Having already attempted to fill undefined niches with vehicles such as the Veloster, Hyundai is now looking to satisfy customers shopping in traditional segments and in the upper echelons of the market. This, according to Automotive News, which alleges that the South Korean automaker is considering production of an entry-level luxury sedan in addition to a cute-ute.
The trade journal of record mentions no discussion of drivetrains, platforms, or time frames for production of either model. But it’s a fascinating exercise to speculate on an expanded lineup for the brand that has been churning out pleasant, eyebrow-raising surprises for the better part of a decade now.
A small crossover for the aspirational luxury set, sized to compete with the Buick Encore and its ilk, seems a natural addition to Hyundai’s lineup, given the market reception to the Georgia-built Santa Fe twins. By that same token, a fresh competitor to the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz CLA-class would be a wrench in a quickly changing race for the top of the yuppie heap—just as sister Kia releases its own testament to sybarites, the K900, which is essentially a stylized clone of the Hyundai Equus
Protoype Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan
First Drive: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Instrumented Test: 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD
For the brand encouraging “new thinking” and “new possibilities,” producing the cars that its customers are clamoring for might be just the thing.