New York Auto Show: Hyundai Nuvis Concept Debut
The Hyundai Nuvis concept car unveiled at the New York auto show is another step in the ongoing campaign at Hyundai to take its brand image upscale and leave behind its reputation for cheap and cheaply built small cars.
The Nuvis concept, which debuted April 9, embraces a couple of the latest trends. It’s a crossover model, in this case tending more towards an SUV in appearance, but based on a car-like platform. Its overall size and shape are reminiscent of the Nissan Murano, for instance.
It’s also a hybrid, which can run off battery power, a conventional gasoline engine, or both. Hyundai calls its hybrid power system Hybrid Blue Drive. Estimated gas mileage is 34 mpg city/35 mpg highway. Future Hyundai hybrid models will have a similar parallel setup, the company said.
Assuming the Nuvis concept goes into production, it will probably be offered both as a hybrid and as a conventional car. Don’t expect the concept car’s extra-large, gull-wing doors to survive. They’re attractive but impractical and expensive to build. Designers seem to love them, nevertheless.
Some “irrational exuberance” is in order, because Hyundai and its sister division within South Korea’s Hyundai Group, Kia, are on a roll in the U.S. market. Hyundai sales in the first quarter were up 0.5 percent from the year-ago quarter, to 95,854, according to AutoData Corp. That may not sound like much of an improvement, but the entire U.S. market was down 38.4 percent in the same period, so flat sales represent greater market share. Kia sales were up 1 percent in the same period, to 68,893.
The Hyundai Genesis sedan, which was launched in the United States in June 2008, was a milestone in Hyundai’s campaign to go upscale. The Genesis has an optional V-8 engine, the first time the brand has offered a V-8. The Genesis and the later Genesis Coupe are aimed at German and Japanese luxury cars.
The U.S. recession, which has car shoppers looking for value, is probably helping Hyundai, along with a growing reputation for good quality, which is borne out by good results on customer surveys by J.D. Power and Associates.
Hyundai also raised its profile with advertising on the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. Hyundai in January was also the first brand to offer protection for buyers who lose their jobs, a move that has since been imitated by Ford and GM.
Photo: Hyundai
Jim Henry has been writing about the auto industry from a business perspective for more than 20 years. He is also a member and past president of the New York-based International Motor Press Association.
BNET User Analysis