AutoPacific Gives the All-New Sonata a Thorough Test and First-Ever President's Award

TUSTIN, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoPacific today announced its President's Award for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. This first-ever honor is the result of a special analysis of Hyundai's all-new 2011 Sonata that adds consumer credibility to all of the positive accolades recently bestowed upon Hyundai's most important vehicle to date.

"With all we have seen and read about the 2011 Sonata, AutoPacific felt that it was necessary to put this vehicle to a unique test," said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific, which has researched driver satisfaction since 1997. "Over the years, we have seen several important vehicles come to market that have attempted to redefine their brands.  They are often launched with a considerable amount of hype, but then fail to deliver a customer experience that truly satisfies."

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 Peterson. "The sheer magnitude of the 2011 Sonata's score made recognition necessary.  With a score 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."

But the story does not end there.  According to Peterson, these results are extraordinary from an historical perspective as well. "No vehicle has achieved a score of 775 before in our satisfaction research.  The Sonata's top score surpasses anything we have ever seen, including vehicles costing twice as much."

"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."

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.

SOURCE AutoPacific