Hyundai’s first two cars, the Pony and Stellar were quintessential lemons, and the company’s subsequent models have not been much better. The Pony came to Canada in late 1984, and sales took off like wildfire, mainly because of the Pony’s reasonably attractive packaging and very attractive price. The failure-prone Stellar joined the lineup in 1985. By that point, Hyundai had become the number one automobile importer in Canada. The dealer network mushroomed as everyone tried to get into the act. The domestic car manufacturers, and even Hyundai, had not expected this to happen. Everyone was caught off guard, and this automotive house of cards began coming apart. The Pony and Stellar were quickly taken off the market, while the Excel, which arrived in time for the Hyundai sales crash of 1986, was the only model sold in 1988.

This South Korean auto manufacturer was the architect of its own downfall. First, the cars being sold were not subjected to minimally acceptable quality controls. Second, the dealer body expanded too rapidly, allowing people who knew nothing of sales and service to get a franchise. Third, the Stellar, in particular, suffered from serious design deficiencies that should have prevented the car from being sold in the first place. These defects rendered both the Stellar and Pony unsafe, and it would have taken several million dollars to correct the problem. A redesign of the Stellar’s front end and a larger engine for 1987 was too little, too late, to stop the sales slide.

Hyundai’s partner for much of its design and engineering work is Mitsubishi, the maker of Dodge/Plymouth Colts, Eagle Vistas, and Dodge Lasers and Talons. Instead of designing entirely new cars from the ground up, Hyundais are now derivatives of Mitsubishi products. The Excel is a Dodge Colt 100 in Italian disguise, and the Sonata is based on the Mitsubishi Galant, which is sold as the Dodge 2000GTX in Canada.

Wpg Auto

www.wpgauto.com

Auto Dealer Langely British Canada

Used Car Dealers in Automotive related blogs and Squido sites