My point is that Ford will be selling their sub-compact car for more money than Hyundai's compact car. That's how Ford can afford to put a francy transmission in their sub-compact. If they were pricing the Fiesta at $10k to go against the Accent, do you think you'd have a dual clutch transmission in there? Of course not; you'd have either a crappy CVT or a 4-speed automatic.
Do you think the base Elantra will sell for less than $12600, the price of the Fiesta S Sedan? Plus, keep in mind that the base Fiesta S is not barebone either; it is better equipped and it is of a higher interior grade than what Hyundai sells you for $12000 in the current Elantra base. The gap is even bigger if you look at the Accent.
By the same token, do you think Hyundai will price the new Accent at $10000 while offering the same level of equippment and quality as Fiesta does? I highly doubt it.
I would further speculate that the new Elantra will be priced slightly higher than the current Forte, which will put it above $15800 (no A/C at this price point just like in the Fiesta S sedan). Than you'll have over $3000 price gap which is a lot for the sub-compact/compact class.
My other point is that Ford charges $1250 for the 6AT dual-clutch while Hyundai charges $1600 for a traditional 6AT or $1200 for a 4AT.
Ford charges the tranny as a
stand alone option on the Fiesta and it has nothing to do with the rest of the car. Simple as that.
I believe the days of cheap Hyundais are over now that they've raised the bar. The value is perhaps still there but the gap is much smaller if at all.
