Hyundai is the Highest Ranked Non-Premium Nameplate in the 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study

J.D. Power and Associates announced that Hyundai is the highest ranked non-premium nameplate in the 2006 Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS) and is ranked third among all nameplates. Hyundai owners had fewer problems with their vehicles than any other non premium brand.

In addition to Hyundai's strong overall showing, the Hyundai Tucson earned the trophy for the highest initial quality in the compact multi-activity vehicle (MAV) segment.

Hyundai ranks among the top three nameplates in the study for the first time in the history of IQS, according to the 2006 Initial Quality Study issued by J.D. Power and Associates. Highlights include a top ranking for the Hyundai Tucson in the compact MAV segment, and top three segment performances for the redesigned Sonata and all-new Azera, as well as the Elantra and Tiburon.

The IQS study measures 217 attributes, including the overall driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of defect and design problems reported by vehicle owners. Hyundai has been steadily improving its non-premium nameplate ranking, ranking third in 2005, up from fourth the previous year.

"Beating outstanding competitors at their own game for the first time is a major milestone for Hyundai," said Steve Kelleher, Hyundai Auto Canada's President and CEO. "This J.D. Power study underlines tremendous strides we've made in quality, right across our product range. This study confirms that Hyundai is building world-class products that, in terms of quality and customer satisfaction, can compete with anything on the market today. Also very impressive is how well Sonata scored right out of the gate from a new assembly plant and workforce in Alabama."

The Hyundai Sonata ranked third in the highly competitive midsize car segment. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA), which produces the Sonata and Hyundai Santa Fe, finished tenth in plant quality out of 73 plants in North/South America. HMMA's North American plant introduction is among the best in the industry in the last decade.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., is an independent manufacturing operation of Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, Korea. HMMA currently produces the Sonata sedan and Santa Fe crossover vehicle. At full capacity, HMMA will produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

Hyundai Automotive Group Has Become The World's Sixth Largest Automaker

The Hyundai Automotive Group ranks as the sixth largest automotive manufacturer in the world, according to the Detroit-based weekly Automotive News.

In Automotive News' most recent survey of global automotive sales and production, Hyundai Motor Co. and its subsidiary Kia Motors Corp. registered an 11.6 percent jump in global sales in 2005 to 3,715,096 units. It was the largest percentage gain of any carmaker in the million-plus sales category. With it, Hyundai and Kia climbed one spot in the global rankings.

Hyundai has enjoyed double digit sales gains in the Chinese, Indian and Russian markets while in the more competitive North American and European markets, a more modest pace of growth has been registered.

The survey results were published in the June 5, 2006 edition of Automotive News and include sales of cars, light trucks, commercial vehicles and buses.

The steady climb up the charts is attributable to a management dedication and focus on quality. Since 1999, Hyundai has made quality the mantra resulting in a dramatic turnaround in the reputation of the Hyundai brand thereby fueling increased sales. The company has also invested heavily in overseas manufacturing. Since 1999, Hyundai Automotive Group has passed Fiat, Honda, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, Nissan and Renault in global sales to move into the number six sales spot.

Ranking Manufacturer 2005 Global Sales
1 General Motors 8,381,805
2 Toyota Motor Corp. 8,120,000
3 Ford Motor Co. 6,208,700
4 Volkswagen AG 5,242,793
5 DaimlerChrysler AG 4,854,700
6 Hyundai Automotive Group 3,715,095
7 Nissan Motor Co. 3,597,748
8 PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA 3,390,000
9 Honda Motor Co. 3,365,000
10 Renault SA 2,533,428
*Source: Automotive News June 5, 2006 Edition

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai Automotive Group which includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Employing over 68,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor posted US$26.1 billion in sales in 2004 (on a non-consolidated basis). Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor Co. and its products is available at http://www.hyundai-motor.com

Hyundai TO BROADEN people-mover strategy with ENTOURAGE MINIVAN

Vehicle expands line which will include All-new 7-passenger SUV and 6-Passenger cross-over

Markham, Ontario (October 27, 2005) – Hyundai Auto Canada announced today that it will introduce the Hyundai Entourage minivan into the Canadian market in spring 2006. The Entourage will later be joined by two other all-new vehicles with six- and seven-passenger seating – an innovative six-passenger cross-over, and a seven-passenger unibody SUV – giving Hyundai a substantially increased presence in these market segments.

The company has decided to move ahead with its original plan to introduce the minivan because of demand changes in the Canadian market. To better capitalize on this demand, Hyundai also increased the level of product differentiation to make it a better fit in the automaker’s expanding lineup.

“After we locked in our large cross-over and upper-midsize SUV plans earlier this year, we continued to study the minivan segment,” said Steve Kelleher, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada.

