Hyundai at the London motor show

Published: 23 July 2008 Updated: 26 January 2015

London motor show video

Fancy a cut-price 350Z? Then you need to visit the Hyundai stand to see the new Genesis coupe. It was a real surprise-and-delight treat at the show.

What’s new on Hyundai’s London motor show stand?

The sleek and slinky Genesis coupe hogged centre stage. The V6-powered rear-driver makes its European debut at Excel, and it’s well worth a look at. Hyundai UK is still trying to slice through the import red tape for this full four-seater, but is confident it will arrive by the end of 2009, priced around £27,500. 

So it will sit above the next-generation Coupe as a top-drawer performance flagship. Oh, and expect the production model to look virtually unchanged, with that distinctive rear-window kink is destined to become a Hyundai design motif.

CAR’s Hyundai highlight

The i10 icecream van. It’ll be dishing out 300,000 free frozen cool drinks to hot and sweaty showgoers – the perfect way to demonstrate that the impressive i10 is fitted with air-con as standard. Geddit?

What were they thinking?

Hyundai’s display shows just how quickly the Korean car maker has established itself as a key player in the UK market. With its excellent reliability record, strong value for money offering and unbeatable warranty, it’s no wonder its range of Euro-centric models is selling so well.

In a nutshell

Hyundai’s looking bold and confident – and its Genesis-shaped future promises much.

Click here to go to CAR’s London motor show A-Z homepage

CAR reader reports

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Well size matters to this lot

Visit their website and you’ll see the problem that Hyundai have. Their model range just doesn’t fit on the page. The stand then is huge and definitely one of the friendliest. With 400,000 ice pops to hand out from their Andy Saunders customised i-10 ice cream van over the next two weeks, they will, in the heat of Excel, be very popular.

They’re only going to get bigger

The i-10 and i-30 wouldn’t look out of place on any of the mainstream manufacturers stands. They are both well built, well priced and well thought out Euro boxes with a warranty and price point to welcome ex-Corolla and Civic drivers to the fold. With a niche vehicle across nearly all sectors, Hyundai have found new ground to compete in. Away from the budget market and the waiting Chinese and instead head to head with the Vauxhall and Fords of this world, well that’s what they say.

A car for all people.

Okay so they have a huge range, keenly priced but do you long for one? Well the Genesis Coupe might make your wish list. Launching in America and Korea in 2009 the car is on the stand to gauge UK interest. If enough people express a genuine appetite for this c£25k 3.8 V6 310bhp rear wheel drive coupe we’ll get it. Best make some more room on your website Mr Hyundai.

Click here to go to CAR’s London motor show A-Z homepage

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