Hyundai may introduce a third premium nameplate to the market “within a couple of years” under a Genesis sub-brand or something to further distinguish its upscale cars, the brand’s U.S. boss said.
[ads id=”0″ style=”float:left;padding:5px;”]Speaking to Automotive News, Zuchowski declined to answer whether this would be the rumored “RK” 3-series fighter. The proposed move would replace Hyundai’s round “H” badge with a new badge on rear-wheel-drive premium vehicles, including the Equus, Genesis sedan and Genesis Coupe. The upscale vehicles would be branded as Genesis with an alphanumeric naming system. They would be sold in Hyundai dealerships, not through a separate dealership network.
“There’s a conversation going on within the company that says, ‘Does having the Hyundai badge on the premium vehicles sell more vehicles, or does it restrict us from selling more vehicles?’” said Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “No decision has been made about the rebranding”, he said.
While Hyundai is considering launching a luxury brand, a separate sales channel along the lines of Lexus, Infiniti and Acura is out of the question, Zuchowski said. Many Genesis buyers are replacing the Hyundai badge with a winged Genesis badge as a dealer-installed option, Zuchowski said.
No firm timetable has been set to make the decision on whether to create a Genesis subbrand. But Zuchowski said it could coincide with redesigned version of the Genesis (Spring 2014) and next-gen Equus, expected 2015-2016.