“The surge in gas prices, which we believe is not short term and the resulting movement away from truck-based full-size SUVs, has given additional life to the traditional minivan segment. Surveys show the number of consumers moving from full-size SUVs to minivans is up over 40 percent. So we gave our product development teams in Korea and Canada the challenge to ensure the Hyundai minivan would better capture our brand identity and sufficiently differentiate us from our sister company’s product. We think they’ve done a great job, especially given the tight timing we’ve had to work with.”

The new Hyundai Entourage, which will debut as a 2007 model year product in mid-2006, is an all-new minivan that will lead its segment in standard safety equipment, with Electronic Stability Control, 6 airbags, and anti-whiplash front seat head restraints. It shares its 3.8-liter V-6 and sophisticated 5-speed automatic transmission with Hyundai’s new premium sedan, the Azera. It will also be the first minivan to offer power sliding doors as standard equipment.

“At Hyundai, we believe the equipment that people really want should be standard,” said Peter Renz, Hyundai Auto Canada’s Director of Marketing. “With the Entourage we’re making power sliding doors standard, as our research shows more than 80 percent of minivan owners want this feature. These moves give us tremendous economies of scale, as well as delighted customers.”

Hyundai Tucson Achieves Highest Safety Rating
• Wins 5-star safety rating in U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration frontal and side crash tests

The award-winning Hyundai Tucson has received the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts. These results reflect Hyundai Motor Company’s commitment to lead in the standard application of the industry’s most effective safety technologies.

“Hyundai quality is our first priority and this is reflected in the safety of our cars,” said Steve Kelleher, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada. “ When coupled with the recent announcement of the 2006 Sonata being awarded a five star rating, these NHTSA crash test results demonstrate that Hyundai products are second to none in terms of safety,” he added.

Both the Tucson and Sonata have received numerous accolades, including Tucson’s “Best New Crossover Vehicle of 2005” award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Sonata’s recent “Automotive Excellence in Safety Award” from Popular Mechanics magazine.

The Sonata features six airbags—including dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags—along with active front-seat head restraints. Other passive safety features include shingle-style rear seat head restraints for improved visibility, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, front-seat seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, and a rear-seat LATCH system for child seats. Hyundai devoted 300 new Sonatas to internal crash testing to make sure the Sonata attained NHTSA’s five star rating in both front and side collisions.

The Tucson is engineered to provide its passengers with multiple defensive layers. The steel unibody has designed-in crumple zones and a high-tensile front sub-frame that are designed to work together to reduce the forces that reach the passenger compartment. To help resist intrusion, four structural rings encircle the body. All four doors also have internal guard beams to protect passengers in a side-impact collision.

The Tucson’s passenger restraint systems help minimize injury. Three-point belts are provided at all five seating positions, and the front seatbelts have pretensioners and load limiters. There are two outboard rear LATCH child-seat anchors.

A total of six airbags are positioned in the Tucson’s interior. Dual advanced frontal airbags are complemented by front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags that cover both the front and rear rows of seating.

Hyundai Auto Canada, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a division of Hyundai Motor America whose parent company is Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea. Hyundai automobiles and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through 163 retailers nationwide.

2006 HYUNDAI SONATA EARNS 5-STAR CRASH TEST RATING

Hyundai Auto Canada has announced that its all-new 2006 Sonata mid-size sedan earned the highest rating in the latest U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash tests.

The 2006 Sonata received five stars in the frontal and side-impact crash tests for both the driver and passenger seating positions. The test results are measured from one to five stars, with five being the highest. The NCAP side impact crash tests are conducted at 38.5 miles per hour (62 kilometers per hour), and full frontal barrier impacts at 35 miles per hour (56.3 kilometers per hour).

The previous Sonata generation was recognized as one of the safest mid-size sedans on the market but the 2006 Sonata offers even greater safety. An all-new computer-designed rigid body structure features reinforced bulkheads, pillars and side-impact protection to provide the foundation for a stiffer front sub-frame. Extensive testing using computer simulation as well as real world testing has further optimized crumple zones and impact load diffusion paths.

With the new Sonata, Hyundai has brought a new level of standard safety equipment to the mid-size sedan segment. Every 2006 Sonata is equipped with advanced dual front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags for the driver and front seat occupant and side curtain airbags designed to help protect the driver, front seat passenger and outboard rear seat passengers. In addition, the front seats feature active head restraints for extra protection against whiplash in rear collisions.

“Hyundai has earned its reputation by delivering safe, high-quality, high-value vehicles to Canadian consumers. With the awarding of the five-star rating to the all-new Sonata, high levels of real world safety can now be added to the Sonata’s long list of attractive attributes. The five star rating is just further evidence of Hyundai’s commitment to providing segment-leading safety technology in our products”, said Hyundai Auto Canada’s President and CEO Steve Kelleher.

