Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti owners will soon have a fresh choice in luxury cars. The name Hyundai may surprise them, however.

Hyundai, eager to find a marketplace for frugal wealthy consumers, formally introduced its V-8-powered $36,000 Genesis sedan recently and plans to have it for sale in the United States soon.

Even though the Genesis may lack snob appeal, the South Korean auto maker believes Genesis will attract the wealthy with curb appeal.

Analysts, on the other hand, are unsure if the prosperous would be caught dead stopping at their country club’s valet stand in a right-off-the-showroom-floor Hyundai.

Genesis is not your average Hyundai. It’s slightly larger than a midsize and the corporation says it is equivalent to $60,000 first-class sedans. The Genesis will be powered by Hyundai's foremost rear-wheel-drive, 368-horsepower V-8 engine. It will contain the identical stereo system built for the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Hyundai’s base-level Genesis equipped with a V-6 engine is priced at $30,000. Its next-least-expensive vehicle is the Azera Limited, which starts at $28,550.

The Genesis won't exactly scream Hyundai. The car manufacturer’s "flying H" logo is emblazoned on the trunk but, so far, nowhere on the hood. That may be added later.

Hyundai thought about establishing its own luxury division, like Honda’s Acura, Nissan’s Infiniti or Toyota's Lexus , but has abandoned the idea for the time being.

Just one additional conventional car manufacturer has attempted to build super-premium model in recent years. Volkswagen's Phaeton sedan, priced as much as $100,000, was discontinued because sales were disappointing.

The Phaeton was excessively weighty and pricey. Genesis will probably compete soundly against its luxury competition when features and performance are considered. Genesis’ test will come with Hyundai’s brand image.

The luxury vehicle is a growing area in United States’ auto sales and creates strong earnings. With that in mind, Hyundai and its brother, Kia, have been offering an abundance of value for the price.