Volkswagen are just as concerned about what’s in its rear-view mirror as what is ahead in their quest to become the world’s biggest automaker. The German maker, who aim to topple Toyota from its No. 1 spot, see Korea’s Hyundai-Kia group as a bigger rival than the struggling Japanese company.
VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told the German news magazine Focus “I have the most respect for Hyundai”, naming Hyundai’s improved quality and the weakness of the Korean currency as reasons why Hyundai is on his mind. “Hyundai has now learned how to build good cars”.
IHS Automotive auto analyst Ian Fletcher said Hyundai and Kia can now match Japanese automakers for quality. “They are not just building cheap cars. They are building cheap, good cars,” he said.
Hyundai have boosted sales in North America with innovative sales methods, Fletcher said, and their new Sonata sedan is doing well in the United States against Toyota’s Camry and Honda’s Accord.
In Europe, the Korean automaker benefited enormously from government scrappage incentives, which many consumers used to buy cheap, small cars such as the Hyundai i10.
