Executive vice president for vehicle testing and high performance development. It’s not a bad job title, is it?
At Hyundai Motor Group, which incorporates both Hyundai and Kia, it’s a title now worn by Albert Biermann. Has been for a couple of years, in fact. Because, at 57, if somebody makes you an offer, and you’ve been at your old place for 32 years, what else are you going to do? Even if the old place was BMW, and eventually you were basically in charge of the revered M division. Biermann figured he had made his mark, achieved what he’d wanted to and figured, well... why the hell not?
So here we are, a couple of years later, and the Korean conglomerate’s Kia Stinger and Hyundai i30 N are about to go on sale. Fruits of the labour, if you like.
We’ve seen Biermann twice this year. In April, while he was on a trip to the UK to suss out our roads and how vehicles dynamically handle them – more on which later – and then, backstage at the Frankfurt motor show.
Biermann was on good form on both occasions, as you might expect given the products he’s putting out. Both i30 N, which is Hyundai’s first proper hot hatch, and Stinger GT, the Kia that will be aiming for the BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeÃ, have been warmly received. Things are good.
“Everything is finished,” he says of the Stinger GT. “I mean, we have no mass production cars out yet, but they’re more or less on the way from Korea to Europe.” Those who have driven this new grand tourer, a rear-wheel-drive executive hatchback- cum-coupeÃ, including Autocar’s own testers, have warmed to it.
“People are surprised a Kia can drive like this,” says Biermann. “And at this moment, we have only put the 3.3-litre V6 out, and we’re not focusing on the 2.0-litre petrol or the diesel [versions]. But I’m also quite optimistic about those. Of course some power is missing, but the sporty character is there.”
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I’m not so sure...
is it wrong of me to think - whilst the cars might perform and sell to some extent - the badge will never crack the market to the extent they imagine and never will. It’s really not just about data in the emotive world of car choice. Like watches and whisky.
Kia Stinger
Remember the 70'same Datsun'so say 100y or the originalist Toyota's. Extremely reliable but dull as ditch water to drive then the 240Z appeared moving on to the original MR2, Celica, Supra, skyline & Type R. What I'm trying to say is the early Japanese stuff waso very similar to the Korean stuff. You were thought a bit odd to buy a Japanese car in the 70's & possibly early 80's. Now look at the brands. The 240Z was probably the car to change attitudes towards the Japanese cars. Funny enough people seemed to take notice of Hyundai after the original coupes, must admit I really had a soft spot for the mk2 version (the baby Ferrari 550). I hope the Stinger sells well I could be tempted with the more lower spec one if it's cheap enough. But some people will still by a German brand because of the perceived quality.
japes wrote:
Buyers will still prefer various brands over others, but not at any cost. If a product becomes too expensive to consider then an alternative has to be found. Once customers have been exposed to a new choice they might decide to adopt it as their preferred option, whilst others will be looking to return to their old choice when finances allow. So I think certain brands will always attract customers but a badge alone will not guarantee future sales as costs go up. A brand is only worth so much.
Many cars today offer very similar levels of build quality, style and usability. if price rises forced on EU car producers selling in UK, move costs beyond a level where their brand value is exceeded then their sales will fall.
It will give other makers a one off chance to atract customers into their products and maybe keep some of them. A once in a generation, unforeseen, event that can be used by some car manufacturers to their advantage.
Future looks very positive,
for the hyundai/kia group. Although the final arrangement with EU is still up in the air, there is still a chance that tariffs will be applied to EU cars heading for Blighty. If this is the case then hyundai/kia having their most competitive cars yet, available in the UK, can only increase their chances of winning a once in a generation slice of the UK car market cake. Executives in their Seoul boardrooms must already be pencilling in the extra UK sales. ;-)
Stinger will
Put a sting in the tail of some loud mouth layabouts who think they own the sales division. I really like the look (and the paint job as shown here is awesome. If AB has really done his M brains into this beast its gonna be a cracker. I really want to see it drive it and possibly own it Wifey has a simple Kia Soul which has been flawless despite every lousy job thrown at it carrying huge tree trunks overladen with stone paying slabs and comes up smiling every time. Little touches like heated steering wheel (standard) rear camer reversing (standard) are so essential for us in Russian conditions and driving. Thank you Kia and thank AB for giving e something to look forwards to
Saw a Stinger pulling out of
Saw a Stinger pulling out of MIRA on the A5 about 10 days ago. Looks really good on the road, particularly in the metallic red this was in. Looks a big car.