Hyundai to branch out with premium brand: report

Hyundai has released a number of premium models in the US and in Asian markets already. Cars such as the Equus luxury sedan, which some say rivals Rolls Royce in terms of first class, chauffeur-style motoring. Then there's the Genesis sedan, which is a Mercedes-Benz E-Class/Audi A6 rival. The company now wants to expand these models to carry their own badge and brand image.

In an interview with Wall Street Journal, US Hyundai boss, John Krafcik, said he was strongly considering branching out with a new brand, similar to Toyota's Lexus, Honda's Acura and Nissan's Infiniti. Discussions of how to go about it are still being contemplated. One idea, and the most likely to see light of day, is that selected Hyundai dealerships would be assigned to sell such luxury cars in a sub-showroom kind of deal.

Other ideas expressed include Hyundai developing a entirely new brand and selling it in its own showroom. The other proposal is to just keep going the way it is. This means having at least one trained Hyundai Genesis-and-beyond employee per showroom.

Either way, it could be a great step for Hyundai to show it is very serious about producing very competitive cars and expanding and uplifting its brand image.