[designersf]

They are the next big thing in the Auto Industry. I see them competing for the top three spot on the global level very soon. Hyundai's fortunes will negatively affect Toyota and Honda. I see VW as the only real challenger to Hyundai.

Some segments where Hyundai is lagging; Constructive criticism only. I want them to concentrate on these areas so that are truly an all-round company.

The SUV segment. While Toyota has heavy weights like the LC200 and Prado, Hyundai doesn't have an answer to them

Reliability - Toyotas (and Hondas) are massively reliable but Hyundai are yet to reach the level of the two

Sportscars & Halo models - They only have the Genesis luxury sedan and coupe; Veloster is coming. Apart from that, they don't have any.

Technology showcase - Related to the above but Hyundai packs advanced tech in their engines but I dont see them having unique technologies. I do agree that they are the ones taking advanced tech to the masses.

Pricing - While Hyundais offered the most value, I feel that this is slowly changing as the brand gains value. This is definitely not good news. (still they offer more than the competition for the price)

Positives - Styling (of late), engine tech (specially the GDi and modern diesels), features, learn-and-improve attitude, value (though now its changing), positive thinking

Anything that i have missed out?

[Gooney]

I think you covered most aspects of the brand. Nice insight.

Originally Posted by designersf

The SUV segment. While Toyota has heavy weights like the LC200 and Prado, Hyundai doesn't have an answer to them

Reliability - Toyotas (and Hondas) are massively reliable but Hyundai are yet to reach the level of the two

Anything that i have missed out?

To add on, I think, as a brand Hyundai is not too keen to have the 'makers of SUV' identity, nor is it necessary. Remember, North America is the biggest market for SUVs; and there, Hyundai wants to / has positioned itself as a maker of thrifty small cars (C-segment). In Europe and Asia, it is about the hatchback segment and Hyundai is doing exceptionally well in that segment.

Given the current spate of recalls by Toyota and Honda, the reliabilty of Hyundai, in comparison, has gone up a couple of notches. After the oil crisis of the '70s people (read Americans) looked at the Jap carmakers with new found respect and made them who they are now. Its time for Hyundai now.

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Toyota, when questioned if they feared losing their No.1 position to GM, they said they fear the Koreans the most!

Actually, this was one of the best compliments received by Hyundai.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Also, Hyundai forced Maruti to bring in better products to the Indian market because of fear of loosing customers to Hyundai. Examples: WagonR vs Santro, Baleno vs Accent, Swift vs Getz. If it wasn't for the competition faced from Hyundai, Maruti would still be selling only 25 year old models in India.

This is actually one of the best things that happened tot he Indian auto industry. Till the entry of Hyundai, Maruti had the philosophy of dumping old models to Indians. But later, even Hyundai followed the market leader

Originally Posted by designersf

Pricing - While Hyundais offered the most value, I feel that this is slowly changing as the brand gains value. This is definitely not good news. (still they offer more than the competition for the price)

Positives - value (though now its changing)

I do not agree that the VFM factor is going down. That is again a perception. The question, many ask is "Why should I pay that much for a Hyundai?" and I don't think that is the definition of VFM. A quality product demands higher price. It does not matter which brand provides it.
I own a 5 year old Santro and a month & half old Figo. I always wish that I had better interiors in my Figo, like in the Santro. (Before anybody brings up the point, I know that Figo is a price/feature compromise).
And the moment I sat inside my friend's i20, I knew why it costs that much.

Hyundai has understood the customer and that's their biggest success. Their cars may not be ultimate driver's cars, they may not have the snob value but when it comes to overall package, there are few brands that can beat them.

[ampere]

One part where they missed out is the X-over SUV segment.

Quoting Shankar from the Dacia thread (which I also agree):

Hyundai could have defined the X-Over segment with Tuscon, by localizing its parts and getting the price to 10-12L.
Thats the only one item, where they did not focus much.
Tuson was an awesome, which could have been taken to the next level.

[phoenix_rising]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

I were to pick up one brand that is responsible for revolutionizing the Indian car scene, I would say its Hyundai.

Maruti might be the first company that really put India on 4 wheels, not counting HM and Fiat. But Maruti acheived all that success with virtually no competition.

When Hyundai came into India, it had the tough challenge of competing against a strong player like Maruti, which by that time had already established an amazing reputation of reliability and dependability and also built a strong nationwide service network.

