If you were to choose, which luxury brand do you think is going to have bigger annual sales, the Fiat Chrysler’s Alfa Romeo or Hyundai’s new Genesis?
We’re thinking that the carmaker which has not dealt before with luxury drivers is actually going to do better. While our suspicions stay with Hyundai’s upstart to a global brand, we don’t think FCA’s Alfa is meant to be doomed though, but it has had high hopes which were not always justified even before taking into account CEO Sergio Marchionne’s plans for China where Alfa Romeo never sold a car.
While Hyundai’s plan to create a luxury brand is ambitious, the Genesis sport sedan exists while the upcoming cars Alfa is relying on are yet to be produced and launched. Moreover, the original Genesis won in 2009 the title of North American Car of the Year and the second generation of this car model that went on sale in 2014 became a main competitor for the Audi A6 and Lexus GS. And let’s not forget the Hyundai Equus, which is a limousine with credibility for this century, spacious, comfortable with a black seat ready and waiting for a CEO.
The balance is also inclined for Hyundai in terms of its six new luxury models announced to be manufactured by 2020. And while the brand still has to learn how to satisfy its luxury customers, it manages to have dealers in every major market in the U.S. and Europe. On the other hand, Alfa Romeo does not have any experience in building modern rear-wheel-drive sport sedans or all-wheel-drive SUVs when it comes to its luxury segment.
2015 Alfa Romeo 4C
2015 Hyundai Genesis
If we were to draw the line, Hyundai at the moment has evidence, while Alfa has hope. But things don’t look bad for Alfa as at the moment the 4c sports coupe and roadster are quite appealing, easier to handle and have engines and lightweight construction that allow for technology novelties to be implemented in future Alfa models.
Who do you think wins this battle?