Hyundai plans luxury offshoot

It's no secret that the Korean company is aiming to shift upmarket with a raft of new models. But top brass at the firm are now considering the launch of a new luxury offshoot, just as Toyota has done with its Lexus-badged cars.

Its sister marque Kia is already well established as a value brand, and Hyundai has launched a determined bid to raise the standard of customer service across its network with a series of specialist training workshops for its dealership staff. However, an all-new premium offshoot would be an obvious route to creating an even more prestigious image. It could be used to sell vehicles such as the roadgoing version of the sleek Genesis Concept we revealed in Issue 955.

The four-door luxury saloon, which is aimed at the likes of Mercedes' E-Class and the BMW 5-Series, debuted at the New York Motor Show this week. A production version will arrive in the US next year.