The Koreans Surprise Again
As much as I try not to hold preconceptions, it's hard not to rely on what might be outdated thinking. I'm just so conditioned after 40 plus years, I have my beliefs about the way things are and it's difficult to get my mind around something altogether new. I don't think that I'm all that different than most of the people I meet, some are more entrenched and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, others earlier adaptors, so to speak, but most of us define our opinions and stick to them religiously.
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| Hyundais offer excellent value and one of Canada's best warranties. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
This is true for most things in life, as it is in the automotive sector. For instance, consider Hyundai for a moment. While its Sonata sedan is ranked first over every competitor in the 2004 J. D. Powers and Associates Initial Quality Study's (IQS) entry midsize category, the Accent is rated in second place in the compact class, making it first in its actual subcompact segment, and the Hyundai brand on the whole is rated 7th out of 37 rivals in the nameplate ranking, beating 9th place Toyota by the way, plus Hyundai is tied for second place with Honda at 102 problems per 100 vehicles in the corporate rankings, bested only by Toyota with a mere 1 point advantage, and adding to that second position overall in Strategic Vision's Total Value Index, why do most people still consider Hyundai an alternative brand. Rather, we should all bow down and pay our respects. The Korean automaker's status just comes down to perceptions. Hyundais offer excellent value and one of Canada's best
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| I was blown away with Hyundai's new Tucson, it is a segment leader in many respects. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
warranties, so they must be overcompensating for something right? Wrong. This point became clearly evident yet again when I test drove the new Tucson compact sport utility at its press introduction in Portland, Oregon recently. Expecting a good little SUV, nothing extraordinary but rather a vehicle that would rely on its low price point to garner interest and inevitably sales, I was blown away with what Hyundai showed up with. This isn't just a good little SUV, no not at all. The Tucson is a segment leader in many respects. Let me explain.
