Hyundai Australia is backing the credentials of its new Genesis luxury car by setting up public comparison tests involving rival German cars, the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The South Korean car maker has set up the back-to-back trials in Sydney and Melbourne as part of the November launch for its new large luxury sedan.
It is pitching the Genesis as the company’s technological flagship, and is hoping the car will create a massive uplift in how the Hyundai brand is perceived in Australia.
The Sydney exercise has already started at World Square in the city, before the mini event is moved mid-November to Melbourne’s Federation Square.
Hyundai Australia says it didn’t actually purchase the German duo but cryptically said it had “obtained them for long-term evaluation”.
The company used both models along with other segment rivals to use as varying benchmarks for the Genesis.
Marketing director Oliver Mann said it wanted members of the public to have the chance to make their own comparisons.
“Essentially, we’re inviting people to have a first-hand test drive [of the Genesis],” said Mann.
“We’re happy for people to compare any element of the car, product for product. This is not necessarily about saying to BMW or Mercedes customers ‘Why don’t you think about a Genesis and you could save 40 grand’, because many of those people are entrenched in their brands.
“But what we are trying to say to any buyers who are open-minded enough about it is that here’s a car that has been benchmarked against the very best, [and] we think it bears comparison with the very best. We’re not pretending we’re going to sell to the same people necessarily.
“It’s a big, bold move but you can tell there’s a lot of confidence in the car, though there’s no presumption of success. It’s not fundamentally about a volume case it’s about a brand development case.”
The Hyundai Genesis is officially on sale from mid November, priced from $60,000 plus on-road costs. Additional option packs are also available, taking the price to either $71,000 or $82,000.
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