By John LeBlanc
PARIS - Like a lot of automakers,
Hyundai-Kia Motors continues to keep the good stuff for its European customers. Exhibit A: The just-redesigned subcompact
Hyundai i20,
ix20 mini-MPV (below left), and
i20 Sport by German tuning
haus Brabus concept (above) that popped up here in Paris. Small cars that should be the Canadian replacement for our current
Accent, but probably won’t.
Quick update: Frist seen in Europe in 2008, Hyundai’s Design Centre in Germany designed the i20 in Europe. The car shares a platform with our
Kia Soul and the also-Euro-only
Kia Venga. Like its larger
i30 Euro compact counterpart (which we get as the
Elantra wagon, and is a whole different beast than the
Elantra sedan), the smaller i20 was designed to go against segment leaders like the
Honda Fit and
Ford Fiesta, cars that, by the way, Canadians can buy right now.
Trouble is, Canadians are addicted to cheap Hyundais. Whereas the Fit or Fiesta start at around $15 and $13k respectively, you can buy a current Accent for under $10k. Dirt cheap, right? And because the i20 is a more sophisticated package all-around, Hyundai would have to jack up the price substantially if it brought it to Canada.
But should they?
Of course, this was GM’s and Ford’s excuse for ever:
We can’t bring the good Euro stuff over because North Americans won’t pay extra for a descent small car. Perhaps Hyundai needs to look at the history of their rivals form the past and change their tactics. As Ford is experiencing, value—more than price—is what smart customers are looking for.
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By John LeBlanc
PARIS - Like a lot of automakers, Hyundai-Kia Motors continues to keep the good stuff for its European customers. Exhibit A: The just-redesigned subcompact Hyundai i20, ix20 mini-MPV (below left), and i20 Sport by German tuning haus Brabus concept (above) that popped up here in Paris. Small cars that should be the Canadian replacement for our current Accent, but probably won’t.
Quick update: Frist seen in Europe in 2008, Hyundai’s Design Centre in Germany designed the i20 in Europe. The car shares a platform with our Kia Soul and the also-Euro-only Kia Venga. Like its larger i30 Euro compact counterpart (which we get as the Elantra wagon, and is a whole different beast than the Elantra sedan), the smaller i20 was designed to go against segment leaders like the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta, cars that, by the way, Canadians can buy right now.
Trouble is, Canadians are addicted to cheap Hyundais. Whereas the Fit or Fiesta start at around $15 and $13k respectively, you can buy a current Accent for under $10k. Dirt cheap, right? And because the i20 is a more sophisticated package all-around, Hyundai would have to jack up the price substantially if it brought it to Canada.
But should they?
Of course, this was GM’s and Ford’s excuse for ever: We can’t bring the good Euro stuff over because North Americans won’t pay extra for a descent small car. Perhaps Hyundai needs to look at the history of their rivals form the past and change their tactics. As Ford is experiencing, value—more than price—is what smart customers are looking for.