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Why Kia doesn't need a premium brand

Hyundai's creation of the Genesis luxury brand means it and fellow Korean brand Kia have finally hit the mainstream in the U.S. – as far as products are concerned – after nearly three decades of trying. Which is about as long as it took Toyota and Nissan to roll out Lexus and Infiniti, respectively. It's history repeating itself. Genesis is supposed to be the way Hyundai's premium models get the respect they deserve, without carrying the baggage of a name associated with frugality. Hyundai has, in fact, built up a reputation over the last decade or so for cars that compete head-on with class leaders, rather than aim to be 90 percent as good for 75 percent of the price. And because Kia shares a number of components with Hyundai, its vehicles have also steadily become not only better mainstream vehicles, but have continued to aim higher than their price points. Does Kia need to follow now in its parent's steps with a prestige brand to market its most expensive models? I'm aware of the Kia K900, the company's deepest foray into luxury territory notably occupied by Lexus. Kia, however, has consistently been pushing this $60,000 full-size luxury sedan along with $0 down, low monthly payment lease deals. Turns out there really aren't many people looking for a full-size Kia luxury sedan. Or maybe they're just waiting to get it for $20,000 in a couple of years. Consider the K900 and Genesis when I convince you Kia already makes upscale cars to rival those with premium badges. They just don't happen to be its most expensive model. Shortly after Hyundai's announcement it would spin its luxury models off into the Genesis brand, I spent a few days with a 2016 Kia Sorento SXL. And I'm willing to call it a more convincing attempt to get people out of luxury cars than the K900. Driving the Sorento is not an emotional experience. You feel parental driving it, thinking you might've forgotten to pick your kids up until you remember you don't actually have kids. But after settling into the nicely stitched and perforated leather seats, you respect its comfort, quiet and amenities. The headliner is soft, the stitching on the dash top is convincingly real and everyone is impressed by the sharp graphics on the touchscreen and the slick powered shade that reveals an expansive glass roof. A Kia Sorento costing more than $46,000 sounds absurd until you wonder how much better an Acura MDX or Lexus RX350 is when those cost as much as $10,000 more.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe joins the SEMA fray

With several tuned rides already headed to the show, Hyundai finishes off this year's slate with a mean-looking Genesis Coupe from Tjin Edition painted in a searing shade of green. The coupe's 3.8-liter V6 gets a Vortech supercharger and front-mounted intercooler to help push the claimed output to over 500 horsepower. A set of KW coilovers and Baer brakes also make sure the coupe handles and stops just as well as it accelerates. Tjin's custom shade of lime green paint will draw attention to this Genesis Coupe at Hyundai's booth. Once attendees get closer, they can check out the car's tweaked front lip, trunk lid, and rear spoiler from Unique Fabrication. Meanwhile, the interior mixes performance and comfort by combining a roll cage and Alea leather upholstery. The Tijn Edition Genesis Coupe will join Hyundai's other offerings at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas on November 3. TJIN EDITION ROUNDS OUT HYUNDAI'S SEMA LINEUP WITH EXTREME GENESIS COUPE FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 26, 2015 – Rounding out Hyundai's 2015 SEMA lineup, TJIN Edition RoadShow has revealed details on its convention-defying Genesis Coupe. For Neil Tjin's first official Hyundai vehicle built for SEMA, the builder turned to underground racing for inspiration to create this mad, 500 horsepower racer. The vehicle will be revealed at Hyundai's SEMA press conference on November 3 at 11:30 a.m. PT. At the heart of TJIN's Genesis Coupe is Hyundai's 3.8-liter "Lambda" V6 engine, which has been boosted via a Vortech supercharger kit built by the power gurus from Bisimoto Engineering. With the addition of a free-flowing exhaust system, Vortech front mount intercooler and blow-off valve, the vehicle now produces more than 500 horsepower. With the addition of Rotiform 19-in. 3-piece HUR wheels, custom Baer x CBA Extreme Plus brake calipers and Falklen FK345 tires, the vehicle's stopping power is now on par with its go-fast performance. The vehicle now sits lower on KW coilovers to give a more aggressive stance. Unique Fabrication supplied a custom front lip, rear spoiler and custom trunk lid, and the exterior was finished in a custom Kylie Tjin Axalta green paint job. "The Tjin Edition Hyundai Genesis is the perfect mix of speed and style," said Neil Tjin, president, TJIN Edition RoadShow.

Hyundai reveals refreshed Grandeur sedan in South Korea

Never heard of the Hyundai Grandeur? That's alright, because that's just the name the model uses domestically. Over here it's known as the Azera, but it's back in Korea where Hyundai has revealed a revised version of what is currently the company's largest front-drive sedan.
Compared with the previous Grandeur and even the recently redone Azera we know, the new model is marginally longer and benefits from a redesigned bumpers front and rear, a new grille, new LED fog lamps and upgraded equipment. Inside there's a reshaped center stack with upgraded HVAC controls and an eight-inch nav screen, and keeping it all on the straight and narrow are all the latest electronic aids you'd expect of a high-end model from a global automaker.
Whereas the Azera is offered here with a 3.3-liter V6 packing 293 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, back home Grandeur buyers get a choice of the 2.4-liter Theta II four-cylinder with 187 hp and 178 lb-ft or a 2.2-liter diesel with 199 hp and 325 lb-ft.