Make Way For The Hyundai Entourage
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 US as a Hyundai Entourage. The minivan wars are warming up again even as one competitor exits the market and another also gives major consideration to abandoning the minivan segment. Is there an Entourage in your future? Read on for all the details and then decide.
Two decades ago, Hyundai entered the North American 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 clients still purchased Hyundais anyway as a new Excel compared favorably with costs for late model used vehicles of that time. Many owners shrugged off the inexpensive plastics and quality problems, citing that the the Pony gave them something they never had before: a brand new car.
Eventually, Hyundai expanded its line up and improved its quality levels. A sector best warranty plan was crafted and established which helped to underline that Hyundai was serious about building quality cars and would stand behind their many products. Mysteriously, a minivan was not part of the line up even as its Kia subsidiary successfully introduced the Sedona and as demand for minivans stayed strong.
Rumors of a Hyundai minivan have been circulating for several years. Even previous company press releases hinted at the possibility, but no official announcement had been forthcoming. Finally, late in 2005, Hyundai signaled that they would go on and produce a minivan based on the stretched wheelbase version of the Kia Sedona. No short wheelbase wagon is scheduled, 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 doorways, ABS, traction control, six airbags, and triple zone air conditioning, the Entourage will be equipped to compete directly 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 focus will be set precisely on competing against the 2 Chrysler products as well as the costly Honda and Sienna models. While Chrysler is currently the sales leader in this segment, a smartly optioned Entourage will often grab sales from fully kitted out versions of each model. This may not happen if quality levels don’t improve.
Knowing the competitiveness of this Korean automaker, you should expect that the Entourage will give a strong battle once quality issues have been overcome. Should that occur, you may expect that the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona will grab more sales and become a force to be reckoned with. The customer might be the biggest winner as prices are probably going to hold or maybe come down in the face of strong competition.
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Tags: entourage, hyundai, performance, review, specs