Hyundai has stated that reports of a premium brand being launched in China are false. The story, published in China Daily newspaper, has been refuted by the Korean company who maintains that there is "no specific plan to launch a separate premium brand". However, senior sources at Hyundai UK have admitted that they are seriously considering the prospect of an upmarket sub-brand, saying that "you can't stretch the Hyundai brand from a £6000 supermini to a £60,000 saloon."Meanwhile, Hyundai continues to focus on improving the quality of its own models and creating more defined brand identities for itself and sister company, Kia.Whilst Hyundai targets reliability, comfort and quality and aims for the same target audience as Volkswagen, Kia is likely to concentrate on a more sporting brand ethos and focus on a similar target audience as Seat. With new models such as the conspicuously un-branded V8 Genesis saloon due in the US, and next generation Coupé in the UK, Hyundai's own move upmarket looks to be progressing faster than ever, with or without another brand in the works.
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