By Edward Niedermeyer
March 18, 2008
Hyundai sales executive Young-Key Koo revealed to China Daily (via MotorAuthority) that the Korean carmaker will be spinning off a new luxury brand. The new nameplate caps Hyundai's steady upmarket climb, and could well compete with Acura, Infiniti and Lexus in the not-too-distant but not-anytime-soon future. The brand will be officially launched in 2010. New luxury models will hit China first. A sportscar and V8-powered "flagship sedan" are set to arrive in the Middle Kingdom next year, with a CUV to follow. News of a new name and logo has our hopes high for something hilariously generic, yet totally inappropriate. "The all new Smegma V8" sounds good to me, as does "The European-Inspired Ennui Roadster." So we put it to you, TTAC's Best and Brightest. What should Hyundai call its new luxury brand?
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POWERED
March 18th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Judging from their innovative designs, BavariLexuMercedai.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
They shouldn’t do this for so many reasons. The first being that they are just now starting to gain credibility in the US market. Adding a luxury brand now just doesn’t make sense.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Wow, I haven’t heard the word “Smegma” in fifteen years, since I had a college roommate who said it about 1,000 times per day.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Snobidai
Combines the prospective buyer with the sound of something you might find in a restroom.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Buick
March 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Excel
March 18th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I vote for Nexus. The threats of lawsuits from Lexus would generate great publicity, plus create an association between the two cars that could only help to sell them. (Of course, they could change the name later.)
March 18th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Seoul (pun intended)
March 18th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Dernier Cri
March 18th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
They should just buy one of VW or GM’s 86 combined brands.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
What’s Korean for lead balloon?
March 18th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Amati, if Mazda didn’t get around to TM’ing it
March 18th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Chien de Fer
March 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Let’s see..
Hyundai is to Honda as
X is to Acura.
Acuyexus?
March 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Hyaddilac.
Budai.
Infyunditai. (I like that one)
March 18th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Serenity
Orion or some other constellation
You could go with a planet name (Mercury and Saturn already taken, Uranus not a good choice)
Zero
or what about KUM (Korean Unlimited Motors)
March 18th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
A French name: Ti-Pet
March 18th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Acurai.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I suggest “Poseur” or “Redundcia.” Interiors should feature Nouveau Riche Corinthian leather.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
How about FAILURE, DISASTER, FLOP !!!!!!!! Good names for a division that isn’t needed anyway. And all the above names is what it will be. Most people don’t equate Hyundai with luxury. They equate Hyundai with ecocnomical small cars. This things needs to be nipped in the bud ASAP !!!!!! They are just getting a well deserved reputation for quality and if this fails (and it will) it will really hurt them image wise. What’s next??? A luxury division for KIA as well (since Hyundai owns KIA, it isn’t out of the realm of possibilities) with management making this kind of decision !!!!!!! Or here’s an idea: make KIA the brand Hyundai is now and make Hyundai the luxury brand. Just a thought !!!!!!!!!
P.S: Anyone remember when Mazda tried this same thing??? They developed one vehicle for it, cancelled the plans and marketed it as the Mazda 929 if memory serves me correctly.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Which leads us right back to Brendan’s suggestion of Buick.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Coq Au Vin?
March 18th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Smegma = The matter secreted by any of the sebaceous glands. Specifically:
The soapy substance covering the skin of newborn infants.
The cheesy, sebaceous matter which collects between the glans penis and the foreskin.
Source: Websters Dictionary
Not a name I would pick, or even drive.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
How about “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hyundai”
March 18th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
-red dawg
The 929 was designed as a Mazda from the get-go. You are thinking of the miller-cycle Millenia which was intended to be marketed as an ‘Amati’ (whatever that is).
March 18th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Owner: “I’ve got the yellow Smegma”
Valet: “You really should get that checked out.”
March 18th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Duesenberg. They seem to be arrogant enough to take that suggestion seriously.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Basmati
The new Basmati AW80t36^, everything a luxury car shouldn’t be.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Mazda named their stillborn luxury division Amati after the family of violin makers of Cremona, Italy a few centuries ago. The recession of the early nineties deep-sixed those plans.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I’ve got it! They want a luxury brand, right? So they’ll name the brand…Luxury! It’s soooo obvious. And the first model should be called the Car, unless Pontiac sues.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I think people will be surprised. I think Hyundai will be extremely successful with this. Most of the technology is available on the international market. ZF transmissions, etc. Most people thought Lexus would NEVER be successful, after all, Toyota was a brand of bland imports and Lexus had no grand history behind it. Snobs sniffed that only a ‘marque’ with a long and grand history could succeed in the luxury market. Today, Lexus is first tier and has brand reputation second to none. I will seriously look at Hyundai’s first luxury cars. I will start by looking at the genesis as it appears at first glance to provide a better value.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
How about Ikia? (Like Ikea the Swedish upscale store)
Get it?
John
March 18th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
How about “Dementia”….?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Hey! This is pretty straightforward as a proposition.
Toyota did it with Lexus to huge success
Nissan did it with Infiniti, also with success, albeit after the initial Zen commercials
Subaru didn’t do it with the SVX and that great car failed miserably
Brand matters!
Do you like that little horsie and rider on my golf shirt?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Fortasse (latin for “perhaps”)
March 19th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Wang.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:10 am
The first model will be
Acyurai Accordeon
March 19th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Cicero :
March 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Whats Korean for lead balloon?
# Kurt B :
March 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Lets see..
Hyundai is to Honda as
X is to Acura.
Acuyexus?
# lprocter1982 :
March 18th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
How about I Can’t Believe It’s Not Hyundai
HAHA I cant stop laughing at these new names. How about INFINIDAI or KMW (Korean Motor Works!). On a serious note what is it with every car company trying to become the next Lexus (VW, and now Hyundai) The market for those high end snob cars is shrinking. And not to mention nothing beats the brand prestige of Mercedes or BMW or Jaguar…Why cant they just buy the Jaguar brand? Maybe they want to build a new organic brand from scratch but with the economy in the US they way it is that is not the best choice.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:36 am
How about iSteal?
March 19th, 2008 at 8:25 am
No, no, no. isteal would have to be a CHINESE luxury car brand (itself an obvious oxymoron).
March 20th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hyundai already has lots of impressive names that they have been using — albeit in Europe.
Accent Atlantic
Amica
ATOZ
Galloper
Grandeur
Highway
i-mode
Santamo
Satellite
Sonica
Scoupe
Starex
NB the Scoupe was officially called the S-Coupe after some fool journalist posed the question: “Is the Scoupe a coupe? No, it snot.”
But seriously, I think Hyundai should take inspiration from the part of Korea north of the DMZ and call its new brand “Dear Leader”, or at least Fearless Leader.