Hyundai/Kia/Genesis has become a world-class automaker. After seeing their entry into the US market with the Excel and having test-driven a Scoupe, I never could have imagined it was possible. If I was in the market for a sedan I’d strongly consider the G70 or Stinger.
>Hyundai/Kia/Genesis has become a world-class automaker. After seeing their entry into the US market with the Excel and having test-driven a Scoupe, I never could have imagined it was possible. If I was in the market for a sedan I’d strongly consider the G70 or Stinger.
Well, you copy Japanese fundamentals and you should get it right after a few decades.
We bought a new Sorento in 2016. 81,000 miles later.....not a single problem. Our new Moss Green Telluride SX with 20 inch black wheels is on order.
KIA had to make an extra 100,000 Tellurides. Car and Driver gate it 10 out of 10. World Car of the year award in 2020. I’m all in on KIA.
Just stunning if you ask me:
https://www.edmunds.com/kia/telluride/
“Hyundai/Kia/Genesis has become a world-class automaker.”
We have owned 4 Hyundai vehicles, one of which is our daily driver. It has over 100,000 miles on it. We’d buy another one in a heartbeat. Great cars for the money.
L
I bought a first-gen Santa Fe 2WD (‘03 or ‘04 IIRC) new for my wife’s daily driver and, since I was paying for it, I had to test drive it. The worst I can say about it is it had 1 factory recall - the door jamb tire pressure sticker had to be replaced. I picked it up from the dealer’s service dept., declining the appointment I would’ve had to make for them to install it, and applied it in the parking lot.
Good V-6 power, didn’t feel under-powered, didn’t suck gas; good leg- and head-room for 6’1” me, even in the back seat; good cargo room.
We sold it several years later to a college-bound student, who was THRILLED with it, and couldn’t stop thanking me.
Hyundai has since expanded their SUV line with larger and smaller models. When I’m in the market for another car, I’ll be considering the Santa Fe (or the larger model) as an option.
You have just stated the reason the president of GM gave up the game.
She bet the farm on electric cars
She knows she can’t compete. The UAW albatross around her neck will wither and die.
Hyundai/Kia is an interesting relationship.
Hyundai beat out Ford (which used to own a stake in Kia) in helping Kia out of bankruptcy by buying a significant stake.
Currently Hyundai is the “majority” stake holder of Kia, with about 34%.
Interestingly, separately Kia holds stakes in quite few other Hyundai companies outside the automotive industry.
I think what their deals have looked for is where, down below finished products, they can find synergy between Kia and Hyundai industrial operations.
It is similar to the way their Chaebols (Korean family owned very large vertically integrated conglomerates) operate) - why go outside the family group to look for a parts maker/production unit/source for something, someone within the conglomerate can do it, and the money stays within the group.
I had a Hyundai Accent for a couple of years. It was a great little car. Changed the oil and filter and never had any problems with it. I sold it to move up to a BMW.... with respect to maintenance that was a mistake.