[harishnair]

Originally Posted by moose56

no civic lancer and corolla are a different segment all together just like in india. they range between 50000-60000 riyals. accord camry sonata are in the 70-90k segment. except for a slight premium there isnt much difference between the rates of accord and sonata

I didn't say about segments, I was talking about the price range. Atleast in UAE, you can buy a full option Sonata for much cheaper than an Accord or Camry. Also the base option Civic (1.8L) starts at AED 68K and goes all the way up to 85K, the Lancer (2.0L) is 2K cheaper I guess. Sonata (2.4L) starts at AED 69K and goes till 93K for the full option variant while a base option Accord starts at around 85K. Nissan Altima is another car which is in the same category as the Sonata, ie, large engine and price comparable to Civic/Lancer.

[incinerator]

Why is it that car rates are only going one way, that is UP? Most other items seem to see a huge drop in prices, eg cell phones. I can never stomach the fact that car prices are double that in some other countries. An increase in demand and the presence of more manufacturers should be bringing prices crashing, something wrong somewhere.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by incinerator

Why is it that car rates are only going one way, that is UP? Most other items seem to see a huge drop in prices, eg cell phones. I can never stomach the fact that car prices are double that in some other countries. An increase in demand and the presence of more manufacturers should be bringing prices crashing, something wrong somewhere.

Cell phones are electronics and hence the cost of manufacturing decreases with increase in quantity of production. But since cars have metal, rubber and many such raw materials, increase in raw material costs forces the manufacturers to pass it on to customers after they absorb some of the rise in input materials.
And Prices would increase only when there is sufficient demand, so that I think is normal
I don't like Hyundai's recent pricing strategy, starting with the i10! They seem to have learnt a wrong lesson from Honda

[designersf]

Originally Posted by harishnair

The main reason for that is the price. Sonata costs the same as Civic/Lancer/Corolla in the middle-eastern markets, but its much bigger than these cars and offers a lot more features. Honda Accord base model costs as much as the full option Sonata.

I dont think this would happen as Hyundai will line up the Elantra (I hope) in between the Verna and Sonata

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

I don't like Hyundai's recent pricing strategy, starting with the i10! They seem to have learnt a wrong lesson from Honda

Thats a nice comment aravind. It made for great reading, esp the quote that they have learnt the wrong lesson from Honda.

Will Hyundai then go the Honda way? I would say 'NO'. Because unlike Honda who charges a premium but skips on features in their cars, Hyundai demands a premium but loads the car to the brim thus more than offsetting the price difference. And thats what ultimately counts in the end for customers.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by arvi86

Thats a nice comment aravind. It made for great reading, esp the quote that they have learnt the wrong lesson from Honda.

Will Hyundai then go the Honda way? I would say 'NO'. Because unlike Honda who charges a premium but skips on features in their cars, Hyundai demands a premium but loads the car to the brim thus more than offsetting the price difference. And thats what ultimately counts in the end for customers.

Very much true bro, all the cars come loaded with features that their respective segments don't offer at the moment. So they still retain the VFM tag But slowly, but steadily are raising the base variant's pricing too! Which was my cause for concern. Honda to raised their prices in the slow and steady manner

[harishnair]

Originally Posted by designersf

I dont think this would happen as Hyundai will line up the Elantra (I hope) in between the Verna and Sonata

I was commenting about the scenario in the middleeast, the new Elantra hasn't been launched yet over here. When launched it is expected to be priced in the AED 60-75K range. In India, Sonata is sure to cost 16 Lakh + as Hyundai will most likely be launching the diesel version.

[RavenAvi]

Hyundai has launched the facelift (read - cosmetically different) i45/Sonata in the Korean market.










The facelift has revamped front grille with reduced chrome on the top and around the sides, plus new LED taillights, reshaped side mirror casings and a new set of alloy wheel designs that include a 18-inch multispoke rims.












Hyundai is also increasing the standard equipment across the range along with the introduction of new trims.





The engine has been downsized from the 2.4-liters to 2.0-liters generating 271 horsepower. The larger motor earlier could only manage 165hp.
















The official brochure (all images are clickable and open in a separate window) -























Hyundai is poised to launch the facelifted i45/Sonata sometime in the first quarter of 2012.

[Sn1p3r]

Me likey likey.
This will heat the market and I am sure Honda will have to bite another bullet for Accord. VW/Skoda too will have something to think about. Good for the market, the market is indeed maturing.

Cheers!

[arup.misra]

Good looking piece of wheels. But just wonder what all goodies would Hyundai omit for the Indian launch. Looks the new Civic is already facing the heat.

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Good looking piece of wheels. But just wonder what all goodies would Hyundai omit for the Indian launch. Looks the new Civic is already facing the heat.

Brother, Civic is under threat from humble opponents this offering will be more towards D+ segment.

[ryan_wheelz]

Wow ! No doubt the car looks Superb !!
The side and Back profile reminds me of the accord , while the front minus the chrome is more like the Suzuki Kizashi.

Wonder if this has the Air purification system introduced by Philips.

But even if i had the money i would not buy it (my personal choice)

[mdsaab]

The rear reminds me of a BMW.
But somehow i did not like the car much anymore.
Don't know why. May be my mood today.
No wait, just scrolled up again, i don't like the front.
and the side profile view, towards the rear looks like the Cruze and reminds me of the odd shaped tail lights of the Cruze which i don't like much either. I feel the rear spoils the otherwise rather good looking Cruze.
Scrolled up again..
Do see some Accord in there too now.
Also the dash does not appeal to me either.
Gosh, don't know why. I really liked it before.

Note :- Maybe due to current mood. anyhow this is my personal opinion. Yes you have a right to differ. LOL!

[vb-saan]

I have felt that Hyundai is overdoing a bit here. The car does look stunning to look at, but when you look closer, it feels a bit of overkill. Yesterday I saw a black i45 and an Elantra at a traffic signal here. The lines of Elantra looked more pleasing, and it had a bit of understated elegance in comparison with the i45. Just my personal opinion

[aravind.anand]

I see posts echoing my feelings! Its just the pics on top of the page that make me feel that the Fluidic Design language would age very fast! Just look how the side crease looks so much like the new Verna. Which is good for the Verna, but not for the i45! Add to the list, the upcoming Elantra with more twists and turns everywhere! Hyundai stable might just age faster. Find some new innovative design language soon Hyundai, it'll be really common on our streets soon.