But Hyundai took Maruti head on by bringing competitive and technically advanced products at affordable prices. Hyundai also developed their service network faster than any other brand and today their service network is behind only Maruti and Tata (in terms of coverage only, not the service experience).

I would say that what Maruti achieved in 25 years, Hyundai did the same in half the time in spite of entering late and facing tough competition from established players.

Also, Hyundai forced Maruti to bring in better products to the Indian market because of fear of loosing customers to Hyundai. Examples: WagonR vs Santro, Baleno vs Accent, Swift vs Getz. If it wasn't for the competition faced from Hyundai, Maruti would still be selling only 25 year old models in India.

Some of us take great pride in calling Korean products as crap. It is ok if customers from the western world say so because they have superior technology, but IMHO Korean products are much more reliable and technically advanced than any of the indigenously developed products in India.

There was a time when people wouldn't go anywhere near a Samsung phone. All it took was one product to change the brand image. Today Samsung Galaxy S enjoys the same snob value as an iphone.

The day is not far when Hyundai cars will enjoy the same snob value as a Skoda, VW, Toyota or Honda.

Rohan

Unlike Maruti which is totally dependent on Alto, Wagon R, & Swift, Hyundai has worked hard to make its new models successful (Read i10, i20 & New Verna). They have redefined the segment when they launched i10 with features unseen in segment. same with i20 & new Verna. Because of them we are getting fetures in lower segment cars we have only dreamt of.

The new Fluidic design language along with new communication slogan 'New Thinking New Possibilities' they are continuously advancing. And more they have some really interesting projects in line in near future. The small car seems so promising & specifically meant for middle class buyers. Add to that the new Avante & Sonata looks smashingly hot in terms of design.

[arvi86]

Nice to see a thread on the amazing growth of Hyundai as an automotive brand. Whenever I supported Hyundai, others called me a Hyundai fanboy. But I was amazed with what the Santro offered when it came to India and just as I thought, it has completely redefined the Indian automotive market ever since. Yes, globally they (Hyundai & Kia) are super successful and red hot right now with success after success with every new model launched. But lets just see what they have done for the Indian market.

1. Hyundai launched the Accent and Sonata in India immediately after their international launches which was unheard of in India. All the Indians used to get at that time were outdated or out-of-production models from the other global players. But this act from Hyundai forced other players to do the same.

2. With the debacle of Getz and Elantra, the naysayers predicted the fall of Hyundai in India. They came back with a bang and how? The stupendous success of i10, i20, the i10 Facelift and now the new Verna has clearly established Hyundai as a market leader in India. Companies like Fiat can take a cue from Hyundai and do what the market needs rather than letting some brilliant products die a slow death.

3. While all other manufacturers concentrated on perfecting the driving dynamics, style and powertrains of their models, Hyundai concentrated on providing the best quality interiors in their models. And that worked wonders for the brand among the car-buying public. Still, a 10 year old Santro's interiors look, feel and age well compared to 5 year old competitors.

4. I would say 'it was and still is only because of Hyundai' that Indians are slowly realizing the potential of the automatic transmission. Though the ATs are tailor-made for the crowded Indian cities, none of the manufacturers bothered to provide that as an option in affordable cars. Until Hyundai came that is. With the Santro, then the i10 and now the i20 and Verna, Hyundai provides AT option for most of its models thus giving customers different choices.

These are just some of the many things that Hyundai mastered in India on its way to become the country's second largest car manufacturer.

[xingamazon]

I am not taking away anything from Hyundai they make good cars alright. With everyone praising I dont want to be termed trawler even I love Hyundai cars.

But I would like to bring few points out here.

a. Dont agree when someone says Maruthi was established when Hyundai came etc. Maruti was just a companay selling some thousands. Hyundai surely still has a great benefit or handicap over lots of other manufacturers who came later.
So its not like they were late entrant and caught up etc. They were quite early according to me.
b. Hyundai does make good cars for sure, but thier success was not just good cars. They did a lot of mudslinging they did with Maruti and Daewoo before what they achived its not like thier hands were clean.
c. Thier success in US more than thier product, it was the timing. US govt had announced the Cash for Clunkers when US auto manufacturere were caught unawares. But Hyundai had cars returning good mileage.
Also Hyundai announced policy of taking back cars if someone looses thier job, which ensured thier sales zoomed. It shows its marketing and timing than products that ensured thier success
d. Among its product catelog, I somehow have the feeling they are the ones who circulate the old one yet. If one compares i10 with Santro except for interiors nothing much of the shape has changed.
e. Unlike mentioned by someone earlier, they were helped by Ford initially to establish shop not GM.

