"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
10/27/2014 at 10:04 • Filed to: Hyundai, photo dump
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"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
10/27/2014 at 10:04 • Filed to: Hyundai, photo dump | 1
| 0 |
A few weeks ago I took the family Hyundai Veracruz to get serviced and while I was there I took a bunch of pics with my Android Potato. It's been a while since I've looked at the new Hyundai line-up, including the all-new 2nd Gen(esis) (does what Nintendon't). The results are actually pretty interesting and, IMHO, reveals where Hyundai gets it right and wrong with their car lines as they currently exist.
We start with this The Walking Dead Edition Tucson. Yes, Walking Dead Edition Tucson, a consequence of Hyundai exes thinking that the secret to Toyota and Honda-esque sales figures is product placement spam.
You can see the side graphic more clearly that identifies this as a TWD edition. I've been told that the TWD Edition is actually the most expensive and well-equipped Tucson currently sold, though the salesman who was nice enough to guide me through the lot with no expectation to buy told me there are delete options to bring the price point down (which was the case with this particular example).
TWD badging inside, naturally. Oh, and you can barely see it thanks to my phone, naturally. The Tucson has gone through very slight updates since it joined the rest of the "fluidic sculpture" line (its most major update since is slated for the next model year, though it'll still be far too recognizable on an already aging platform) but the interior seems to have gone through tangible changes since the last time I sat in one close to this generation's launch. And I do literally mean tangible, as the fabric quality has improved to "livable" condition (I hated the mid-range GLS when I test drove one because of how uncomfortable the cloth and leather seats were) and the plastics graduated to a level above Tupperware.
You can see the graphics better in this shot.
The dot matrix continues to wrap around the rear bumper and fascia.
The interior of a new Santa Fe sitting adjacent. The materials have a decent feel, fit and finish but I'm not so impressed by the actual design language. The "elephant ear" vents in particular scream trying too hard to me.
The interior door panel materials have probably seen the most palpable changes. To use the industry's most favorite cliche, the plastics and fabric feel VW/Audi-like.
Close-up of the center console, the usability isn't too bad from the standpoint of simply reaching and manipulating the controls. I didn't bother to try the nav screen.
Gauges are functional, and for a midsize fuel-efficient AWD daily driver/commuter I guess that's the most you can ask for.
Driver's door controls are pretty hard to screw up in terms of ergonomics due to long-established industry patterns and practices. That doesn't mean designers haven't tried otherwise.
The interior of the Elantra GT is actually probably among the best of the lineup (or at least compact lineup), especially given its simplicity. The whole package Elantra GT might in fact be the best overall product in the entire lineup, especially among the compacts. This is what Hyundai should've concentrated on instead of the tryhard Veloster. It's more or less gunning for the same demo and image, but with more practicality in a four-door hot hatch format instead of the weird two-hand-a-half door job trying to set the Veloster apart. The interior of the Veloster is so surprisingly awful and bland (and absolutely does not fit that car's exterior or marketing) I didn't even bother taking any pictures. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is right, the Veloster truly is the KFC Famous Bowls of cars and Hyundai should be embarrassed by it.
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Lower half of the control console and auto shifter (a manual is offered) on the Elantra GT. Once again, simpler is better in this case.
Going from one of the best to the worst - the little, cheap Accent. Sister brand Kia seems to have found a winning formula for platform sister car Rio, especially with the hatchback - offer it as a premium choice in a very affordable, very small package to people who want creature comforts and features but not size. At least with the impression given by this example, Hyundai seems content with making and marketing the Accent as an ultra-cheap but new alternative to used cars. Frankly I'd rather have the used car, and I'd be surprised if most people don't think the same. You can see in this shot how bare and unfurnished (and for that matter, unfinished) the steering wheel looks. The fabric was course and the plastics were as hard and rubbery as PlastiDip.
In fact, the fabrics are so course you can quite literally see it for yourself. When you can friggin' see with your own damn eyes how course the fabric is, it's time to start over. If you're still willing to buy a car like this when the Kia dealership across the street is selling a far superior CPO Forte Koup for close to the same price (or the Mazda dealership offering several CPO Mazda3s), consider yourself an idiot.
