This week, we take a look at Volvo’s new pricing strategy and ask Hyundai’s R&D boss how different their “N” hot hatches are to the standard models.
A nice culture shock
“You can change people’s minds at Hyundai if you have a strong enough argument,” said Tyrone Johnson, European R&D boss for Genesis, Hyundai and Kia, when mulling the dramatic differences from his former employer.
“At Ford, if a decision is made, that’s the way it’s going to stay. At Hyundai, one big advantage is that once a decision is made, the process is much quicker.”
Johnson, who developed the third-generation Ford Focus RS and Mustang SVT, is currently working on more than 20 projects for the three Hyundai Motor Group brands, including Hyundai N performance models.
How big a change is an N over a standard car? “The amount of change in an N is a bigger difference than a Ford Fiesta and a Ford Fiesta ST.”
Inflatable Volvos
Volvo has raised prices of its cars to compensate for inflation, increased material costs and restricted production volumes (the cheapest Volvo XC60 now costs £47,460, up from £41,745 this time last year), and it might go further still.
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