All-New Hyundai Sonata Honored With First-Ever AutoPacific President's Award

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata has earned a number of accolades since its launch earlier this year. Today, automotive consulting firm AutoPacific added yet another to Sonata's resume, honoring the new sedan with the first-ever President's Award in recognition of its record-breaking performance in a recent study.

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With the same methodology that AutoPacific has utilized since it began satisfaction research, 975 drivers of the all-new 2011 Sonata rated their cars in 48 separate categories ranging from the basics of comfort and convenience, to performance and environmental friendliness.

"Quite frankly, we were blown away by the results," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "The sheer magnitude of the 2011 Sonata's score made recognition necessary.  With a score of 775 out of 1,000, the Sonata exceeded everyone's expectations.  The Sonata's unique styling was rated almost perfect and was a key driver to its overall superior performance in this research. Clearly, 2011 Hyundai Sonata drivers are extremely satisfied with their purchase."

From an historical perspective, a score of 775 has never been achieved before.  The Sonata's top score surpasses anything AutoPacific has ever recorded in any product category.

"Consumer response to the all-new 2011 Sonata shows the strong appeal of Hyundai's recipe of bold design, great quality, a segment-best 35 miles per gallon, and outstanding residual values," said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America.  "This first-ever AutoPacific President's Award, recognizing the highest score on this survey that AutoPacific has ever seen, is an apt tribute to our California design team, our global engineering team and the 2,700 team members at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama for their fresh thinking and dedication in breaking the mold of the staid and boring mid-size car."

Hyundai's all-new 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional midsize sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai's strong value proposition.  The Sonata launched with a new Theta II 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and in-house six-speed automatic transmission.  The vehicle offers class-leading fuel economy of 22 mpg city/35 mpg highway and 198 horsepower standard. Both hybrid and turbo powertrain options will be available at the end of the year.

About AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites: www.autopacific.com and www.vehiclevoice.com.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through about 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5 years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

Journalists are invited to visit our news media web site: www.hyundainews.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Hyundai.

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America