• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, January 9, 2008 11:45 AM

Hyundai is boldly jumping into the market for $30,000-plus sedans--a crowded field where quality is a given and image matters much more to both buyer and seller. Its new seda--called Genesis--was launched in South Korea yesterday and will hit the U.S. in June.

Hyundai will tout that Genesis' performance is comparable to German luxury brands and that its price is lower. While final pricing hasn't been set, Hyundai expects the Genesis to start in the low-$30,000 range, compared with the low-$40,000 for BMW AG's 3-series sedan.

Hyundai is offering the vehicle under its own name rather than starting a new premium-focused brand, as Toyota did with Lexus and Nissan did with Infiniti. It's gambling that an upscale buyer can be persuaded that the value and reputation of the Hyundai name is rising. But that kind of build-it-and-they-will-come ambition has backfired before for Hyundai.

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