joe80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22O5Q...layer_embedded





Nice video about Equus.

I'm a creative director and I work with many brands, and IMO, it's all about the brand. Hyundai is not a luxury brand therefore Equus is not a luxury car. it's a luxurious car, but not a luxury car IMO. even though it looks very substantial and it really has a great presence, it still lacks the 'wannability'. I'm a big cycling snob, and just thinkin about owning Colnago gives me goosebumps. i would not feel the same way about Mongoose or any other mainstream cycling brand.

but on a bright side, it no longer takes years to build a brand thanks to the crazy world we live in. HTC Evo 4G, a latest Iphone Killer, is making one of the biggest noise in the gadget market. did any of you heard of HTC 3-4 years ago? do you know it's a Taiwanese brand? HTC, much like Hyundai, was a no name brand with no name value. 4-5 years later, it's became one of the industry leader. HTC's rise to stardom is a good indication that it no longer takes 20-25 years to build a legit brand.

I think Hyundai has what it takes to build a luxury brand someday and do very well just like Toyota did 20 years ago. I'm glad they are not launching the luxury brand yet because I believe they aren't ready. I would give them 5-6 more years. They will be ready and we will have another asian luxury brand that will stand toe to toe to European brands.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Luxury is both.

Not only do you get a good product, but you have an image to go along with it.

(Most) Rich people want the extra perks of a luxury brand. The attention to detail, the service, the originality, the excess.

You can get a good burger at a local family joint. But when someone drops $50 or $500 for one of those burgers at fancy-schmancy places, they're doing it because they want the experience.

The Equus, as great of a car that it is, does not offer a the prestige of a luxury brand. It will fail in that respect. It may be more reliable and cheaper than most luxury cars and exotics. It will not exceed them in any way as far as performance or originality.

It will not sway upper-crust society. It will sway middle-class America, and that isn't so luxurious as you would think...

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Not to say the Equus isn't a good car, but I do feel that "prestige" does play a significant roll when people consider a "luxury" brand

joe80

I have sat on it, and touched every part of the car and it really is a luxurious car. yes, the dash design is little too bland, but the quality is remarkably good. felt significantly bigger than LS460 IMO. Hyundai really needs to launch the new brand around 2015. by then they should command more respect and are ready to spend billions on a new luxury brand.

My prediction - Hyundai's new luxury brand will leap frog both Infiniti and Acura and become a solid #2 Asian luxury brand. well, if they do launch the brand, of course.

IS-SV

I agree, those that regularly buy luxury cars know it.

dunnojack

that sums it up.



for the average joe, luxury = badge whoring.

How do i know? cuz people buy ugly cheap crap like the benz GLK with no regard to beauty and amenities

shyguy16

who are you, 1sicklex?

shyguy16

host: would you be attracted to a guy driving this car
girl: yes
host: would you be attracted to a guy driving a hyundia
girl: probably not



sad but i think that sums up 95% of america.

dunnojack

my other favorite part of the video was when he asked the balding guy what he drives.

guy: I drive a lexus es350 (with smug look on face)
host: what did you drive before that?
guy: I don't remember (what i drove 3 years ago).

He's quick to name drop Lexus. But is ashamed to say what he drove 3 years ago.

again, badge whoring. But lexus badge whoring still doesn't have the whoring prestige as benz and bmw do.

LexFather

Is it just me or the Equus looks fantastic in those pics. I'm shocked the grill is larger than the S-class.

Agreed. Not sure why anyone would make fun of people that buy based on badge, it is their money and their right. Clearly the brands they are after have become aspirational enough were people WANT it.

Its bigger than cars. Neighorhoods, watches, even working for a company people want to associate with respected and desired brands.

There are those that don't care or it isn't as important and they are the minority of luxury buyers.

LUXURY IS NOT LOGICAL. Luxury is excess. Successful people want to be associated with successful brands.

Every year we post the data and Porsche, BMW, Lexus, Benz score the highest in regards to luxury and perception and it is WELL EARNED.

Who are you Carlos Ghosen's illegitimate son?

Joe has a point, Acura/Infiniti are STRUGGLING and if Hyundai aims with precision they will be even more redundant then they already are.

Last year Infiniti in the bottom 5 in perception.
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...nd-perception/

The year before Acura dead last in perception
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...umentid=435679

They both have a lot of opportunities here. FYI I like the Infiniti lineup.

Hypnotik

The Equus looks good but I would never buy one. I am a brand whooore and not afraid to admit it. Even if they introduced a luxury brand, they seem too late in the game

I showed my mom this picture and didnt tell her who made it. She thought it looked nice and looked like a mercedes. I told her that it was a hyundai and how much it was supposed to cost. She said she would pay no more than 30-40k for it even though she would never buy a hyundai for that much
If infiniti and acura are stuggling in america, then so is audi

dunnojack

being associated with a cheap name dilutes its image.

similarly, having cheap small cars in the lineup also dilutes image.
it makes the brand more accessible.

when i was in high school, the poorer kids used to drive civics, and the less poor would drive acura Integras. The only acuras you'd see on the street were these cheap integras.
So i never associated Acura with luxury because all these cheap integras on the road diluted its supposed luxury image.


so, luxury is influenced by the car, the brand, and all the other models in the lineup, less accessibility/more exclusivity.

Oleg400

iTrader: (7)

Well said, and agreed.

(Cj)

bleh. another weird thread

shyguy16

yeah, no way you can forget what car you were driving 3 years ago.
he was probably driving a camery and thinking... shoot, the host is say, "you know your ES350 is basically the same car right?"