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Hyundai's sustained move upmarket will involve a fleet charm offensive to promote the Sonata's replacement, to be badged i40, which should reach UK showrooms in 2010.
The Mondeo-sized upper medium contender will appear first in estate car form, before the saloon appears, and Hyundai believes that with business car interest the i40 could generate between 5000 and 10,000 sales annually.
Tony Whitehorn, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK, said: "We are moving confidently from value brand status to affordable quality and the i40 will be a striking car, designed in Europe for European tastes."
He added: "This sector is very fleet dependent but you must build up brand credibility and fleet people are sensitive to the influence of user choosers. Equally strong residual values are vital for competitive contract hire rates. As a result the value guides will see the i40 at the beginning of 2010 so we can prepare our case."
Whitehorn said: "Volumes will relate to our fleet initiative and we could raise i40 to between 5000 and 10,000 units a year, compared to 250 for the Sonata, as the D or upper medium sector involves a 70% business car element."
Hyundai is also keen to gain a new flagship with a high-performance coupe version of the BMW 7-Series size Genesis and is lobbying along with other right-hand-drive markets for the £30,000 plus model. It is powered byV6 300PS and 2.0-litre turbo, four-cylinder petrol engines. There are no plans to import the Genesis saloon.
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