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Hyundai Could Hit 700,000 Sales In The US By The End Of 2012

By William Maley

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William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

April 13, 2012

Hyundai could reach 700,000 vehicles sold by the end of the year, despite tight vehicle supplies due to Hyundai's cap on global production.

Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo has been on crusade for better quality vehicles. One of his moves to improve it was to put a cap on production. On one hand, that's a good move to have better quality. On the other hand, Hyundai is “literally selling cars off the transporters” to meet demand. In early March, Hyundai had 55,000 vehicles in dealer inventory.

"What (Chung) wants to do is assure we're all focused on quality." said Hyundai’s North American operations, John Krafcik. "When he is satisfied that we've achieved this steady state from which we can grow, then we'll have some opportunity" for adding capacity.

For now, Hyundai will slash fleet sales from 10% to 5%. Krafcik said that should free up about 100,000 vehicles.

Last year, Hyundai sold 645,691 vehicles in the U.S., up 20% from 2010.

Source: Reuters

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    Grand Master

    G. David Felt

    Members

    Smart approach to keep long term customers by making sure you keep quality. Toyota used to do this and has lost their quality due to wanting to be the biggest in the world.

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    • Mentor

    smk4565

    Members

    Hyundai is smart, they know what they are doing. And they have been on a roll for the past 3 years.

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    • balthazar

    In Hibernation

    The 3 or so radio ads I hear locally only scream DEALDEALDEAL, never anything about the product.

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    • Community Regular

    regfootball

    Members

    Hyundai is sort of repeating what Honda+Toyota did, and they have cheap overhead.

    Hyundai makes a good car now, but I still see them and not really feel anything for them.

    Give them credit for making signature styling and for doing what they do.

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    • Veteran

    Robert Hall

    Premium Subscriber

    Hyundai is sort of repeating what Honda+Toyota did, and they have cheap overhead.

    Hyundai makes a good car now, but I still see them and not really feel anything for them.

    Give them credit for making signature styling and for doing what they do.

    Yeah, they are kind of in a growth position as Toyota was 20-25 years ago...plus, they have Kia as well, which has been growing also..

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    • Newbie

    SAmadei

    Members

    Hyundai is sort of repeating what Honda+Toyota did, and they have cheap overhead.

    Hyundai makes a good car now, but I still see them and not really feel anything for them.

    Give them credit for making signature styling and for doing what they do.

    Yeah, they are kind of in a growth position as Toyota was 20-25 years ago...plus, they have Kia as well, which has been growing also..

    Doing better, IMHO, that Toyota 20-25 years ago... Hyundai in 2010 was the 4th largest automaker.

    What I don't understand... does Hyundai own Kia or what? I see conflicting reports, but in the Hyundai Motor Group Entry on Wikipedia, it is reported that Hyundai only owns 49.2% of Kia... not outright... in fact, not even controlling interest. Likewise, the Kia page says it is partly owned by Hyundai.

    If Hyundai hasn't finished buying up Kia, then that helps explain why Kia and Hyundai seem to have so much product overlap.

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    • Veteran

    Robert Hall

    Premium Subscriber
    (edited)

    Hyundai is sort of repeating what Honda+Toyota did, and they have cheap overhead.

    Hyundai makes a good car now, but I still see them and not really feel anything for them.

    Give them credit for making signature styling and for doing what they do.

    Yeah, they are kind of in a growth position as Toyota was 20-25 years ago...plus, they have Kia as well, which has been growing also..

    Doing better, IMHO, that Toyota 20-25 years ago... Hyundai in 2010 was the 4th largest automaker.

    What I don't understand... does Hyundai own Kia or what? I see conflicting reports, but in the Hyundai Motor Group Entry on Wikipedia, it is reported that Hyundai only owns 49.2% of Kia... not outright... in fact, not even controlling interest. Likewise, the Kia page says it is partly owned by Hyundai.

    If Hyundai hasn't finished buying up Kia, then that helps explain why Kia and Hyundai seem to have so much product overlap.

    Didn't realize that. I thought it was 100%. Interesting..

    Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar

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    • Rising Star

    riviera74

    Members

    I do remember reading somewhere that Kia is partly owned by Hyundai. Supposedly Kia is the sportier of the two. Their relationship seems similar to Pontiac and Chevrolet back in the 1980s and 90s (excluding trucks).

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    • Newbie

    ocnblu

    Members

    Speaking of trucks, don't Koreans use pickup trucks? I wonder what kind of compact, straightforward pickup truck Hyundai/Kia could come up with. I wonder if they sell them KDM...

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    • Newbie

    SAmadei

    Members

    Speaking of trucks, don't Koreans use pickup trucks? I wonder what kind of compact, straightforward pickup truck Hyundai/Kia could come up with. I wonder if they sell them KDM...

    Koreans like their cab-overs. Hyundai makes the Porter II.

    220px-20110731_hyundai_porter_001.jpg

    Kia makes the Bongo series...

    220px-Kia_K2500_L50_TCI.JPG

    Hyundai did make a more conventional pickup, the Libero from 2000-2007. Not much on it, so I guess it wasn't successful in the homeland.

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    • Newbie

    ocnblu

    Members

    I guess a compact, cabover pickup truck would be viewed as an oddity in these United States, but I fell in instant lurve with that Suzuki cabover pickup concept from a few yerrs ago.

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    • Newbie

    ocnblu

    Members

    um, yeah... no...

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    • Collaborator

    daves87rs

    Members

    Still growing....with people either pissed out at toyota or the big three(two), they will just keep getting customers...

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    • Newbie

    ocnblu

    Members

    Honda needs to cover their asscheeks too. Their missteps as of late will shirley cost them.

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    • Newbie

    SAmadei

    Members

    um, yeah... no...

    'Conventional' meaning engine in front, not technically a cabover.

    Those Koreans are just crazy in their ads.

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    • Newbie

    ocnblu

    Members

    Yeah, not quite cabover... more like a van cutaway.

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    • Mentor

    A Horse With No Name

    Members

    Honda needs to cover their asscheeks too. Their missteps as of late will shirley cost them.

    No kidding, sir....

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    • Grand Master

    G. David Felt

    Members

    I think Hyundia will eventually pass most Japan auto makers due to their own downfall. This downfall is that they spread out in trying to be everything to everyone.

    Honda, makes Boat motors and cars and generators, they seem to have such a diverse portfolio I wonder if they really are top in their game for anything? I admit I had a 10HP Honda 4 stroke motor for my small 16 foot aluminum boat and it was an freakin amazing engine. Yet how does that help with their cars? I just think they japanease have lost their way with branching into far too many areas. The Honda dealership by my house not only sells the auto's, they have a small section to sell generators, boat motors, lawn mowers, etc. I wonder if people really like it or feel it is weird?

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