Japanese automakers see Hyundai as global threat
#46
Lexus Test Driver
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I know you hate Hyundai (better put, all Korean cars) to death, but I think you are going overboard...
Let me correct you. For the last 4 years or so I've been seeing a lot, I mean A LOT of Japanese cars in Korea. Just to name a few, cars like Infiniti G, FX, Q, QX series. They import not only Japanese cars but also european cars such as BMWs, Mercedes, Maseratti's, Ferrari's, Bentley's, etc. Where have you been for the last 5 years?? An are you saying Korean cars are 40 years behind Japanese cars? It's the most ignorant post I have read in years.
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Let me correct you. For the last 4 years or so I've been seeing a lot, I mean A LOT of Japanese cars in Korea. Just to name a few, cars like Infiniti G, FX, Q, QX series. They import not only Japanese cars but also european cars such as BMWs, Mercedes, Maseratti's, Ferrari's, Bentley's, etc. Where have you been for the last 5 years?? An are you saying Korean cars are 40 years behind Japanese cars? It's the most ignorant post I have read in years.
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As I was saying, Before you call me ignorant, read my post again. I said the cost to build a Korean product is cheaper than the competition, much like the same advantage the Japanese car companies had years ago.
Sure there are foreign cars in Korean, but they are tax heavily and the cost is much higher than the US prices.
Lastly, I do not hate Hyundai, in fact, I am seriously looking at the Genesis as my next car. There is not much to hate about Hyundai's pricing and quality. I guess if there is one thing I hate about Hyundai is the styling, or the lack of original styling.
#47
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They should view it as threat. Hyundai has improved dramatically in last 2-3 years.
Though last Hyundai Sonata (07) I drove, a rental, was horrible. It felt horrible, it drove horrible, it made horrible noises. Perhaps I felt this way because my daily driver at that time was an 04 GS300.
Though last Hyundai Sonata (07) I drove, a rental, was horrible. It felt horrible, it drove horrible, it made horrible noises. Perhaps I felt this way because my daily driver at that time was an 04 GS300.
#48
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Though last Hyundai Sonata (07) I drove, a rental, was horrible. It felt horrible, it drove horrible, it made horrible noises. Perhaps I felt this way because my daily driver at that time was an 04 GS300.
#49
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07 with 1700 miles or so.
It was well equipped too.
#50
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I don't know about today but when I lived in South Korea for 2 years in the early to mid 90's you hardly ever saw a non Korean car in the city off military bases. Seeing an American, Japanese, or German or non Korean car in downtown Seoul Korea was as rare as seeing Ferrari's or Lamborghini's in middle class suburbs. Maybe things have changed now but all I saw was Daewoo's, Hyundai's, Kia's and a few rarer Korean brands in South Korea in the early-mid 90's when I lived there and never really saw any non Korean cars unless they were driven by Americans or some Koreans working on US military bases. You hardly ever saw non Korean made products sold in the city, you had to drive or ride the subway pretty far to a electronics hub part in the city to find non Korean electronics/video games. Their must have been some pretty tight import controls/taxes to have it so skewed at that time, maybe regulations have loosened up now to where you see more foreign products but it was not like that in the early 90's.
#51
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Now that was uncalled for. How come we see so many foreign cars (and Japanese cars) in Korea then? There should be very very rare, right?? What you say doesn't add up, which is why I proudly said you keep making things up.
This too, totally uncalled for. The information is incorrect. Why the need for such exaggerations?
This is what I can describe in following words:
- exaggerations
- assumptions
- whining
.
As far as cars go, those foreign imports are taxed heavily and the government actually goes out of their way to audit taxpayers who own these vehicles. Remember, South Koreans are very, very nationalistic, much more than most other nations around the globe, and owning a foreign import is often scorned at.
The bottom line is that the Koreans are hardly "open" to much of anything foreign, cars included. We could have a conversation about the very real Japanese central government protectionist measures, but they are not as extreme as the South Koreans.
Last edited by FKL; 10-05-09 at 11:44 AM.
#55
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1. Toyota Motor
2. General Motors
3. Daimler
4. Ford Motor
5. Volkswagen
6. Honda Motor
7. Nissan Motor
8. Peugeot
9. Fiat
10. BMW
11. Hyundai Motor
12. Renault
For 2009, that will be a different story and I don't have the figures in yet because this year isn't over yet...
#56
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Not sure if that is correct. As of 2008 worldwide in sales, Hyundai is 11th.
1. Toyota Motor
2. General Motors
3. Daimler
4. Ford Motor
5. Volkswagen
6. Honda Motor
7. Nissan Motor
8. Peugeot
9. Fiat
10. BMW
11. Hyundai Motor
12. Renault
For 2009, that will be a different story and I don't have the figures in yet because this year isn't over yet...
1. Toyota Motor
2. General Motors
3. Daimler
4. Ford Motor
5. Volkswagen
6. Honda Motor
7. Nissan Motor
8. Peugeot
9. Fiat
10. BMW
11. Hyundai Motor
12. Renault
For 2009, that will be a different story and I don't have the figures in yet because this year isn't over yet...
http://wot.motortrend.com/6544939/in...r/photo_1.html
#57
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Largest automaker is what he meant. Here are the figures for the first half of the 2009 fiscal year:
http://wot.motortrend.com/6544939/in...r/photo_1.html
http://wot.motortrend.com/6544939/in...r/photo_1.html
#58
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#59
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Yeah, it's not true anymore. I saw a ton of MB, BMW, and Lexus cars last year in Seoul. In fact, I saw more Maseratis and VW Phaetons there than I ever saw in California.
#60
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As far as cars go, those foreign imports are taxed heavily and the government actually goes out of their way to audit taxpayers who own these vehicles. Remember, South Koreans are very, very nationalistic, much more than most other nations around the globe, and owning a foreign import is often scorned at.
The bottom line is that the Koreans are hardly "open" to much of anything foreign, cars included. We could have a conversation about the very real Japanese central government protectionist measures, but they are not as extreme as the South Koreans.
The bottom line is that the Koreans are hardly "open" to much of anything foreign, cars included. We could have a conversation about the very real Japanese central government protectionist measures, but they are not as extreme as the South Koreans.
I went to a car show in Seoul last year. Honda, Toyota, Audi, BMW, MB, VW, Peugeot, Renault-Nissan, Ford, etc. were all there in force. GM had a huge stage (largest at the show it seemed) where they had a rock band playing. I went to the Lexus display and got the price sheet for the cars. They were a just few thousand more than in the U.S. but it's no where near as bad as your are trying to make it out to be. Your impressions of Korea are like 30-40 years old.