First look: Hyundai's new Grandeur is not for Oz
BY HAITHAM RAZAGUI | 22nd Nov 2010
The Grandeur luxury sedan, which received a mild facelift in June, currently tops Hyundai's Australian range at $39,990, but will be killed off when the existing model reaches the end of its life cycle.
In the absence of the impressive large rear-drive sedan, the Genesis, which remains left-hand drive-only, the mid-sized i45 will become Hyundai Motor Company Australia's largest sedan.
"The large-car segment in Australia is predominantly rear-drive and as such we won't be taking the new Grandeur," HMCA director of marketing Oliver Mann told GoAuto.
The fifth-generation Grandeur represents the latest interpretation of Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language - as seen on the ix35 and i45 - and Hyundai's newest would-be Commodore rival certainly looks bolder than its shy-and-retiring predecessor.
It features a large grille, flanked by headlights of commensurate size, deeply creased metalwork down the sides and a 21st Century interpretation of the muscle car kick over the rear wheel-arches that flows seamlessly into the integrated boot lip spoiler.
At the rear, the tailpipes emerge through the bumper as is currently the fashion while the Grandeur signature feature of tail-lights meeting in the middle via a red reflective strip is present and correct.
Hyundai promises plenty of technology in the new car, including LED lighting.
In markets such as South Korea, where it will continue to be sold, the new Grandeur will sit below the Genesis in the range.
If after the Grandeur’s demise Hyundai decides to bring large cars back to Australia, the Genesis is the most likely candidate, although as GoAuto has reported, Hyundai continues to rule out right-hand drive versions of either the current-generation Genesis sedan or coupe.
The Grandeur has never met sales expectations for Hyundai in Australia and was withdrawn from the market altogether between 2004 and 2006 due to slow sales.
The aforementioned facelift, price cuts and the addition of a CRDi version in October 2008, when the TG Granduer became Australia's first diesel-powered large sedan, failed to improve sales while most other models in Hyundai’s range have taken off.
Although Hyundai has not advertised its five-year-old flagship sedan, 20 Grandeurs have been sold so far this year, which is equal to the number of cars sold in the same time frame by Rolls-Royce.
In contrast, Hyundai has shifted over 26,000 i30s and Holden's Commodore has found more than 38,000 buyers so far this year.
