Hyundai Entourage Fun Fast Affordable
It was only a matter of time before they entered the minivan fray and after many fake starts the on again and off again Hyundai minivan seems to be on once more. Hyundai is targeting a market it has long sidestepped and it seems that a long wheelbase version of the Kia Sedona will shortly be sold in the USA as a Hyundai Entourage. The minivan wars are heating up again even as one competitor exits the market and another also gives heavy consideration to deserting the minivan segment. Is there an Entourage in your future? Read on for all the details and then decide.
Two decades back, Hyundai entered the northern US market with its $3600 Excel Pony. This cheaply priced, cheaply built model set the tone for the new importer and it wasn’t a good one at that. Low quality went arm and arm with the low price, but consumers still purchased Hyundais any way as a new Excel compared positively with prices for late model used cars of that era. Many owners shrugged off the cheap plastics and quality problems, citing that the the Pony gave them something they never had before: a new automobile.
Eventually, Hyundai expanded its line up and improved its quality levels. A sector best warranty plan was crafted and put in place which helped to underline that Hyundai was serious about building quality vehicles and would stand behind their many products. Mysteriously, a minivan wasn’t part of the line up even as its Kia subsidiary successfully introduced the Sedona and as demand for minivans remained strong.
Rumors of a Hyundai minivan have been circulating for several years. Even prior company press releases hinted at the possibility, but no official statement had been forthcoming. Finally, late in 2005, Hyundai signaled that they’d go ahead and produce a minivan based on the stretched wheelbase version of the Kia Sedona. No short wheelbase van is pencilled in, so the Entourage will clearly target a little higher and more profitable end of the minivan market.
With a 3.8L V6 engine, power sliding doors, ABS, traction control, 6 airbags, and triple section air-con, the Entourage will be equipped to challenge immediately against four popular models : the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, and the Toyota Sienna. Based on the Sedona, Hyundai does have its work cut out for itself as the Sedona has been below average in quality and reliability.
To Hyundai’s advantage will be its competitive pricing and with Ford out of the market and General Motors considering doing the same, Hyundai’s spotlight is going to be set precisely on competing against the 2 Chrysler products as well as the dear Honda and Sienna models. While Chrysler is currently the sales leader in this segment, a smartly optioned Entourage will likely grab sales from fully kitted out versions of each model. This could not happen if quality levels do not improve.
Knowing the competitiveness of this Korean automaker, you should expect the Entourage will present a strong battle once quality issues have been overcome. Should that happen, you should expect the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona will grab more sales and become a force to be reckoned with. The client might be the most important winner as costs are likely to hold or even come down in the face of robust competition.
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Tags: entourage, hyundai, performance, review, Specs