WOULD YOU BE ashamed of being seen in a Hyundai? Apparently, most people in Japan are. And nobody said it better than the drift Zen master Han Liu (Sung Kang) in The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift when he handed to his disciple, Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), a red-livery Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX: “You‘re representing me now. What you think, I’m gonna let you roll in a Hyundai?”

This coming from a Japanese character says a lot about Japan’s appreciation for the stereotypically-Korean cars sold by Hyundai. And now the Korean automaker is pulling out of Japan, with reason to do so. Since 2001, the automaker has only been able to sell 15,095 units in the country, as compared to Volkswagen which sold 61,996 units in 2008 alone. Beat that, Sonata. But regardless, Hyundai will continue to sell commercial vehicles in Japan. Despite having sold only 43 Universe buses in 2006, they’re keen on holding on to that small portion of the market.

Hyundai spokesman Oles Gadacz tries to explain their situation saying “If you’re not a Gucci or a BMW, there are very few who prosper there (in Japan)… Mass-market players have it very tough.”

Well, at least they won the Car of the Year award in the 2009 Detroit Auto Show with the Genesis sedan, besting the Ford Flex and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. That’s something to be thankful for. And mind you, its sinister sibling, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, is making a lot of noise in Formula Drift with Rhys Millen Racing and Red Bull Energy Drink. It has got a whopping 550hp Lambda V6, but that’s for another story. We’ll keep you posted on that one. It just might turn you into a fan.

Sources: World Car Fans, CNN, Conceptcarz