[Samurai]

I remember Hyundai from the early 90s when Hyundai Excel was the butt of every automotive joke in US. Even budget conscious desis like us used to prefer a decade old Honda or Toyota over the later model Excel.

They have really turned over a leaf since then.

Originally Posted by shortbread

[*]The Hyundai Equus is more expensive than any car in the Honda stable including their Acura badge

More than the 2011 NSX? I doubt that although the 2011 NSX price is not revealed.

[kiku007]

Hyundai's growth over the past decade has been phenomenal and well deserved.

Their 10 year warranty on the USA Genesis is just awesome!

Do they have any plans for an muv in India? The innova needs a worthy competitor.

And if at all one day they get the driving dynamics and build quality of their cars right (nearer to the Europeans), imagine the competition's plight

[mxx]

Not just numbers, but hyundai is also bringing newer technologies like Direct injection petrol engines in lower end models- like new verna in some markets. Japs used to be ahead in technology when hyundai was still licensing technology from other firms. But now hyundai has raced ahead in technology.

[auto-one]

I feel the succcess of Hyundai can be attributed to the following :-
1.) Constant developments / updates / improvements in its product offerings and at a very fast pace.
2.) Latest features ( segment first in many cases ) offered to the mass market at a reasonable price
3.) Perfect understanding of the local market in which the company operates.
4.) A great management and marketing team. The company till date has never found to be arrogant nor complacent. Their customer-centric approach is worth appreciating. Sure, the company has had some product failures, but they have the capacity and the attitude to learn from their mistakes.

Having said that, I also wish to point out that Hyundai may not be currently looked upon as a company having many cutting-edge technologies to boast of. However, the company has so far been successful by applying the available technologies in the most sensible manner.

[Gooney]

Was a bit curious and have put my thoughts in bold.

Originally Posted by xingamazon

But I would like to bring few points out here.

a. Dont agree when someone says Maruthi was established when Hyundai came etc. Maruti was just a companay selling some thousands.

Hmmm. Hyundai entered the Indian market in 1997-98, 13-14 years later than Maruti-Suzuki. I safely refute your argument, 'Dont agree when someone says Maruthi was established when Hyundai came.' Forget 1984, 1997 is 5 years after India's liberalization, so Maruti, did get a 5 years head-start.

And, during that time India's passenger vehicle market volume was indeed in thousands.

Hyundai surely still has a great benefit or handicap over lots of other manufacturers who came later.
So its not like they were late entrant and caught up etc. They were quite early according to me.

Remember the Ford Escorts, Opel Astras around that time? They were there too. They flopped because of outdated product offerings, whereas Hyundai did its homework proper and got it right the first time.

b. Hyundai does make good cars for sure, but thier success was not just good cars. They did a lot of mudslinging they did with Maruti and Daewoo before what they achived its not like thier hands were clean.

This seems silly and juvenile to me. Maybe, its just me.

c. Thier success in US more than thier product, it was the timing. US govt had announced the Cash for Clunkers when US auto manufacturere were caught unawares. But Hyundai had cars returning good mileage.
Also Hyundai announced policy of taking back cars if someone looses thier job, which ensured thier sales zoomed. It shows its marketing and timing than products that ensured thier success

This was just two years back! Hyundai has been in the US since the '80s. Every time crude oil went north, Americans went to Hyundai dealerships (not to be taken very literally. Am letting my writing juices flow). Hyundai has been gradually proving its worth as thrifty economic cars for the past 3 decades. It IS their product offering that has won consumer hearts in North America.

d. Among its product catelog, I somehow have the feeling they are the ones who circulate the old one yet. If one compares i10 with Santro except for interiors nothing much of the shape has changed.

Every car platform goes through a lifecycle. Fine, Hyundai stretched it a tad too much, so? The 800 was there for more than 25 years and the Alto is another legacy in the making.

e. Unlike mentioned by someone earlier, they were helped by Ford initially to establish shop not GM.

