Stéphane Dumas
14/02/2005, 17h13
article trouvé à
http://www.detnews.com/2005/insiders/0502/14/01-88602.htm
A decade ago people would chuckle at the sight of Korean engineers and designers crawling around cars and trucks at auto shows with tape measures, cameras and clip boards.
These days, the results of their endeavors are no laughing matter for other automakers, especially the Japanese brands. At this year's Detroit and Chicago auto shows, evidence of just how the far Korea's Hyundai/Kia auto conglomerate has come was there for all to see.
Firstly in Detroit we saw the new Hyundai Sonata. Plainly aimed at the mid-sized sedan segment-leading Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, but actually larger inside, the 2006 Sonata is a loaded contender that will start under $20,000.
Considering today's market sensibilities, Hyundai has played the safety card hard with its new Sonata. The car has no less than six airbags and electronic stability control as standard, a combination not available elsewhere for the price.
Designwise, the Sonata is clean looking, anonymous frankly, but that - like it or not - is what consumers want in this segment. Refinement is there, says Hyundai, which claims the car is quieter and faster, with the 237 hp V-6 version, than Accord or Camry.
While Hyundai targets the heart of the market, junior partner Kia is supposed to tackle the entry/mid-level sector, with a little more sporting, youthful approach. In Detroit, Kia showed its latest effort to crack the Honda Civic segment, with the 2006 Rio sub-compact. On paper at least the Rio has the makings of a credible contender. Even more impressive in terms of specifications was the new Sedona minivan unveiled by Kia at last week's Chicago show.
The strategy for the 2006 Sedona was simple in concept; study the best minivans out there - Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Town and Country - and match or beat their packages at a much lower price.
Outmaneuvering such companies is not an easy task, but the Sedona specifications and equipment list (literally everything but the kitchen sink) suggests Kia may have the answer.
Beyond the products, Hyundai Motor Co. is investing heavily in bricks and mortar in the US market, as evidenced by the $1.1 billion Montgomery, Alabama plant, which will build the Sonata, a $117 million technical center near Ann Arbor, Michigan and a California proving ground. The company has also been busy acquiring American expertise, notably from General Motors Corp., in the form of talented designers, Joel Piaskowski and Tom Kearns, heading Hyundai and Kia US studios respectively. Piaskowski's last creation at GM was the just-revealed Buick Lucerne, while Kearns worked on various Cadillacs including the successful CTS sedan. With skilled operators like these two, we can expect future Hyundai/Kia vehicles to be a lot more original looking in the future. Hyundai also lifted John Juriga, ex-Corvette V-8 engineer, to head its US powertrain operations.
A few years ago product quality was a problem for Hyundai but the company may have licked that issue. Last year it shocked the auto industry by tying for second place in J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Survey.
Added together, Kia and Hyundai sold close to 690,000 vehicles in the US. Globally, the Hyundai group is already in seventh place among world automakers and plans to break into the top five by 2010.
The way things are going for this Korean giant, it may not be long before we see Japanese engineers reaching for their tape measures
http://www.detnews.com/2005/insiders/0502/14/01-88602.htm
A decade ago people would chuckle at the sight of Korean engineers and designers crawling around cars and trucks at auto shows with tape measures, cameras and clip boards.
These days, the results of their endeavors are no laughing matter for other automakers, especially the Japanese brands. At this year's Detroit and Chicago auto shows, evidence of just how the far Korea's Hyundai/Kia auto conglomerate has come was there for all to see.
Firstly in Detroit we saw the new Hyundai Sonata. Plainly aimed at the mid-sized sedan segment-leading Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, but actually larger inside, the 2006 Sonata is a loaded contender that will start under $20,000.
Considering today's market sensibilities, Hyundai has played the safety card hard with its new Sonata. The car has no less than six airbags and electronic stability control as standard, a combination not available elsewhere for the price.
Designwise, the Sonata is clean looking, anonymous frankly, but that - like it or not - is what consumers want in this segment. Refinement is there, says Hyundai, which claims the car is quieter and faster, with the 237 hp V-6 version, than Accord or Camry.
While Hyundai targets the heart of the market, junior partner Kia is supposed to tackle the entry/mid-level sector, with a little more sporting, youthful approach. In Detroit, Kia showed its latest effort to crack the Honda Civic segment, with the 2006 Rio sub-compact. On paper at least the Rio has the makings of a credible contender. Even more impressive in terms of specifications was the new Sedona minivan unveiled by Kia at last week's Chicago show.
The strategy for the 2006 Sedona was simple in concept; study the best minivans out there - Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Town and Country - and match or beat their packages at a much lower price.
Outmaneuvering such companies is not an easy task, but the Sedona specifications and equipment list (literally everything but the kitchen sink) suggests Kia may have the answer.
Beyond the products, Hyundai Motor Co. is investing heavily in bricks and mortar in the US market, as evidenced by the $1.1 billion Montgomery, Alabama plant, which will build the Sonata, a $117 million technical center near Ann Arbor, Michigan and a California proving ground. The company has also been busy acquiring American expertise, notably from General Motors Corp., in the form of talented designers, Joel Piaskowski and Tom Kearns, heading Hyundai and Kia US studios respectively. Piaskowski's last creation at GM was the just-revealed Buick Lucerne, while Kearns worked on various Cadillacs including the successful CTS sedan. With skilled operators like these two, we can expect future Hyundai/Kia vehicles to be a lot more original looking in the future. Hyundai also lifted John Juriga, ex-Corvette V-8 engineer, to head its US powertrain operations.
A few years ago product quality was a problem for Hyundai but the company may have licked that issue. Last year it shocked the auto industry by tying for second place in J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Survey.
Added together, Kia and Hyundai sold close to 690,000 vehicles in the US. Globally, the Hyundai group is already in seventh place among world automakers and plans to break into the top five by 2010.
The way things are going for this Korean giant, it may not be long before we see Japanese engineers reaching for their tape measures