In a recent interview with Automobile Magazine, Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik shed some light on his company’s future plans and revealed interesting tidbits. According to Krafcik the next generation Hyundai Genesis will be previewed in concept for later this year, and it will offer all-wheel-drive system, among other new options. That is something to look forward to.
The Sonata is also being redesigned based on an updated version of Fluidic Sculpture design language called the Fluidic Precision, which is apparently less extroverted than the current model. Krafcik says Hyundai’s design philosophy is constantly growing and evolving into something better. You can see that by looking at the new Santa Fe, which is nicer than the Azera, which is nicer than the Sonata.
Will we see any future Hyundai models in these bodystyles?
- Premium Crossover: “Maybe”
- Convertible: “Probably Not”
- Minivan: “No”
- “The whole market might be 600,000 units a year, and if we carve out 10 percent of that, that’s what–60,000 units? And it’s generally a North America-only platform. We just don’t have the volume.”
- Pickup Truck: “Not any time soon”
- “It’s more difficult to make a small or mid-size pickup truck and boost your CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) numbers, thanks to some of the ways those numbers are calculated. But there’s definitely a market for it.”
- All-wheel drive sedan or coupe: “Yes”
- “We learned our lesson with snow-belt buyers and the first Genesis sedan, so the next-generation Genesis (which will be previewed in concept car form later this year) will have AWD capability.”
- BMW 3 Series-beater: “Probably”
- “We’re thinking about it with the next-generation Genesis Coupe, in trying to match the BMW 3 Series (or the 4 Series, in this case).”
- A convertible SUV. Santa Fe CrossCabriolet, maybe?
- “I think we’ll leave that segment to Nissan.”
Read more: Automobilemag
