Hyundai Considers Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX SUV Rival

It wasn’t so very long ago that the idea of Hyundai delivering a luxury car may have seemed completely ridiculous, but that notion is now out the window thanks to the Genesis Sedan, Genesis Coupe, and the Equus.

The auto shoppers are now buying into Hyundai as a luxury brand option, which is why the Koreans are contemplating a luxury crossover that would go up against the likes of the Lexus RX and the Cadillac SRX.

It was Edmunds who first broke the news after talking to Dave Zuchowski, head of Hyundai’s North American unit.

He did not say that the plans for such a SUV were definite, but that they were under consideration.

Hyundai has traveled this road before with the release of the Veracruz, but it failed to make a dent when going up against the Lexus RX in the 5 years that it was on the market.

It was the Santa Fe that was essentially charged with taking the reins from the Veracruz, going as far as sharing some of the failed car’s underpinnings.

If the new model is sent to production, it would likely be based on the Santa Fe. The problem that Hyundai would face would be finding a position for the car that would match its upscale pricing.

Zuchowski pointed to the Lexus RX as proof that this could be done, saying that it shares a lot with the Toyota Highlander, except for the upscale price.

That said Lexus does not sit the RX side by side with other models in the Toyota line-up.

Since Hyundai has no plans to create a separate luxury brand, they will need to get creative in putting space between the new luxury model and the crossovers they already have.

In order for that to happen, they will likely have to adopt the same marketing methods they did with the Genesis and Equus luxury sedans, which was to create a separate upscale showroom space in their dealerships.