Hyundai Motor executives declared that "Korean cars will always be better than Chinese cars", causing an uproar in the automotive circle

According to media reports, at the launch of the new KONA new energy model held by Hyundai Motor Australia, Hyundai Motor Australia CEO John Kett expressed a series of views on Hyundai Motor. Among them, he claimed that Hyundai will always be more high-end than Chinese brand cars, a view that has attracted widespread attention and discussion.

Despite Hyundai's technological and design advancements in many areas, it seems a bit one-sided to compare it to Chinese brand cars and label them as high-end in general. Chinese automakers have made great strides in innovation and technology in recent years, and have continuously improved product quality and competitiveness. Some Chinese brand cars have been able to rival or even surpass international brands in terms of luxury performance and high-tech equipment.

Although he emphasized that Hyundai will maintain its technological leadership and continue to promote innovation to provide consumers with a better car experience, it is not clear from his remarks that Hyundai will have specific technological leadership and innovation highlights. If Hyundai wants to establish itself as a premium segment, it needs to make breakthroughs not only in technology, but also in terms of design, quality, and user experience.

Ko mentioned that Hyundai no longer goes the low-cost car route and has decided not to pursue low prices. This decision is positive, because the low price strategy is not necessarily suitable for every automaker, especially for a brand that strives for high quality and innovation.

However, the question then arises as to whether Hyundai will be able to continue to push the boundaries of technology and meet consumer demand for high-quality vehicles by raising profit levels. This requires Hyundai to have a clear plan in terms of R&D, manufacturing, and market positioning, and to find a successful business model in the face of fierce competition.

China's auto market is currently developing rapidly, and many local auto brands have made significant progress in technological innovation, quality improvement and sales growth. However, in this highly competitive market environment, Korean brands such as Hyundai Motor face a huge challenge from Chinese brands.

Hyundai Motor's CEO, Andrew Ko, claims that they have always been better than Chinese cars, emphasizing their technological leadership and relatively high prices. However, we need to objectively assess whether this self-confidence is well-founded.

In recent years, Hyundai Motor has frequently experienced vehicle quality problems, which has had a considerable impact on its brand image. At the same time, some Chinese domestic brands such as Lynk & Co, Hongqi and Li have continuously improved product quality and won more consumer recognition by increasing technology investment and strict quality control. This shows that Chinese brands are on par with, or even surpass, Hyundai in terms of quality.

Hyundai has always maintained a high price level. However, many Chinese brands offer more equipment and more advanced technology than Hyundai's models at the same price point, giving consumers a richer experience. Consumers are paying more attention to value for money than just brand premium, which is also an important factor in the success of Chinese brands in the market.

Finally, sales data is also an important indicator to evaluate the competitiveness of a brand. The latest statistics show that Chinese brands have performed well in 2022, with Hongqi Auto sales reaching 310,000 units and Li Auto exceeding 320,000 units. In comparison, Beijing Hyundai's sales were only 254,000 units, further indicating that Chinese brands have made a big breakthrough in the market.

Based on the above factors, from the perspective of consumers, the technical strength and quality of Chinese brands tend to be close to or even surpass those of Korean brands such as Hyundai Motor. At the same time, Chinese brands also have obvious advantages in terms of price and cost performance. Therefore, for most consumers, choosing a Chinese brand is more appealing.

Of course, each consumer's needs and preferences are different, and some consumers with higher brand loyalty to Hyundai may be more inclined to choose Hyundai cars with consistent performance. Therefore, consumers should choose the right car brand according to their own needs and preferences. In the future, Chinese brands need to continue to strengthen technology research and development and quality control to maintain a competitive advantage in global competition.

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