I think it's their pricing.
Hyundai seems to think that their brand's perceived value has risen near that of its' competitors. The gap in pricing between Hyundai's sedans and comparable offerings from Toyota, Nissan, and even Honda has closed. When we bought our first Elantras over ten years ago, the savings over a comparably equipped Corolla, Sentra, or Civic was large - between 10-25%. Hyundais were selling based on value, with the customer taking the risk that Hyundai's quality was comparable to the more expensive makes.
Now the quality has been proven. Any customer doing their research will see that Hyundai's track record over the last decade is every bit as good as any other Asian non-luxury manufacturer. Hyundai is proud of their styling and confident in the performance and features of their cars. The challenge is getting the customer to accept the brand as an equivalent brand that should draw a similar price. I believe in Hyundai and Kia because of personal experience, but if I was a new buyer, I'd be cautious. How much is that caution worth? I think Hyundai is underestimating this based on the successes of their prior year sales.
-Roy
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