai executives say.

In fact, they say selling the Genesis and the $60,000-plus Equus luxo-yacht under the same brand and from the same showrooms as economy cars such as the Accent and Elantra is paying dividends for the brand in a few different ways.

TheSteve - 5/12/2014 5:22:15 PM

+1 Boost

VW believed that with their Phaeton. They were wrong. Let's see if it works for Hyundai.

richard112360 - 5/12/2014 5:55:17 PM

-1 Boost

How many iterations of the VW Phaetons have been produced? Just one! While the Hyundai Genesis is in it's second iteration.

Benzes1 - 5/13/2014 12:12:08 AM

+3 Boost

And that means what?

MattDarringer - 5/12/2014 7:12:52 PM

+1 Boost

Hyundai/Kia is squandering their efforts by NOT establishing a premium brand

HughJass - 5/13/2014 10:55:20 AM

+2 Boost

Who has pulled that off is the correct question.

The Genesis is in the same league as the Avalon, same price, non-luxury name. Yet they still sell more Avalons so the Toyota name is more marquee than Hyundai/Genesis/whatever they want you to believe they are.

Eyecarehawaii - 5/13/2014 2:04:53 PM

+1 Boost

Let's see.. MB for starters (A-class in Europe, for instance) and probably many others.

HughJass - 5/13/2014 3:51:40 PM

+2 Boost

But in Europe, nobody is going to brag they drive an A-class. It may be a Benz but Europeans know Benz makes rich and cheap and you only brag if you own a high end one.

Nobody brags they drive around in a MB delivery van.

HughJass - 5/14/2014 9:31:32 AM

+2 Boost

Forgot to ask though. When did Hyundai start selling luxury? A fake Rolex isn't considered luxury.