Genesis Can't Wait To Move Out Of The Hyundai House

It will be messy for very few dealers actually.

Hyundai-Kia decided when they launched Genesis that it would not go to stand-alone dealers until the crossovers arrived. Those models arrive '19 to '21.

Furthermore, Hyundai dealers with good Genesis sales AND good customer satisfaction will be supported in the transition to a stand-alone Genesis channel.

In some markets, the franchise will be awarded to owners of dealerships already having a good track record with premium vehicles.

They are moving with caution and that's a good thing.

People who are looking for the real thing - a real PREMIUM vehicle - will NOT be fooled by a different building. They were not fooled by Infiniti - nor the VW Phaeton - and many others. Unlike Toyota - which has a good reputation for reliability if not bland vehicle by the time LEXUS came out - Hyundai is still the CHEAP car for the masses - heavily discounted in order to sell - and certainly is not regarded as Toyota reliable either.

So - the Genesis - IF they price it low enough - will be sold to the "ALMOSTS" of the auto buyers - who aspire for better when they really cannot afford it and are not really in the UPPER class of buyers.They MIGHT get the upper crusters to buy one for their teenagers - but that is what the ES350 is for. . If Genesis tries to sell at very high prices - they will compete with Infiniti - and not go very far. Still - with a recession looming - car sales falling - and the loss of MIDDLE class jobs being replaced with entry level minimum wage jobs, the REAL Luxury market is being hammered. THAT is because the wanna - bees - CAN't afford them any more either.

Why would you want one is the better question.

So, again, just like with crossovers/SUV, just seems like poor, messy planning by this company. They took customer feedback and dealer input AFTER they solidified their dealer network plans and had dealerships spend tons of money, time, and resources on the showrooms within showrooms? Not to mention the plan to sell a supposed S-class alternative next to an Accent didn't strike anyone as nonsensical?

So, it's going to be 4 whole years (per the last posted article) from launch for Genesis to get even a single player in the HOTTEST segment in the entire industry (crossovers/SUVs) and now they are completely changing their dealership network plans less than a year after launch. Is anyone else kinda wrinkling their eyebrows in a bit of confusion about this new brand? Maybe it'll all come together eventually, but this does not feel like there's solid leadership running this thing. The sad part is, nowhere was it mentioned that separate dealerships are needed b/c the demand for the brand is so high that they need their own space for inventory and foot traffic. Is this a reason and method to increase both? Or an excuse why neither is higher?

The info to dealers is different.

The killer competition in the auto industry sure is good for us consumers.