HYUNDAI SONATA WINS AUTOMOTIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SAFETY

POPULAR MECHANICS Magazine Honors Alabama-Built Sonata
September 23, 2005 - Hyundai Sonata captured one of POPULAR MECHANICS ' inaugural Automotive Excellence awards, winning the safety category. The award was announced in the October issue of POPULAR MECHANICS, one of the largest and most trusted men's monthly magazines, reaching more than 9 million readers.

The all-new Sonata GLS V6 sets a new standard for safety equipment with six standard airbags (dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact and front and rear passenger side curtain airbags), standard active front head restraints, standard ABS and available Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Electronic Traction Control.

"We're especially honored that Sonata was chosen by POPULAR MECHANICS ' editors as embodying excellence in safety," said Steve Kelleher, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada. "The all-new Sonata highlights Hyundai's commitment to the application of the most effective safety technologies."
" The Sonata truly merits the POPULAR MECHANICS Automotive Excellence Award for safety because it offers a full complement of both active and passive safety features as standard equipment in every model," said Don Chaikin, automotive editor, POPULAR MECHANICS. "By expanding the universe of automotive safety from the luxury end of the market to the very affordable, every-man end, the Sonata has broken new ground and crushed what amounted to very real market barriers."

POPULAR MECHANICS ' editorial staff selected Sonata after driving hundreds of thousands of miles in well over 100 different new cars, trucks and SUVs.

"The positive reaction from consumers and the Canadian automotive press to the 2006 Sonata has been rewarding," said Peter Renz, Director, Marketing and Public Relations, Hyundai Auto Canada. "Winning the POPULAR MECHANICS Automotive Excellence Award for safety is further validation that Hyundai's leadership in offering the industry's most effective safety technologies - like Electronic Stability Control and side impact air curtains - will continue to resonate in the market."

The midsize Sonata is one of the best-selling sedans in the Hyundai product line, and the first 2006 model rolled off the production line in March at Hyundai's all-new manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The all-new Sonata was designed specifically to meet the needs of the North American consumer and is the product of three years of intensive collaborative development at Hyundai's global R&D operations, including those in Michigan and California.

Hyundai Auto Canada, headquartered in Markham, Ontario. is a division of Hyundai Motor America whose parent company is Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea. Hyundai automobiles and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced by 163 retailers nationwide.

Hyundai Auto Canada Announces New “Win” Campaign

Markham, Ontario – Hyundai Auto Canada is set to launch its new national brand campaign in early 2003. The “Win” campaign targets smart, down-to-earth consumers and presents Hyundai as the right brand for people who always seem to have the right perspective – those who are “winners” at life.

“The 2003 model year advertising embodies the winning spirit of the brand and the people who own Hyundai cars,” said Hyundai Auto Canada President and CEO Steve Kelleher. “It’s also reflective of the drive the company has to elevate Hyundai’s position to that of a tier one manufacturer.”

The campaign’s new tagline “Win” replaces “Driving Is Believing,” which had been used for four years. The “Win” tagline was developed after extensive consumer research and is the centrepiece for the branding campaign.

Over the past few years, Canadians have gravitated toward a set of down-to-earth values and Hyundai owners, in particular, seem to have their heads “screwed on straight” – about money and life, the same values seen in the Hyundai brand.

The “Win” direction came straight from Hyundai owners and the idea is to showcase the connection between Hyundai consumers and the brand by showing owners as winners in life’s everyday situations.

Hyundai’s national brand advertising campaign will begin with television spots airing on national network, cable and syndicated programming. Print ads will appear in national publications.

Hyundai Auto Canada Wraps Up The Summer With Another Hot Month!

Hyundai Auto Canada is closing out the summer with hot sales increases. Sales for the month of August reached 7,027, representing an increase of 18%, while year-to-date sales are at 47,772, up an astonishing 17% over last year. The Accent, Elantra, and Santa Fe have all posted record sales numbers for August as each model finished with 2,855, 2,076, and 712 units respectively.

Steve Kelleher, President and CEO states, “The end of the summer has always represented a time to clear out the existing inventory and make room for the new models. Our August sales numbers are certainly doing this and we are looking forward to the launch of the 2003 models and continued sales increases”.

Hyundai Auto Canada, located in Markham, Ontario, distributes and sells the Accent, Elantra sedan and 5-door GT, Tiburon sports coupe, Sonata mid-size sedan, Santa Fe Sport Utility Vehicle, and XG350 luxury sedan through its 157 dealers across Canada.