Hyundai has held the image as an automotive company that offers low price points on vehicles that are reliable for the consumer.   Hyundai parts from O2 Sensors to body parts have been noted as being of great quality.  Ironically, parts like a Hyundai Elantra O2 Sensor can be actually from the same supplier as a Lexus IS300 O2 Sensor despite the possible difference in price.  Hyundai has now released  The Genesis, which has been associated at the “luxury” level and challenges European based companies.   The Genesis’ coupe version has seen remarkable success and it has exceeded a lot of expectations for the company with its sales potential.   Similarly, Hyundai vehicles like the Sonata have been doing outstanding recently and have surprisingly passed some sales of American-made models by companies like General Motors.  However, many doubt the future for the Genesis as they think it will not be up to par to its competitors.

Does Hyundai have the man-power and reputation to really compete with European luxury models like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, or BMW? It seems like The Genesis may have had an early growth spurt with success because of its lower price points for the luxury class.  But, ultimately, what will this do for the Hyundai brand?  It seems like a lot of consumers have recently just decided to give Hyundai “a try” because of their economic climate and their curiosity about the brand.  It should be interesting to see if The Genesis will break the ice for the company and help it fit into a category that includes some of the bigger players of the game while delivering quality parts.

How do you feel about Chrysler’s once admired PT Cruiser?  At one point in time, the Chrysler PT Cruiser saw a huge boom in sales in the United States and had a significant following upon its release with its simple auto parts.  Through the use of genuine Chrysler parts and a retro-style body, the PT Cruiser did not need to offer special features like a Navigation Unit to make its mark as a trendy car.  In fact, other auto companies like Chevy even copied the PT Cruiser’s appearance to release a similar style vehicle called the “HHR.” 

However, Chrysler has now announced that it will no longer be making PT Cruisers as the model hit a significant bump in the road following its immediate popularity.  This past year’s PT Cruiser sales were a slim 12% of the PT’s first year sales.  The US certainly had a love-hate relationship with the PT Cruiser.  Many thought of the PT Cruiser as a cool, retro-style vehicle that was offered at an unbeatable price.  On the other hand, a handful of consumers also looked at the vehicle as the red-headed stepchild of the industry.  Chrysler’s move to stop the production of the PT Cruiser seems like a smart plan.  While some think that the model would have done well if it were remodeled with new features, others certainly agree that getting rid of the PT Cruiser is going to save Chrysler’s image.

The Smart car has been a vehicle that has been around for years but has only recently been introduced to the US car market.  Although the smart car operates under a division of Mercedes Benz, it definitely has different parts from typical Mercedes Benz car parts.  There has been much controversy over the vehicle as officials have argued that smart cars do not meet US safety and emissions regulations.  Similarly, others have turned their heads at the vehicle because of its lack of efficiency in comparison to recent Hybrid models made with parts like Toyota car parts.  However, although this car may not be as fuel-efficient as some of the recent hybrid releases, it is only half of their price.

Despite being half of the price of other Hybrid vehicles in such a price-sensitive economy, the Smart car has truly had a rough time to making its mark in the United States.  Sales for this vehicle are significantly down and the car seems to struggle socially with other cars that offer similar fuel-efficient car parts.  The Smart car has been looked at as more of a nerdy go-kart than a “trend-setter” in the US.  Although the size of the vehicle is a strong selling point for the company, the Smart car is still non-existent in the US locations that value smaller vehicles for their storage size.

Will the US market ever catch on and accept the buzz on the Smart car?  The company’s business strategy is optimistic as they continue to offer accessories for the vehicle including the new “Smart expressions” program which allows smart car owner’s to customize the design on their car’s side panels.   Only time will tell if the car has any potential in such a vigorous auto market.

Most consumers are typically set in their ways as far as product preference and style.  In fact, the same consumer-product relationship exists in the automotive market.  Some consumers prefer American-made parts (Ford parts, Chevy parts) , European (BMW parts), Japanese (Toyota parts) or other imports. 

Ford is an “American-made” brand that has been followed throughout its entire lifetime despite price changes or competitor innovation.  Ford’s loyal customers have an established “cult-following.”  Just as Ford has its followers but many consumers have stayed far away from Ford.  Many believe other car brands provide better features and higher quality auto parts resulting in superior efficiency, price, and luxury. 

However, Ford has recently revamped their business strategy and product lines. Ford’s changes have started to appeal to consumers beyond their traditional “cult-following.”  If you compare the 2007 and 2010 Ford Taurus it becomes quite obvious that GM is making the ultimate stride to gain new feature-focused consumers.  Ford’s 2007 Taurus is one of the least attractive cars known to man and had minimal features available to those who were blind enough to make the purchase.  On contrary, the 2011 Ford Taurus is mind-blowing with available features such as backseat LCD Screens, turbo, etc. which are  beyond what a typical sedan would offer.  Ford has also implemented this same pattern of innovation with most of their other sedans.   It is amazing to see how such a transformation can be made to Ford models in such a short period of time.  I feel like these models should almost be renamed as they resemble nothing of the old models.  Ford has also implemented the same pattern of innovation across all vehicle segments.

It is clear that Ford is truly expanding its horizons and making a 100% commitment to acquire a new breed of consumers beyond their patriotic followers.  The sky is the limit for Ford as it continues to make new moves with its brand and looks to establish a strong relationship with feature-focused consumers.  It should be interesting to see how such a stride will affect their future market share and sales potential.

Tesla Motors has recently made an ice-breaking step into the business world by becoming publicly traded.  Tesla boasts itself as being a break-through company because it is offering high performance vehicles that primarily rely on battery power.  Tesla has introduced the Roadster, which is another animal compared to the hybrid vehicles by Toyota parts and Honda parts because it is an even more “green” option than these vehicles and has stronger performance at a luxury level.

But, more importantly, what does the future for Tesla Motors hold?  The buzz has officially begun and the company is now being publicly traded.  However, a great portion of investors do have doubts about the company’s potential because it is already hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.  Furthermore, speculations have been made about the battery’s credibility and the vehicle’s internal structure.

Yes, going “green” seems to be trend recently.  But is the political pressure of going “green” really strong enough to influence consumers to spend over 100k on a vehicle in such a weak economy?  We shall see.  Tesla looks forward to releasing vehicles at lower price points in the near future, which should help their sales and influence other competitors to add value to their brand through “green” car features.