| It was only a matter of time before they entered the | | | | had been forthcoming. Finally, late in 2005, Hyundai |
| minivan fray and after several false starts the on | | | | signaled that they would go ahead and produce a |
| again and off again Hyundai minivan appears to be on | | | | minivan based on the stretched wheelbase version of |
| once again. Hyundai is targeting a market it has long | | | | the Kia Sedona. No short wheelbase van is planned, |
| sidestepped and it appears that a long wheelbase | | | | so the Entourage will clearly target a slightly higher and |
| version of the Kia Sedona will soon be sold in the US | | | | more lucrative end of the minivan market. |
| as a Hyundai Entourage. The minivan wars are heating | | | | With a 3.8L V6 engine, power sliding doors, ABS, |
| up again even as one competitor exits the market and | | | | traction control, six airbags, and triple zone air |
| another also gives serious consideration to abandoning | | | | conditioning, the Entourage will be equipped to compete |
| the minivan segment. Is there an Entourage in your | | | | directly against four popular models: the Dodge |
| future? Read on for all the details and then decide. | | | | Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, |
| Two decades ago, Hyundai entered the North | | | | and the Toyota Sienna. Based on the Sedona, Hyundai |
| American market with its $3600 Excel Pony. This | | | | does have its work cut out for itself as the Sedona |
| cheaply priced, cheaply built model set the tone for the | | | | has been below average in quality and reliability. |
| new importer and it wasn't a good one at that. Low | | | | To Hyundai's advantage will be its competitive pricing |
| quality went arm and arm with the low price, but | | | | and with Ford out of the market and General Motors |
| consumers still bought Hyundais anyway as a new | | | | considering doing the same, Hyundai's focus will be set |
| Excel compared favorably with prices for late model | | | | squarely on competing against the two Chrysler |
| used cars of that era. Many owners shrugged off the | | | | products as well as the pricey Honda and Sienna |
| cheap plastics and quality problems, citing that the | | | | models. While Chrysler is currently the sales leader in |
| Pony gave them something they never had before: a | | | | this segment, a smartly optioned Entourage will |
| brand new car. | | | | probably grab sales from fully equipped versions of |
| Eventually, Hyundai expanded its line up and improved | | | | each model. This will not happen if quality levels do not |
| its quality levels. An industry best warranty plan was | | | | improve. |
| crafted and put in place which helped to underscore | | | | Knowing the competitiveness of this Korean |
| that Hyundai was serious about building quality vehicles | | | | automaker, you can expect that the Entourage will |
| and would stand behind their many products. | | | | present a strong battle once quality issues have been |
| Mysteriously, a minivan was not part of the line up | | | | overcome. Should that happen, you can expect that |
| even as its Kia subsidiary successfully introduced the | | | | the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona will grab more |
| Sedona and as demand for minivans remained strong. | | | | sales and become a force to be reckoned with. The |
| Rumors of a Hyundai minivan have been circulating for | | | | consumer may be the biggest winner as prices are |
| several years. Even previous company press releases | | | | likely to hold or even come down in the face of strong |
| hinted at the possibility, but no official announcement | | | | competition. |