Hyundai is Driven to Surpass Toyota

Hyundai is Driven to Surpass Toyota

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor is battling to rank among the world's five-largest automakers as soon as 2009. Since taking over the company five years ago, Chairman Chung Mong Koo has been obsessed with erasing Toyota's price premium. Hyundai has established a goal of producing 5.5 million vehicles annually by 2007, an increase of 25 percent from the 4 million produced today, according to the September issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine.

In this month's issue of Bloomberg Markets, senior writer John Lippert and Bloomberg News(R) reporter Yunsuk Lim, report that Kim Dong Jin, Hyundai's chief executive officer, realizes that volume alone will not lead to sustained profits unless Hyundai Motor can also charge premium prices.

The road to global prominence will not be easy, as Hyundai Motor must overcome South Korea's individual consumer credit card debt, inconsistent global production rates and low market share in the United States.

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=24693&cat=PR Newswire&more=/pr_newswire/

I don't believe Hyundai is in a position yet to start chaging a premium, the only car they have now that is really up to Toyota standards is the new Hyundai Sonata, the rest of their lineup is very good, especially considering where they we're 10 years ago, but they will need 2 generations of most of their lineup to be up to Toyota standards before the can charge a premium for their vehicles, but this is just my opinion. But, all I know, even in the Sonatas case, it might be up to Toyota quality right now (compared to the Camry), but the only reason it is attractive to me is the price, i is about 3~4 grand cheaper for the same options here in Canada, but if it was the same price, it wouldn't even be a contest, Toyota would be my money.

hyundai can kiss my ass. if i ever bought a hyundai it would be the accent and the most basic you can get and even a used one at that but that is my last resort. i could care less i'd rather spend more and buy a Honda, nissan, Toyota, heck even a FORD for that matter, shit maybe even a diamler chrysler product.

If they start making better cars like toyota then this might be an issue, but they don't.

The other day i saw a Rolla 01 w/84K miles for 7K , a 03 huyndai Elantra 52K miles and for 5K both were comparably equipped and you know what i' d pay the extra 2K and know i am getting a better car overall.

i'd buy a hyundai.


know why they're so cheap? people like you folks who think they're still the $5k throwaway cars they used to be. they've got quite a following...and i might join that following if they keep their standards up.

yes, i heard theyre getting better

check edmunds.com for reviews. talk to owners. my aunt and uncle have had 2 of them in the past 15 years...and will continue to own hyundais. in fact, the only reason they're lacking one of the two is courtesy of another vehicle totalling it.

here's a factoid: the sonata rated well recently, even better than the accord.

random factoid 2: kia is 51% owned by Hyundai, and shares engines and materials with the korean brand. the aftermarket for their vehicles is about where we are with Corollas(except the Tiburon, which has a monstrous aftermarket in Korea).

now, go to the Kia site and take a look at the Spectra5. is that, or is that not a badass looking little hatch?

I like the Spectra5, but its still a KIA, ewww just messing... but seriously, the quality of the kia's sems to be lower than that of the hyundai's...

naturally they're a bit lower quality, but the engine is still the same. that's the point i was trying to make.

depending on reliability and resale(i.e. can i get one for really crazy cheap), i might get a used spectra 5 in a year or so.

Ive been toying with the idea of an Elantra GT for a while now... I really like them, especially for the price of them used....

i know a guy who autocrosses his

Oh yah? That's pretty cool...

they will never have the heritage of a company like toyota...

not any time soon anyway...but who knows later on
besides pricing and quality other factors come into play. regardless of my affiliation to either company toyota seems to cater to what i need more than hyundai, so

toyota 4 me