The Accent's interior is so plain it hurts, though it's not as obvious in this photo. Without a lot of features on the center console, it really drives home the appliance nature of this car.
My Android Potato did a very lousy job but you can see the cheapest (and perhaps worst) and most expensive contrast in this one shot - Accent right behind Genesis. The Genesis is a great car held back by some minor, hopefully correctable stuff (at least when you're just sitting in it). The Accent is holding the whole brand back, especially when you park it on a dealer lot arranged like this.
The interior of the Genesis is, in my opinion, very well-designed with great ergonomics and a visual aesthetic that conveys its price point intentions. The hard plastics are Apple-chic and piano smooth, but if you're not into that the (simulated?) wood seems to fall a little flat to me. It just lacks the visual definition to convince me it's authentic. The leather - you know, the thing you're going to have the most physical contact with on the whole damn car - felt as cheap as the rest of the Hyundai lineup, and that was a major let-down. Especially since the rest of the car seems to live up to it. It felt more suitable for lining the seat padding of a Huffy than a Lexus fighter.
The steering wheel was nice enough, though my Santa Fe feels as if it has a slightly higher quality of leather wrap, strangely enough. It's still a good feeling leather wrap at least.
An attempt to show off more of the Genesis' interior. Maybe if they can bring the price point down without changing the quality of the interior (which as I've repeatedly noted still isn't up to its aspired competition) this car can help push the rest of the lineup.
View from the backseat - it's got that high-end Teutonic luxury look, but then again is that something you really want to emulate? I think a major part of Lexus' success was their ability to pull of warm-looking and feeling luxury interiors.
And the backseat itself. It's certainly feature-laden and I have to wonder if the back might be the best seat in the Genesis house. It's not quite Equus-like back here but from a true practicality standpoint it's pretty damn close.
Under the hood is...Lexus-like cladding covering everything.
In contrast here's the Accent again. Everything is at least easily accessible and obvious for what its worth.
Other side of the Accent, I believe.
The trunk of the Genesis, so...ta-da. I don't know how Lexus-like it necessarily is.
I know I've made a ton of comparisons between the Genesis and its Lexus targets so I figured the logical conclusion would be to actually visit the nearest Lexus dealership and sit in their hottest seller, the RX 350. I sat in one a few years ago and was impressed, as its buttery-soft leather was much better than even the ultra-premium products (and by that I mean Aston-Martin and six-figure Audis and Jaaaaaaags) I tried out at the Denver Auto Show a few years ago. The current one pulls off the Predator nose probably most successfully of all Lexus products and is actually a very nice looking car, and is at least the most distinctive luxury CUV in its class while still remaining a handsome ride. But the leather didn't feel all that much better than the Genesis, so there must've been a significant downgrade in materials somewhere. And that dash is trying too hard to look like...I don't know. A water fountain from the Louvre? I'm at a loss here.
Finally the bread and butter Sonata. MY 2015 introduces a very heavy revamp,especially in the interior. It's better than the last one but perhaps a bit too conservative now, matching Hyundai's own !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
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The center console looks functional. Honestly maybe too functional. Fit and finish and feel were nice enough though. I can imagine it's a good daily driver. My sister-in-law daily drives the version previous to this and it's comfortable and pleasant enough, though perhaps some premature wear on the fabrics notwithstanding.
The Sonata now has an interesting door animation on its gauge cluster. Oh, you want to see it? Sure!
Yeah, my Android Potato just couldn't get a good shot under these conditions. But at least you get the general idea.
Yup, these infamous matt-finish Velosters. This one's a turbo as evidenced by the grille. The salesman was talking to a prospective buyer about how easy-maintenance the matt finish is and how you can run it through a car wash like any other paint finish. I'm extremely hesitant to believe that.
I also bothered to take a rear view to show off those nice, round exhaust pipes that also mark it as a Turbo. The Veloster Turbo is probably a nice enough, hoonable FWD car but I still have to wonder if they'd been better off dumping the same engine in an Elantra GT sub-trim.
An orange-metallic Turbo, once again as evidenced by the round exhaust pipes. Yes, it's the same one visible from the first pic of the matt green Veloster.
And that concludes this photodump.