South Korean Automakers Post Record Sales

[Deadpool]

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., both registered record worldwide and U.S. sales last year, bucking the industry's downward trend, Bloomberg News reported.

Hyundai, South Korea's largest automaker, sold 1.6 million units, a 4 percent increase from the previous year, while Kia sold 990,804 units in 2001, up 7.5 percent.
Hyundai and Kia also made big inroads into the U.S. market in 2001, the story said. They accounted for a combined share of 3.4 percent of the U.S. market after the first 11 months, placing them in seventh position after Nissan.

The South Korean automakers also outperformed rivals in Japan, where 11 domestic automakers cut output in November for the third consecutive month and reduced exports.
Korea's economy, Asia's third largest, is growing at a time when those of Japan, Taiwan and Singapore are shrinking, and Hyundai and Kia are taking advantage of the situation.

[NISSANSPDR]

Not to rag...but none of those Korean brand can hang w/any Japanese, European or German brands. They need to catch up...but I dont think they can do it w/o some help...their R&D is pitiful...the only thing they have going is their price and warranties.

Yours truly,
Gabriel
www.greddy240sx.nissanpower.com (http://www.greddy240sx.nissanpower.com) FOR SALE!!!

[thearabian]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial[/img]quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by NISSANSPDR:
Not to rag...but none of those Korean brand can hang w/any Japanese, European or German brands. They need to catch up...but I dont think they can do it w/o some help...their R&D is pitiful...the only thing they have going is their price and warranties.

Yours truly,
Gabriel
www.greddy240sx.nissanpower.com (http://www.greddy240sx.nissanpower.com) FOR SALE!!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i believe that's what was said about the japanese automakers 30 years ago

[Hudson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial[/img]quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by NISSANSPDR:
Not to rag...but none of those Korean brand can hang w/any Japanese, European or German brands. They need to catch up...but I dont think they can do it w/o some help...their R&D is pitiful...the only thing they have going is their price and warranties.

Yours truly,
Gabriel
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Gabriel:

You must not have touched a Hyundai or Kia in the past few years. While they are still SLIGHTLY behind the Japanese, they are in many cases even or ahead of much of their compeition.

I've been saying this for about two years and over that time more and more people have come to see my point. It all started with the Sonata and progressed through the new Elantra, Santa Fe, Spectra, Sedona, and Optima. These are very competitive cars.

Being associated with the automotive industry, I've driven almost every brand of car available. Hyundais (the Accent excepted) and Kias (Sephia excepted) are excellent alternatives in their respective classes. I've talked close relatives into buying two Sonatas and an Optima in recent months, and I don't sell cars.

If Kia would offer a 5-speed with their V6 in the Optima, I might have one in my garage today. This is a very competive car, as is the related Sonata and the Elantra GT.

Hyundai doesn't need any outside assistance at this point and, within a VERY short time, Hyundai and Kia products will be mentioned as direct rivals with the best from Honda and Toyota...and only the unenlightened will laugh. Only the unenlightened laugh now.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The topic line is forgetting that Daewoo lost sales in 2001. So, only 2 out of 3 SK makers posted records.
images/icons/tongue.gif

[GroovinGTR]

I think Hyundai deserves some props for at least providing some great competition in the economy car class. Their cars undercut their competitors by thousands and their 100,000 mile warranty is providing insurance to combat their build-quality problems. I actually like the design for the '03 Tiberon and the Elantra GT.

[NISSANSPDR]

I will admit that the new Tiburon is a big step forward for them and shows that their R&D is getting better...w/some cues that come from Ferrari. 6 spd manual w/V6...not bad...but that's only one out of the three. Still needs some work still...


Yours truly,
Gabriel

[GroovinGTR]

Oh true dat

Kia = not too crappy, still needs some models
Daewoo = still pure $hit

Hyundai is like Rolls-Royce in the Korean market. I never liked them before, but now I think they are a logical alternative to certain Japanese/American economobiles.