现代车神威武出征

    2011年，经济衰退后期美国汽车市场竞争所的两大主题是: （1）底特律的复兴以及（2）丰田 （Toyota）的步履维艰。

    第三个同样重要的主题却鲜为提及----韩国汽车制造商现代（Hyundai）已是富甲一方。今夏，现代开始在美国市场销售其小型车雅绅特（Accent），势必将与福特（Ford）嘉年华（Fiesta），本田飞度（Fit）以及雪佛兰（Chevrolet）即将面世的Sonic在车市上展开激烈的交锋。

    Two main themes of 2011's post-recession competition in the U.S. car market so far are: 1) the rebound of Detroit and 2) the stumbles of Toyota.

    A third and equally significant development has drawn less attention, namely the surging fortunes of South Korean automaker Hyundai. This summer, Hyundai begins selling its Accent small car in the U.S., which is likely to contend strongly against Ford's Fiesta, Honda's Fit and Chevrolet's soon-to-be built Sonic.

    现代雅绅特：嘉年华终结者？

    现代正推行豪华车策略。由于并未采用独立的品牌和销售网络，这一策略颇具匠心且成本相对低廉。现代希望藉此蚕食雷克萨斯（Lexus）和英菲尼迪（Infinity）豪华车的销售市场。自Genesis豪华轿车和轿跑面世两年后，现代推出了该车的改良版，新版拥有更加犀利的外形、更强劲的动力并配备全新八速自动变速箱。

    在小型车市场，雅绅特显得诚意十足。现代颠覆性的中型车索纳塔以及紧凑车伊兰特备受评论人士的赞誉，且销量喜人。紧随前者的步伐，雅绅特新版已推出三厢版（四门），后续会有两厢版（5门掀背）跟进。该车型具有每加仑40英里的公路燃油效率等级，无疑将受到善于精打细算消费者的青睐。

    今年前5个月，现代连同其旗下品牌起亚（Kia）在美国的市场份额增长了1.4%，而通用（GM）、福特（F）及克莱斯勒（Chrysler）三家只取得了0.9%的增长。从5月的零售市场来看，不计算车辆租赁公司的购买量，索纳塔击败了雪佛兰科鲁兹（Cruze）、本田锋范（Accord）及日产（Nissan）Altima，荣登中型家用车销量冠军。

    尤其难能可贵的是，5月现代所取得的销售业绩是建立在较低份额基数之上的。底特律三巨头占据美国市场46.2%的江山，而现代和起亚仅占8.8%。但是没人再敢小瞧现代，否则将重蹈轻视丰田（TM）、本田（HMC）和日产的覆辙。

    令现代美国高管自豪的不仅是车辆质量和设计上的改观。2009年失业率高居不下之时，公司的营销部门引进了“保障”计划，确保现代车主即使遭遇失业也能支付购车贷款。这一计划并未给现代增加太多的成本负担，而且还推动了销售业绩的攀升。

    现今，随着失业忧虑的淡化，担保计划再次披挂上阵，即现代汽车车主购买新车时可享受旧车折价最低价保护。新车车主，如伊兰特，自购买之日起，在今后的四年当中将按月获悉该车的转售价格。这一价格可以在购买一辆新现代时用于抵价。在现代汽车阵容的另一端，现代公司高管对于雅科仕豪华车出色的市场表现尤为兴奋，产品策划副总裁麦克•欧布雷恩说道。该车型正不断蚕食雷克萨斯LS460、卡迪拉克（Cadillac）和英菲尼迪的市场份额。

    由于雅科仕品牌直接通过现代品牌经销商进行销售，是一个面向大众的品牌，经销商通常在提车后一并将贷款手续直接递送到买主的家中或公司。多年前该公司就认为开辟新的品牌经销商成本太高，至少现在仍是如此。欧布雷恩说：“客户的时间是最宝贵的。”

    本着将基本需求上升为品味这一做法，现代在高端市场打拼出了自己的天地。现代在豪华车市场虽然还是只小麻雀，但它已然站稳脚跟。当初业界也曾耻笑雷克萨斯和英菲尼迪不知深浅，然而有了之后的教训，相信没人敢再轻视现代的前途。

    Hyundai Accent: Fiesta crasher?

    Hyundai is also capitalizing on a strategy to grab sales, mainly from Lexus and Infiniti, by pursuing a luxury-car strategy that is innovative and less costly than setting up a separate brand and dealer network. Two years after introducing its Genesis sedan and coupe, the automaker is bringing out a face-lifted version with styling nips and tucks, as well as a more powerful engine and new eight-speed automatic transmission.

    On the small-car front, Accent's bona fides are impressive. Available in four-door and, soon, in five-door hatchback versions, Accent comes on the heels of Hyundai's Sonata game-changing midsize sedan and its compact Elantra, both of which are highly acclaimed by reviewers and are selling well. The 40 mile-per-gallon highway rating will undoubtedly catch the attention of budget-conscious consumers.

    In the first five months of the year, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia together added 1.4 points of U.S. market share, compared with a collective gain of 0.9 points for General Motors (GM), Ford (F), and Chrysler. On the basis of retail sales in May, not including sales to rental fleets, Sonata led all midsize family sedans, outselling the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

    What's all the more remarkable is that Hyundai's share gain through May comes off a much smaller base. Detroit-based automakers account for 46.2% of the market, compared with Hyundai and Kia's 8.8%. But no one is taking Hyundai lightly anymore, especially those who recall how Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC) and Nissan were underestimated.

    Hyundai's U.S. executives can take pride in more than just the improvements in vehicle quality and design. The company's marketers introduced an "Assurance" program in 2009 when unemployment was at its worst to guarantee car payments for buyers in the event that they lose their jobs. That program didn't cost Hyundai much, its executives said, and kept sales strong.

    With job loss now less of a worry, Assurance has been rebooted as a guarantee that when Hyundai owners decide to trade in their vehicles they will receive a minimum resale value. The buyer of a new Hyundai Elantra, for example, knows month-by-month what the resale value of the car will be for four years from the day it's bought. That amount can be applied toward purchase of a new Hyundai. At the other end of their vehicle lineup, Hyundai executives are "thrilled" with the sales performance of the Equus luxury sedan, says Mike O'Brien, vice president of product planning. The sedan has filched sales mainly from Lexus's LS460 sedan as well as Cadillac and Infiniti.

    Because Equus is sold through Hyundai dealerships, a middle-of-the-road brand, dealers routinely pick up cars and deliver loaners to customers' homes and businesses. The company years ago decided that building a separate dealership was too expensive, at least for now. "What's really valuable to our customers is their time," O'Brien says.

    By turning necessity into a virtue, Hyundai has forced its way into the high end of the market. It's a player in luxury sales, albeit a small one. Remembering how the industry once scoffed at the effrontery of Lexus and Infiniti, few are underestimating Hyundai's future.