It looks as though the General is going to have some competition from Hyundai for the RWD V8 market in the States.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/26/hyundai-does-it-big-genesis-concept-pictures-released/

Apparently, Hyundai just lifted an embargo on the first round of images of its Genesis concept, due to be unveiled at next month's New York Auto Show.

Although labeled as a "concept," Hyundai's heads are already speaking as if the Genesis has been green-lit for production, saying that the all new, rear-wheel-drive sedan will look very much like the concept and will carry a price tag "well under $30,000."

What badge will appear on the trunk lid when it hits dealerships in 2008 is up in the air, but according to The Car Connection, several details seem to be decided on. First, a new "Tau" V8, producing over 300 HP, will find its way under the hood, giving the RWD sedan a 53:47 weight distribution and propelling it to 60 in less than six seconds. The automaker made overtures that the new powertrain may come in different displacements, possibly sporting a 3.6-liter V6, and could even be produced with some form of forced induction. Hybrid versions seem to be on the table as well.

As for features, expect the Genesis to come with HID headlamps, nav, active cruise control, HD radio, Bluetooth, stability control and side airbags; the last two being designed into the concept. All those features allow Hyundai to set its sights squarely on much higher priced German metal, and that's exactly what they've intended.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/genesis_pre_1.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/genesis_pre_2.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/genesis_pre_3.jpg
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/genesis_pre_4.jpg


Comments: Looks like Hyundai is going to release a heck of a car. Although it looks as though the Genesis is going to be a more luxurious car than the G8 is proclaiming to be, the two are DEFINATELY going to be cross shopped.

The bad news is that the price for the V8 version is expected to be just less than $30k. If that is the truth, I think our guesstimates of the G8 V8 starting at $30k are a little pie in the sky because the Koreans have been known to undercut the rest of the industry by thousands. It looks as though the G8 V8 is going to be in the $35k range.

Did you mistakenly post 2007 Camry pictures instead of the Hyundai pictures?

I'm sure its nice, but its still a Hyundai. Its not going to be hurt Bimmer and Benz sales because people buying those cars would rather die than be seen in a Hyundai. And it probably wont sway too many G8 GT/Charger buyers because Hyundai doesn't really carry a "performance" reputation like Pontiac and Dodge. Not to mention that the engine is weaker than the L76.
I see this car going head to head with the Toyota Avalon.

The car looks good, and if they simply replace the Hyundai logo with a Lexus logo, they could easily sell it for $60,000.

It'll definately more of a Mercedes-like sedan than the BMW-like G8, if you catch my drift. Nice car but the G8 will have a lot more performance features which justify the price. Or, this can be very good news in that GM takes a look at this new competitor and decides to decrease the price of the G8 GT to more competitive prices. :D

It'll definately more of a Mercedes-like sedan than the BMW-like G8, if you catch my drift. Nice car but the G8 will have a lot more performance features which justify the price. Or, this can be very good news in that GM takes a look at this new competitor and decides to decrease the price of the G8 GT to more competitive prices. :D

Isnt the word on the street that the G8 GT will start around $30k? If the Hyundai is priced equivalently, do you really think GM will drop the GT any further down?

Isnt the word on the street that the G8 GT will start around $30k? If the Hyundai is priced equivalently, do you really think GM will drop the GT any further down?

My concern is that if a Hyundai is bringing a RWD, V8 sedan to market for $29k, there is no way the General can do it for less than $35k.

Im failing to understand your logic on just cuz hyundai does under 30K GM cant?
that makes no sense to me at all
Lutz has said numerious times that one of the down falls to the GTO was it was priced to expensive. He said it will come in under 30K for a G8 GT and somewhere around 26K for the V6....now if thats 29,995 starting price or not is yet to be seen

Hope it replaces this poser frm H. http://www.hyundaiusa.com/shoppingtools/byo/model.aspx?vehicle=Azera
Starting price for the Limited is $27135, not exactly the bargain I would expect from the Koreans when all of its competitors (Accord, Camry, Fusion?) are thousands less.

BTW, looks to me like the Genesis stole the front end design sheets from the new Chrysler Sebring.

