TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, the RX-7 was the only car to ever pull this off. Seriously.

AkzS5

new olive metallic color

akbergq

.......................

akbergq

http://www.clubhg.kr/

this website has tons of pictures from the interior (you can see them in the middle of the homepage) but its impossible to even sign up to become a member becasue everything is in korean and theres no way to translate the page.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

This is a great looking car - much moreso than any other Hyundai. I've got a feeling this could eat a significant number of Genesis sales, even if it is FWD.

akbergq

Audi S5 anyone? good job! loll

chikoo

looks are one thing.
Touch and feel another.

I will vote when I get to touch it myself.

chikoo

There are 2 ways:

1. Start fresh with a new brand name. That involves building a whole new infrastructure around that new name.

2. Capitalize on the existing brand name. Hyundai is currently synonymous with cheap, albeit reliable cars.

In this economy, #2 makes more sense to Hyundai, and I agree.

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

So true

That was my experience with the new Sonata, it looks SO NICE and upscale in pictures, it looks almost like a ES350.......A LOT of people said that too. Then I go look at one in person, it feels just like the comparable Camry and Accord.....is a non-luxury main stream family car. It looks A LOT nicer in pictures then in real life.

WAES300

Wow- looking at spy pix, I must say it actually looks nice. I'm no fan of the Sonata (too much going on there) but the new Azera looks pretty good imo. They really should make a new luxury oriented brand to separate it from the 'Hyundai' image. (We had a bad experience with a Hyundai so we would stay away for a while anyway, but still!)

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Completely agree. Interior looks great but once you start touching, feeling and prodding, the Sonata loses it's luster.

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

Yeah for sure. To be clear though, the Sonata is excellent for what it is suppose to be, a Camry/Accord fighter. Just in pictures it looks like an entry level luxury car like a ES350 or TL, which it is not. It looks a lot nicer then it actually is.

chikoo

I test drove a Hoondai Genesis coupe couple of months back, and the buttons on the console were not at all inviting. Once I touched it, I never felt like putting my fingers on them again. My 1999 Mazda Protege had better touch and feel.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

^ Try knocking on some of the sheet metal on the GC. Budweiser's aluminum bottles feel more substantial.

TRDFantasy

I disagree. The VW Passat was always seen as a "class above" the midsize sedan market in the US. The Passat was always too pricey and too premium to compete with major midsize models like the Camry and Accord. The Passat was somewhat luxurious, especially for the midsize class.

Personally I think Hyundai is introducing the Equus in the US for the same reason as VW did with the Passat, mostly out of ego and out of misguided (IMO) line of thinking that this will improve the Hyundai brand overall.

Shipbuilding is not considered a "high-tech" industry at all. It is a heavy/heavy labor industry. South Korea is only a small player in terms of weapons, and definitely a small player in terms of robotics. Japan remains a clear leader in robotics, and I believe the US is also ahead of South Korea in robotics.

Disagree IMO. The interior to me looks and feels cheap, and then there is the aluminum can exterior metal .

Strange that you would call the CT "hardly luxurious" yet you call the Genesis coupe "nice" and the new Sonata "impressive" .

The Sonata's quality leaves much to be desired. It's a gaudy and flashy design, but not much thought was put into it in terms of long-term quality.

We can only agree to disagree, but to me all Lexus models including the CT are luxurious. Even the HS despite its flaws is a luxurious vehicle (although not a successful one).

There is nothing at all to indicate "things are changing" in my eyes. Most near-luxury or luxury pretender brands are struggling, and they absolutely fail to sell anything at higher price points (above 45-50K US today). It has been a cold hard fact for decades that in order to sell a high end luxury product, you need a luxury brand. This has been true in the US as well as in many other parts of the world for a very long time.

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

The market does not agree with this, as the ES still easily outsells the Genesis sedan and coupe combined. This is despite the fact that the Genesis is a fairly new model, while the ES is dated with a redesigned model due very soon.

This seemingly contradicts what you said earlier about the Equus. Here you are basically implying that Hyundai brought the Equus to the US mostly for ego, and not much else.

This strategy has also failed many many times in many many industries. How many copycat companies have thrived and become successful while remaining as a copycat company? I'll answer that, almost none at all. Companies that initially were copycats that later went on to thrive and/or become successful did so by changing and INNOVATING. They stopped being copycats and started to become distinct. IMO I see no such attempts from Hyundai to become different or distinct. At the moment they continue to be copycats.

Perhaps because you're focusing on specific models and not the brand as a whole. Despite the clear flaws on the 3 Series, it is a VERY successful model because of BRAND. The success of the 3 Series shows the power BMW's brand and reputation. Lexus models are almost all successful because of BRAND. Same thing with Mercedes, and Audi, well as a brand they are do not yet have a stellar reputation in the US. In Europe, Audi as a brand is certainly Tier 1.

The German fanboys will soon change their thinking, even if they don't like it. The LFA is a revolutionary product for Lexus and a sign of future things to come. BMW currently offers no answer for the LFA, only Benz and Audi currently have products that can even be compared to the LFA. The LFA offers almost infinite customization options and you can be sure future Lexus models will offer more customization. The CT for example offers quite a lot of customization.

I'm sure a lot of people would beg to differ.

The Sonata is not a luxury car, you said so yourself, so this comment is very puzzling. Also, I'm sure Hyundai themselves would disagree with you as they are currently offering crazy low lease deals on the Sonata. Not exactly an encouraging sign if you believe the hype that the new Sonata is so popular right now in the retail market.

You can state all of this just from a few pictures and some paper specs? Do you know how the new Azera drives? What about interior quality? Durability? Long-term quality?

The ES (and TL) have PROVEN themselves in the market. They've been on the market for many years and have established good reputations (excluding the transmission problems on older TLs and the looks of the current TL). The ES has been a strong seller for a long time now, and has a great reputation with a great resale value.

The Azera for a few years now has been a sales failure. It has a reputation as a sales failure, and also as a completely forgettable car.

Everyone has an opinion, and this is in YOUR opinion. Many (including myself) would disagree with you.

Yes, this might be too flashy for older buyers. At the same time, it will be too expensive for many younger buyers to buy and own. Therefore, I expect this new model will struggle. Not to mention, it may eat into Genesis sales.

You have NO IDEA this is true unless you're a Hyundai salesman/rep and have already driven this new Azera and the competition. If you haven't, then you're just posting unsubstantiated hype.

I'm curious, why are there a bunch of fairly new members on CL who have almost every post about Hyundai?

Do you work for Hyundai? Are you a Hyundai PR rep/ghost blogger/part of guerilla marketing for Hyundai?

Why are you making so many Hyundai-related posts on a Lexus forum?