This, my friend, am totally clueless about.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by xingamazon

a. Dont agree when someone says Maruthi was established when Hyundai came etc. Maruti was just a companay selling some thousands. Hyundai surely still has a great benefit or handicap over lots of other manufacturers who came later. So its not like they were late entrant and caught up etc. They were quite early according to me.

b. Hyundai does make good cars for sure, but thier success was not just good cars. They did a lot of mudslinging they did with Maruti and Daewoo before what they achived its not like thier hands were clean.

d. Among its product catelog, I somehow have the feeling they are the ones who circulate the old one yet. If one compares i10 with Santro except for interiors nothing much of the shape has changed.

Maruti started selling cars in 1983, whereas Hyundai entered the Indian market in 1996. 1996-1983 = 13 years. As of today (2011), Maruti has been selling cars in India for 28 years and Hyundai for 15 years. This means that Maruti had a head start of 13 years.

I am willing to bet that if Maruti were to start from scratch as of today, with Hyundai already extablished in the Indian market for 15 years, they would not be able to repeat the success story of Hyundai.

Mudslinging is a part of business. And what Hyundai did cannot be called mudslinging. Comparing features of their product with the competitors' product cannot be called mudslinging. Most Indian customers (still) are ignorant about buying cars and have a herd mentality. In order to be noticed by the Indian customers, Hyundai had to be aggressive in marketing and advertising.

i10 is not a refurbished Santro, it is an all new car. i10 and Santro are just 2 cars which share a common engine. And its not even the same engine, i10 has a modified version of the Santro engine. Also, i10 comes with another engine option.

Most people would not have any problem with Maruti offering the same engine in different cars (1L engine in Alto, A-Star, WagonR and Estilo, 1.2L engine in Swift and Ritz, DDIS engine in Swift, Ritz and even SX4), but if Hyundai shares engines in cars, it is looked down upon.

Rohan

[Daewood]

Good to hear that Hyundai, a manufacturer that gave a lot of importance to an under developed market like India is today reaping the benfits.
Though i've never owned a Hyundai personally, have clocked more kms in a Hyundai than in my own cars.

Originally Posted by Gooney

Given the current spate of recalls by Toyota and Honda, the reliabilty of Hyundai, in comparison, has gone up a couple of notches.

Actually it's the other way. It takes a lot of guts to recall and recalls are what improve the image of a company among it's customer base.
IMO opinion Hyundai would have benefited more if it had recalled the i20s with steering rattle, rather than behave as if it never exists.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Maruti started selling cars in 1983, whereas Hyundai entered the Indian market in 1996. 1996-1983 = 13 years. As of today (2011), Maruti has been selling cars in India for 28 years and Hyundai for 15 years. This means that Maruti had a head start of 13 years.

If entering the market early is the only criteria for success, HM or FIAT should have been the market leaders in India. Suzuki entered when the car market was yet to develop. Even the 2 wheeler market wasn't developed back in the early 80s. Indians started buying cars in big numbers only in the late 90s. And more over Hyundai had the advantage of learning the market from Suzuki's earlier entry. That's much easier than entering an unknown market as a first player.
IMO if a new carmaker who has never sold anything in India enters today and does some agressive work, it can leave behind all the currently established players and become numero Uno in India, as the market is just opening up actually. And one company headquartered in Wolfsburg knows that for sure.

[KPS]

In 1998 when I was working for a car finance company I was asked to go on a road show to Mysore and Coorg with a Santro. I remember seeing the car for the first time and was shocked by the ugly looks. I boldly made a statement that I will never buy such an ugly car

In 1999 I had to eat my humble pie as I purchased a Santro DX. I was sold on the features namely power steering, fog lights, rear wiper, defogger etc. It was an ownership experience that stayed. Since 1999 the Hyundai cars I have owned are 1999 - Santro DX(now sold), 2003-Santro Auto(now sold), 2003- Accent CRDI (now-sold), 2009-i10 Auto (used by parents) & i20-CRDI (used by me). I am now going to sell the i20 CRDI as I have booked the ANHV SX.

I have been sticking to the Hyundai Brand because I believe they bring their latest global cars here and they do not treat India as a second rated market. Their cars have excellent features and upped the customer experience.The service experience has been excellent.

Cheers to Hyundai

KPS