Managing Director of Hyundai Motor CIS Denis Petrunin
Managing Director of Hyundai Motor CIS Denis Petrunin Managing Director of Hyundai Motor CIS Denis Petrunin
The company has grandiose expectations from the market, despite the instability in the global financial markets. Where does this self-confidence come from?
- Hyundai should sell about 90 thousand Solaris by the end of the year. We expect good performance. Demand for Hyundai is growing faster than our manufacturing facilities. Suffice it to say that Hyundai did not fall in the past crisis.
IN USA?
- Everywhere. If you look at global volumes in the world of Hyundai, it turns out that in the crisis year we grew by 15 percent. For the past five years, Hyundai has been at the limit of its production capacity. Therefore, in order to get additional volume for Russia, it needs to be redistributed from somewhere. Right now, a plant near St. Petersburg has opened - these are additional forces; the production of the Hyundai ix35 crossover in the Czech Republic has been organized. This will give us an additional influx of new cars.
- The Korean company entered the Russian market as a budget brand and remained such for a long time. For example, the Sonata and Elantra models were very popular in the niche of budget cars, and now they are in a much higher price category. What is the reason for this movement?
- This is due to the real growth of the Hyundai brand. I repeat once again that now in the Russian market, demand exceeds supply. You ask, are people willing to pay significant money for a Hyundai car? Yes, the brand and the quality of its products have grown so much that people are willing to pay.
Is there a line at Sonata now?
- We sell about 400 cars a month. The real level may be higher, according to our feelings, at least one thousand Sonata can be sold per month. Despite the fact that the average car price is about 1.1 million rubles.
Has the attitude towards Hyundai as a budget brand changed in people?
- Someone already perceives us differently and understands - this is a fast-growing company that already sells an almost premium product for money that is still quite affordable. Of course, the truth is that there are customers who once became owners of Hyundai Getz or Tucson, and they have a desire to continue cooperation with our company. These people can now purchase Solaris and ix35.
For comparison, in 2008-2009, the average price of Getz sold was about 450 thousand rubles. Today, the cost of Solaris starts from 433 thousand rubles. The person who once bought the average Getz can now buy an air-conditioned car with two airbags, etc. Therefore, we have not lost our client.
