Hyundai Genesis News

For the first time in over a year, Holden has enjoyed a positive year-on-year sales growth with its January 2017 tally hitting 7184 – a 5.3 per cent increase.

Australia's newest luxury brand is taking shape.Hyundai has appointed former Toyota and Lexus executive Peter Evans as general manager, Genesis, ahead of the official launch of the brand here next March.The company has drastically cut the number of dealers authorised to sell the Genesis brand — from 165 to just 30.Hyundai boss Scott Grant says the streamlining took into account which dealers had been most successful in selling the Genesis large car, as well as the quality of their existing showrooms and sales processes."We have chosen dealers that have the opportunity to sell the car in sufficient volume to make it work and have the capability in their people and their processes to be able to look after a luxury customer in the right way," he says.About a third of the franchisees chosen already operate a dealership for a luxury brand. Those dealers met for the first time as a group last week.Unlike Toyota and Nissan, which operate their respective luxury arms Lexus and Infiniti as standalone operations, Hyundai will sell Genesis in existing Hyundai dealerships, in the same way Mini is integrated into BMW dealerships.First to launch will be an update of the current Genesis sedan, to be renamed the G80. It will be followed in about 12 months by a smaller sedan designed to rival the BMW 3 Series. An SUV is likely to follow later as the range expands to half a dozen vehicles.Grant, a former boss of Lexus Australia, is under no illusions as to the size of Hyundai's task but says the potential for profit is strong."We think that commercially it's a direction that makes sense and we've proved that we can build a high-quality vehicle," he says.He cites establishing the new name and getting customers to consider the brand as the main challenges. He accepts some luxury buyers will never consider a Genesis."We fully recognise there are some people who won't think the Hyundai brand or the Genesis brand is appropriate for them and that's OK," he says."But we also think there's a new wave of people coming through that are open to different options and alternatives and if our product is good enough and our service delivery and customer experience is good enough, there are people who will consider it."He says Lexus and Infiniti face the same challenges. "It's essential but not enough to build great products. You've got to have the X-factor that builds over time and there's no question that Mercedes-Benz and BMW in particular — and more recently Audi — have done a really good job of building a brand halo," he says.

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It costs $443.60 a week to keep the 5.6-litre Nissan Patrol ST-L on the road for five years, including its $90,000 purchase price, loan interest, fuel, new tyres, insurance and depreciation.According to the 2015 RACV's Driving Your Dollars study, the cheapest car to own is the Suzuki Celerio. With a drive-away price of $12,990, its weekly running costs total $97.65 over five years.Record low interest rates and falling fuel prices have made owning and driving a car more affordable in the past year, says the RACV. Its survey examined 111 popular vehicles across 13 categories, taking into account all expenses associated with ownership.RELATED: Australia's cheapest cars to own and run in 2014 This year's survey found the overall average cost of owning a car was $211.25 a week or 73.2c a kilometre - slightly down on the 2014 cost.The RACV's manager of vehicle engineering, Michael Case, yesterday advised car buyers to look beyond just the purchase price when shopping for a new car."Always be aware of the hidden costs - depreciation is the biggest single cost in owning a car, even if you don't see it until it's time to sell," Mr Case said.The survey also found that servicing costs have increased."It is important to know how much it costs to have your car serviced, to fill the tank, replace tyres, pay insurance, rego, stamp duty, spare parts and RACV membership," Mr Case said."Before you hit the showroom, do your homework... Ask yourself: 'Am I buying the car I want or the car I need?'."Nissan Patrol owner Ryan Mullins, from Bentleigh East, said he was happy with the costs he had to bear."I've never had a problem with my Nissan Patrol and the RACV survey wouldn't put me off from buying a new one," Mr Mullins said.Among the electric and hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius C had the lowest operating cost at $152.60 per week.RACV calculations were based on private ownership of a vehicle for five years, driving an average of 15,000km a year.For more complete information on the winners in each class, visit the RACV’s results here.

First it was extended warranties, then capped price servicing.

Hyundai Genesis sedan launches in Australia with $60,000 starting price.The new Genesis sedan will arrive in Australian showrooms mid-November, with a starting price of $60,000 and long list of standard features.The Genesis is Hyundai's attempt to build a luxury saloon to compete with European premium brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.While this is the first Genesis sold in Australia, the new model actually the second generation, with the first having been available in left-hand drive markets since 2008.DESIGNExternally, the new Genesis brings the second-generation of Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design language and features 18-inch alloys, LED indicators, daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, static cornering lights, auto-levelling headlights, puddle lights on the rear-view mirrors and courtesy lights in the door handles.STANDARD FEATURESFor those in the cabin there is dual-zone climate control, 14-speaker sound system, leather seats, heated front seats with 12-way power controls, mood lighting and a 9.2-inch touchscreen for the satnav and stereo.The cabin itself is also trimmed out with soft-touch and wood-effect materials.These are complemented by an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, electronic parking brake, 4.2-inch information display in the driver’s binnacle, push-button start and automatic wipers.SAFETYANCAP has awarded the Genesis 5-stars, with the highest individual test scores ever received by a tested vehicle earlier this year.This came about thanks to the Genesis’ standard nine airbags and numerous driver assist and safety systems including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, ABS, stability and traction control, hill-start assist, emergency stop signalling, tyre pressure monitoring, rear-view camera and front and rear parking sensors.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONThe rear-wheel drive Genesis sedan is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine that produces 232kW and 397Nm. It's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, but gears can still be changed manually via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.Hyundai says the Genesis can do 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds, which would match a Volkswagen Golf GTI for pace.Combined fuel consumption is rated at 11.2L/100km.OPTIONSHyundai are offering two option packs for the Genesis: the $11,000 'Sensory Pack' and the $22,000 'Ultimate Pack'.The 'Sensory Pack' adds blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, around view monitor, premium leather, memory system for the front seats, CO2 sensor, LED front fog lights, power adjust steering wheel and a heads-up display for the driver.The 'Ultimate Pack' has all the features of the 'Sensory Pack' and also adds in 19-inch alloys with Dunlop sports tyres, a moon roof, powered door latches and boot lid, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, noise-reducing glass, and a 7-inch information display in the driver’s binnacle.