Honda chief: "Hyundai is awesome."

[TJPark01]

Japan's automakers know a threat when they see one, and based on their words, it sure isn't in Michigan. Motown is fleeting image in the Japanese carmakers' rearview mirrors, which they're now nervously checking for a budding South Korean juggernaut. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito minced no words when he told the Associated Press, "Hyundai is awesome. They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving." The numbers seem to bear that out, as Hyundai and its corporate sibling, Kia, continue to show substantial sales chart improvements in key markets like the Europe and the US, where it continues to show strong growth while many other automakers look at double-digit shortfalls year-over-year. Nissan's Shiro Nakamura echoes Honda's Ito when it comes to identifying Japan's new boogeyman, "Hyundai is the biggest threat for the Japanese automakers. They have the technology, but they seem to have cheaper labour."
FULL ARTICLE:

 

[STREETS]

Hyundai sales UP 27%....most others- down deep double digits.

 

[ctrcbob]

A lot of guys are waiting to see the 2010 Equus in dealer showrooms. NOT ME!
I'm waiting to see the 2010 Sonata. Hyundai salespeople are going to be busy people keeping up with all the Sonata sales.