Markethaus Musings

Why Hyundai, you ask? Hyundai (and Kia, for that matter) remind me of where the Japanese were in the 80s. Every time we turn around, the Koreans launch a new vehicle. As I was chatting with John McElroy, of Autoline Detroit and American Driver fame, he reminded me that they recently invested in a Michigan design/engineering center (190,000 square feet) and plan to hire a thousand engineers. I wouldn’t be surprised if a fair number of Ford and GM engineers make their way across town to Hyundai. And now, they are launching the first vehicle conceived and built in a US plant, the new 2007 Hyundai Santa FE SUV. Good news for Southeast Michigan Real Estate values.

Ok…but who really wants a Hyundai you ask? 500,000 sales tell us lots of Americans like Hyundais. And 56% owner loyalty (according to US President Bob Cosmai) suggests they are pretty happy with the product and its dealers. Take a look at Marketpoint internet demand and you’ll notice that Hyundai is rapidly becoming a household name in car shopping.