Hyundai's John Krafcik

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

If you ever wondered what Bob Lutz would be like after five yeras of charm school, here it is: John Krafcik, president of Hyundai Motor America. He spoke about the revolution going on in the automotive market right now, and how history would look back on it, during the keynote breakfast at the Chicago auto show. Covering everything from peak oil and global warming (he thinks peak oil is a bigger issue) to the business models in use in the auto industry (quality is more important than cost targets, in his book), he owned up to many of the issues and the OEMs’ role in making them worse or better. It was pretty darn cool to hear a well-spoken exec talk about the ugly facts of 2009, and ways the industry can look to the future. Hyundai’s making a lot of hay right now, and it’s clear from this guy that it all comes from the top.