And I don't think the guy who runs goodcarbadcar is exactly an authority on these matters.
And you are? And Hyundai's viewpoint is wishful thinking.
The fact is, Lexus is a luxury car brand....Hyundai is not. The Lexus has a much higher MSRP. Is it terribly shocking to think that a budget car brand that sells a car for 25% less than a true luxury brand might sell more in a given year?
I'm not shocked....and a Hyundai will never be a Lexus.
Don't get so mixed up on what is essentially a branding/sales channel exercise - which is what Lexus is for Toyota (every Lexus is a Toyota, no matter what badge it carries).
Hyundai is a full-line auto-maker, much like Toyota and Nissan in Japan and MB in Europe.
Until the launch of the LS460, all Lexus models were badged Toyotas in Japan and until recently, the Lexus RX was still sold in Japan as the Toyota Harrier.
To think that the LS430 was more luxurious than a Toyota Celsior when they are the exact same model is frankly, ludicrous.
And in addition, despite later launching the Lexus brand in Japan, Toyota still has a separate luxury sedan lineup with the Crown Series (topped by the Crown Majesta which Toyota also sees as a competitor to the S Class, 7 Series, etc.) and then there is the
Toyota Century which is significantly more luxurious than the LS460.
Nissan sells the M/Q70 and the G/Q50 in Japan as...
Nissans - are you going to argue that they are not luxury?
Furthermore, the M/Q70 is also sold in Japan as a rebadged Mitsubishi - are you going to argue that it is not a luxury sedan?
Also, don't be fooled by badges.
You really think the ILX (much less the CSX which was really no different from a Civic) is more of a luxury sedan than the Genesis simply b/c it has a luxury badge (the ILX would barely qualify as an entry-level luxury sedan, much less luxury simply based on what it is)?
The Acura TLX is also sold in Europe as the Honda Accord - so is it luxury in NA but not luxury in Europe?
The NSX was also sold as a Honda in Japan, so I guess it means that the NSX isn't luxury (a near exotic)?
Same goes for the Corvette which is sold as a Chevy or the GT-R which is sold as a Nissan (the GT-R is significantly pricier than any current Infiniti).
And do you really think the CT (a tarted up Corolla/Auris with a hybrid powertrain) and the ES and RX (tarted up Camry and Highlander) are more luxurious than the Genesis (esp. the new one), much less the departed HS (a tarted up Prius).
Heck, the Toyota Land Cruiser is more expensive than anything in the Lexus lineup save the LS460.
And Hyundai doesn't want to be Lexus, struggling to sell its RWD sedans while selling gobs of tarted up Camrys and Highlanders (and soon to be joined by a tarted up RAV-4).