Im failing to understand your logic on just cuz hyundai does under 30K GM cant?
that makes no sense to me at all
Lutz has said numerious times that one of the down falls to the GTO was it was priced to expensive. He said it will come in under 30K for a G8 GT and somewhere around 26K for the V6....now if thats 29,995 starting price or not is yet to be seen

My point is that Hyundai, which has built a reputation of building solid cars for THOUSANDS less than any of its competitors, has release a RWD, V8 powered sedan, not unlike the G8. The price for this Hyundai is $29k- from a company that is known as undercutting all of the competition by a lot of money.

So, using that logic to form a hypothesis that the G8 V8 might be more expensive than the previous estimated $29k because Hyundai has released pretty much the same car at the same price point. Granted, the Hyundai looks to have more luxury features than the Pontiac, but I would be suprised if the G8 GT's price crept up a little the closer it got to production.

My point is that Hyundai, which has built a reputation of building solid cars for THOUSANDS less than any of its competitors, has release a RWD, V8 powered sedan, not unlike the G8. The price for this Hyundai is $29k- from a company that is known as undercutting all of the competition by a lot of money.

So, using that logic to form a hypothesis that the G8 V8 might be more expensive than the previous estimated $29k because Hyundai has released pretty much the same car at the same price point. Granted, the Hyundai looks to have more luxury features than the Pontiac, but I would be suprised if the G8 GT's price crept up a little the closer it got to production.

The V8 Mustang might be a coupe but it is RWD and starts at around $26k, and can be nicely equipped at $30k. I dont see why the G8 GT can't be $30k start and nicely equipped at $34-35k.

A nicely equipped Azera Limited is $30,000(no nav).
A nicely equipped Pontiac Grand Prix GT is $30,000(yes nav).

I am pretty sure any sane person would take the GP over the Azera.
Pontiac needs to price the G8 GT around $29,995. Otherwise it will become an enthusiat only car.

My point is that Hyundai, which has built a reputation of building solid cars for THOUSANDS less than any of its competitors, has release a RWD, V8 powered sedan, not unlike the G8. The price for this Hyundai is $29k- from a company that is known as undercutting all of the competition by a lot of money.

So, using that logic to form a hypothesis that the G8 V8 might be more expensive than the previous estimated $29k because Hyundai has released pretty much the same car at the same price point. Granted, the Hyundai looks to have more luxury features than the Pontiac, but I would be suprised if the G8 GT's price crept up a little the closer it got to production.


Why not look at what GM did for the GTO as an example for the price model instead of looking at what Hyundai is doing. The VZ(previous gen Holdens) cost more to put together than the VE(current Holden), The new VE is selling for less money then the old VZ did in Aus. So that would lead me to believe that GM can price a G8 below $30k especially if they cut back on some of the standard stuff the GTO came with.

Why not look at what GM did for the GTO as an example for the price model instead of looking at what Hyundai is doing. The VZ(previous gen Holdens) cost more to put together than the VE(current Holden), The new VE is selling for less money then the old VZ did in Aus. So that would lead me to believe that GM can price a G8 below $30k especially if they cut back on some of the standard stuff the GTO came with.

GM needs to be moving forward, not cutting back. Removing features that were standard on a previous model is a bad idea; IMO it sends the wrong message.

GM needs to be moving forward, not cutting back. Removing features that were standard on a previous model is a bad idea; IMO it sends the wrong message.

IMO removing some stuff and making it optional is not a bad thing.
some people want a bare bones g8 gt.
if you just cater to the people that want a mid grade of options or all the buttons you will lose the people that dont need all that stuff.(and you will drive the price of a vehicle up)
Look at the good ol f bod for a example. Alot of people choose a camaro z28over a trans am and the reason......the trans am was a heavier car then the camaro.
if you start off with a basic list and allow for a ton more options to cuztomize your G8 you will see alot more happy people do to the fact that they can option the car to there liking and it wont be a cookie cutter car.
if i remember right the only things you could change on the GTO were what?.. color and if it was a stick or auto. To me thats bad buisness right there.They left no room at all for people to option the car to fit them.
GM needs to do what holden does on the commodore and just give the basics with tons of options to let the people who are going to be buying and driving the car everyday decide what they want in the car and what they dont want.
If you go to the holden site and build a commodore its amazing at the amount of options the car has and to me thats the steps GM needs to be taking in the states and offering to its buyers

