Hyundai launches Aslan sedan

Hyundai Motor’s new sedan Aslan made its debut Thursday targeting the more affluent clientele on the Korean auto giant’s home turf, where premium German vehicles dominate the high-end segment.

“We felt sore seeing our Sonata and Grandeur drivers choose German luxury brands as their next step-up cars,” said Hyundai Motor president Kim Choong-ho during a launch event held at the Dongdaemum Design Plaza in Seoul.

“The Aslan is out to lure back the customers.”

Slotted between the Grandeur and Genesis sedans, the Hyundai Aslan ― whose name comes from the Turkish word for “lion” ― is a front-wheel-drive large sedan available in 3.0- or 3.3-liter gasoline engines.

While its big brother Genesis boasts driving agility based on its powerful engine and rear-wheel-drive system, the Aslan focuses more on driving comfort to compete with the luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, the carmaker said.

The car’s sleek and elegant styling is boosted by the generous use of expensive materials like leather and wood. It is also the first Hyundai car to have quilted leather seats.

Other high-end features, including a head-up display, an 8-inch-wide smart navigation system, adaptive headlamps and Lexicon audio system, are adopted as basic options across all trims, the carmaker said.

“Based on our own survey, we found that there is a sense of fatigue among the premium car drivers about the rear-wheel-drive, diesel-powered sedan,” said Kwak Jin, executive vice president and domestic sales chief.

“We are confident that the Aslan will be the best front-wheel large sedan in the market.”

He added that the carmaker was considering a global launch for the model.

“At a recent meeting our regional heads, China and the U.S. especially showed keen interest,” Kwak said.

Hyundai aims to sell 6,000 units of the Aslan in the remaining months this year and some 22,000 vehicles next year.

All the three trims ― Modern, Premium and Exclusive ― are available and the price tag ranges from 39.9 million won to 42.4 million won ($38,000-40,000) depending on the options.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)