How Hyundai Did It With Genesis

[News Man]

Here is a very interesting story originally published at TorqueNews.com and written by Allan Honeyman discussing How Did Hyundai Do It With Genesis? - Quality, The Only Game in Town.

Hyundai started selling cars in the USA in 1986 after it established its US headquarters in Garden Grove California in 1985. They started exporting one model, the Hyundai Excel to the United States. Well, they started off with a bang selling more cars in its first year in the US than any other new brand ever had.

I remember their big selling point was that they were inexpensive, but actually, they were just cheap. In the worst meaning of cheap, they were cheap The quality stank as a result of all the cost cutting. Their reputation sank as did their sales.

By 2012 they had reversed their poor reputation for quality to the point that the Elantra was named the North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show. Quite the reverse of fortune.

The increase in quality has been the “Genesis” of a new luxury brand.

In 2008 the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan made its debut at the North American Auto Show and garnered its own North American Car of the Year Award, paving the way for the Elantra four years later. The Genesis has been so well received that Hyundai has announced that they intend to spin off the Genesis into its own brand with further iterations within the brand, including a possible sports car. They will expand the line.

Out of the crucible of poor quality a high quality car line was forged.

 

[Mark_888]

In 2008 the Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan made its debut at the North American Auto Show and garnered its own North American Car of the Year Award.

The Hyundai Genesis was released in Korea as a MY (model year) 2008, but not released in the USA until 2009 MY (in mid-2008).

The 2009 Genesis (USA version) won the North American Car of the Year Award in January 2009. Not 2008.