IMO removing some stuff and making it optional is not a bad thing.
some people want a bare bones g8 gt.
if you just cater to the people that want a mid grade of options or all the buttons you will lose the people that dont need all that stuff.(and you will drive the price of a vehicle up)
Look at the good ol f bod for a example. Alot of people choose a camaro z28over a trans am and the reason......the trans am was a heavier car then the camaro.
if you start off with a basic list and allow for a ton more options to cuztomize your G8 you will see alot more happy people do to the fact that they can option the car to there liking and it wont be a cookie cutter car.
if i remember right the only things you could change on the GTO were what?.. color and if it was a stick or auto. To me thats bad buisness right there.They left no room at all for people to option the car to fit them.
GM needs to do what holden does on the commodore and just give the basics with tons of options to let the people who are going to be buying and driving the car everyday decide what they want in the car and what they dont want.
If you go to the holden site and build a commodore its amazing at the amount of options the car has and to me thats the steps GM needs to be taking in the states and offering to its buyers

I see your point. Some options like nav and power seats do add quite a bit of weight, but some like ESC and the 6 airbags should stay. I think ESC and #airbags can save you money on your car insurance.

I would think that rather than drop some options for the G8, GM would instead just offer fewer "packages" on it, similar to the G6.

When I got my G6 GTP, there were interior/exterior color options, and four available options, 1) OnStar, 2) Side Airbags 3) Leather Seats and steering wheel, and 4) Sound Package with Sunroof.

GM can just package things together to save money, so its production lines make fewer "different" cars. I see them doing that long before they consider ax-ing options altogether

IMO removing some stuff and making it optional is not a bad thing.
some people want a bare bones g8 gt.
if you just cater to the people that want a mid grade of options or all the buttons you will lose the people that dont need all that stuff.(and you will drive the price of a vehicle up)
Look at the good ol f bod for a example. Alot of people choose a camaro z28over a trans am and the reason......the trans am was a heavier car then the camaro.
if you start off with a basic list and allow for a ton more options to cuztomize your G8 you will see alot more happy people do to the fact that they can option the car to there liking and it wont be a cookie cutter car.
if i remember right the only things you could change on the GTO were what?.. color and if it was a stick or auto. To me thats bad buisness right there.They left no room at all for people to option the car to fit them.
GM needs to do what holden does on the commodore and just give the basics with tons of options to let the people who are going to be buying and driving the car everyday decide what they want in the car and what they dont want.
If you go to the holden site and build a commodore its amazing at the amount of options the car has and to me thats the steps GM needs to be taking in the states and offering to its buyers

That is easy to do when it is made down the road but this car is being made 1/2 around the world.

So you go into pontiac and order your car... how long will it take ot be built and get here? I bet 2x as long as if you bought a GP custom.

So if the car is built in AU I do not think you have the luxury of a totally custom car -- so send it over loaded.

GM needs to be moving forward, not cutting back. Removing features that were standard on a previous model is a bad idea; IMO it sends the wrong message.

If you guys are expecting a G8 GT with the same options as the GTO for less than $30k then you might as well shop somewhere else because that's not going to happen. Don't expect to get 100% color keyed leather interior, 8-way dual power seats, premium stereo(even though it sucked on GTO), steering wheel radio controls, limited slip diff and etc in this car for less than $30k.

How many other cars are out there that have all these options available at this price point with a V8? I don't even think the Hyundai will have a sticker for less than $30k with those options.

I would think that rather than drop some options for the G8, GM would instead just offer fewer "packages" on it, similar to the G6.

When I got my G6 GTP, there were interior/exterior color options, and four available options, 1) OnStar, 2) Side Airbags 3) Leather Seats and steering wheel, and 4) Sound Package with Sunroof.

