When it comes to purchasing a new family car, several things come instantly to mind. Do I need a mid-size vehicle, a large sedan, or perhaps a minivan? Am I looking for luxury appointments, fuel efficiency, or a maybe a sporty model? Yes, there are always lots of things to consider. However, there is always one constant factor...what can I actually afford???
Now, unless your name is Rockefeller, or your bank manager makes home visits at your request, inevitably, the name Hyundai will come up somewhere in the processes. After all, the company is well known for producing affordable family vehicles, but is that enough to make you purchase the Hyundai badge?
For most, the name Hyundai instantly recalls the infamous Pony. Now there was a car! Cheap, reliable transportation, and although the vehicle was rather lacking in creature comforts, it really wasn't a bad car. Don't laugh! Ask anyone who actually owned one and they'll tell you stories of the many thousands of miles they piled on their little Pony and how it rarely let them down. Of course, whilst telling you all this, they'll have beaming smiles on their faces.
Why? Well, because to own a Pony back in its day was something similar to owning an Austin Mini or a Volkswagen Beetle in their heyday. Cheap, no-frills transportation, with above-average reliability... well mostly!
Way back when Hyundai first entered the Canadian marketplace, they sold their vehicles purely from a price point of view. Their little Pony appealed to the money-savvy public, including many students who needed nothing more than reliable transportation which could carry them, a knapsack, and a couple of cases of Canadian.
This worked well for the company and helped to firmly establish them. However, it also landed them with a label for being a "budget brand".
Of course, these youngsters are all grown up now. They have found themselves decent jobs, and many now have children of their own. For most, their days of driving "no frills transportation" are over.
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| Fresh from its 2006 makeover, the Sonata is certainly no Pony. |
Now, unless your name is Rockefeller, or your bank manager makes home visits at your request, inevitably, the name Hyundai will come up somewhere in the processes. After all, the company is well known for producing affordable family vehicles, but is that enough to make you purchase the Hyundai badge?
For most, the name Hyundai instantly recalls the infamous Pony. Now there was a car! Cheap, reliable transportation, and although the vehicle was rather lacking in creature comforts, it really wasn't a bad car. Don't laugh! Ask anyone who actually owned one and they'll tell you stories of the many thousands of miles they piled on their little Pony and how it rarely let them down. Of course, whilst telling you all this, they'll have beaming smiles on their faces.
Why? Well, because to own a Pony back in its day was something similar to owning an Austin Mini or a Volkswagen Beetle in their heyday. Cheap, no-frills transportation, with above-average reliability... well mostly!
Way back when Hyundai first entered the Canadian marketplace, they sold their vehicles purely from a price point of view. Their little Pony appealed to the money-savvy public, including many students who needed nothing more than reliable transportation which could carry them, a knapsack, and a couple of cases of Canadian.
This worked well for the company and helped to firmly establish them. However, it also landed them with a label for being a "budget brand".
Of course, these youngsters are all grown up now. They have found themselves decent jobs, and many now have children of their own. For most, their days of driving "no frills transportation" are over.
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| The Sonata is an undisputed value leader in its segment. |