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The Long & Short Of It

The long of it being the new 2009 Hyundai Genesis, the Korean automaker’s dipping of the toe into the premium luxury sedan market. That would make the short of it the Hyundai Accent, an entry-level subcompact that has a starting price of a mere $11,395. The Genesis on the other hand, starts at $33,000 for the V-6, and $38,000 for the V-8.

And this is where it will get interesting for Hyundai’s salespeople. Let’s see, how can I put this without offending anyone? Hmm…well, from my time spent in auto sales, I learned that many people coming in to buy a $12,000 car are thrilled just to hear that their financing was approved: Sign the papers and get the hell out before someone changes their mind. Buyers of luxury automobiles, no matter what the nameplate, expect a certain amount of “attention” for their 40 grand.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not lumping everyone into any category. I sold new cars at both ends of the price range, and I know that there are those who come in for the entry-level car with a pocket full of cash, and there are a bunch of deadbeats who’ll squeeze their paycheck until it bleeds to be able to drive a $40,000 car.

I also learned while selling Cadillacs that the sales force goes through a lot of training to learn how to cater to the luxury car buyer. Hyundai salespeople will have to perfect a juggling act to serve both markets. Can’t spend hours with the Accent shoppers (who may or may not even buy—that’s the heartbreak of the auto sales business), and at the same time you can’t give the “broom” to any potential Genesis buyer lest you offend. You can’t tell a buyer by what they’re wearing, how they speak (or smell for that matter), or what they drove up in. I remember a guy who came into the Cadillac dealer driving a 12-year-old rusted, dented, Oldsmobile station wagon. He was wearing dirty coveralls, hadn’t shaved in days, and the wagon looked like one of those shopping carts you see homeless people pushing around. Turned out he owned a bunch of properties and this was the car he drove around to them in. He was buying a new Escalade.

I imagine Genesis buyers who have shopped Lexus will be in for a bit of a shock when they first enter a Hyundai dealership and see the Acccents, Elantras, and Tiburons on the floor. This may be Hyundai’s biggest obstacle to overcome. When Toyota came out with the Lexus brand in 1989 they created an entire dealer network to sell and service the car. No Lexus shopper had to rub elbows with the “little people” kicking the tires of the lowly Toyota Corolla. Lexus salespeople could focus on the attention that the Lexus shopper would expect.

That all being said, when Genesis shoppers do arrive at the Hyundai dealership, they’ll be pleasantly surprised by the car itself. It’s a rear-wheel-drive, full-sized premium luxury sedan—and I (and the automotive media at large) haven’t been throwing around the Lexus name by coincidence. Hyundai has their sights set on the Lexus shopper/owner. Size, powertrain, styling—they all point to the Lexus. The biggest difference is the line at the bottom of the window sticker: Expect to pay around $8,000 or so less for the Genesis. And still get a lot of car. The V-8 model has a 4.6-liter engine, which can use either regular or premium fuel; regular will net you 368 horsepower, while using premium will boost that figure to 375 (and with gas prices being what they are, it’s nice to have that option).

Stay tuned as I’ll have a driving report coming up in the next few weeks.

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