GM can just package things together to save money, so its production lines make fewer "different" cars. I see them doing that long before they consider ax-ing options altogether
Yes, because you got the GTP! Most desirable options are already included. A base G6 wouldn't compare.
If you guys are expecting a G8 GT with the same options as the GTO for less than $30k then you might as well shop somewhere else because that's not going to happen. Don't expect to get 100% color keyed leather interior, 8-way dual power seats, premium stereo(even though it sucked on GTO), steering wheel radio controls, limited slip diff and etc in this car for less than $30k.

How many other cars are out there that have all these options available at this price point with a V8? I don't even think the Hyundai will have a sticker for less than $30k with those options.
Maybe not less than 30k for all the things you specified, but without those under 30k should be doable. Don't look at the GTO for price comparisons since Bob already admitted that they priced the GTO too high and that they wil not make that mistake again.

I see your point. Some options like nav and power seats do add quite a bit of weight, but some like ESC and the 6 airbags should stay. I think ESC and #airbags can save you money on your car insurance.

Holden has the ESC built in on even the cheapest base cars in Australia, no way would that not be included.

That is easy to do when it is made down the road but this car is being made 1/2 around the world.

So you go into pontiac and order your car... how long will it take ot be built and get here? I bet 2x as long as if you bought a GP custom.

So if the car is built in AU I do not think you have the luxury of a totally custom car -- so send it over loaded.

+1 that was one of the main reasons to restrict the GTO options, they wanted people to be able to go to the dealers and buy off the lots, not order (even though many people did) and then they were shocked it took 5 months from order to delivery.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what becomes of this Genesis concept. If the motors are good and the features are nice (NAV, HID), then they'll have a solid hit.

This looks to be a direct problem for the 300, not so much the G8. It will probably steal some sales from Infiniti, Mercedes, and Lexus bottom-feeders too.

Hyundai will no doubt engage in predatory pricing in order to make sure this car gets a successful launch, and then increase the price throughout it's model cycle. The company is already enjoying success with $30K vehicles like the Veracruz, so this shouldn't be taken lightly. If this sedan in V8 form will be available with HID and NAV in the low $30s, well, people will take notice in a BIG way.

IMO removing some stuff and making it optional is not a bad thing.
some people want a bare bones g8 gt.
if you just cater to the people that want a mid grade of options or all the buttons you will lose the people that dont need all that stuff.(and you will drive the price of a vehicle up)
Look at the good ol f bod for a example. Alot of people choose a camaro z28over a trans am and the reason......the trans am was a heavier car then the camaro.
if you start off with a basic list and allow for a ton more options to cuztomize your G8 you will see alot more happy people do to the fact that they can option the car to there liking and it wont be a cookie cutter car.
if i remember right the only things you could change on the GTO were what?.. color and if it was a stick or auto. To me thats bad buisness right there.They left no room at all for people to option the car to fit them.
GM needs to do what holden does on the commodore and just give the basics with tons of options to let the people who are going to be buying and driving the car everyday decide what they want in the car and what they dont want.
If you go to the holden site and build a commodore its amazing at the amount of options the car has and to me thats the steps GM needs to be taking in the states and offering to its buyers

FYI, Most GM cars/trucks nowadays use one complete wiring harness that has the capability of supporting a fully optioned vehicle. Even if you order crank windows, the harness is still there, in the door, capable of supporting the power switches. They did this to reduce manufacturing costs vs. having 16 different harnesses for varying optioned vehicles. As such, someone ordering a base bones GT really isn't really going to affect GM's cost to build it much other than the assembly workers time putting the actual options into the car as it rolls down the line. It'll only affect the purchaser's bottom line.

Oh, as to potential "cross-shoppers" between the G8 and this Hyundai, I doubt it! There will be a few, but most of us true enthusiasts aren't going to step foot into a Hyundai dealership, let alone drive one of these off the lot!

One reason... PERFORMANCE! Yes, their V8 has 300hp. No slouch at all. BUT... the G8 will have more from the get go and benefit from the already explosive aftermarket for the LSx architecture engine. Most here buying one of these will probably MODIFY them. Most people buying a Hyundai WON'T!