Hyundai Sonata, Elantra and Genesis Top Auto Pacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 05/19/2011 - The 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the all-new 2011 Elantra and the Genesis sedan topped their respective categories in the 2011 AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.  Sonata, a two-time winner and the recipient of the AutoPacific President’s Award, took home the honor in the “Premium Mid-Size Car” segment.  The new Elantra earned the highest score in the “Compact Car” class and the Genesis took the award in the “Aspirational Luxury Car” segment for the third year in a row.

AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award measures how satisfied an owner is with his/her new vehicle. The study summarizes the results of over 68,000 new vehicle owners.

“Having Hyundai win three categories in AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards demonstrates our continued commitment to excellence in quality, value and design for all of the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup,” said Scott Margason, director of product planning, Hyundai Motor America.  “These awards are an important indicator that we’ve hit the mark when it comes to pleasing our buyers – a very encouraging sign as we bring new models like the 2012 Veloster and 2012 Accent to market this year.”

Each year AutoPacific analyzes the results of their New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey and identifies the top performing vehicles.  The Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new vehicle. 

“While the economy is strengthening, new vehicle buyers continue to be especially careful in selecting the perfect vehicle for their needs,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific.  “AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help this year’s customers sort through the 262 car and truck nameplates presently available in the United States.  A wise purchase decision is like money in the bank.”

Hyundai’s 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional midsize sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, dynamic design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. Sonata is also available in Turbo and Hybrid versions, with Hybrid achieving class-leading 40 mpg highway fuel economy.

The 2011 Elantra is one of Hyundai’s quartet of new 40 mpg standard highway cars, making Hyundai the only manufacturer with four models achieving 40 mpg on the highway.  The Elantra sets the bar in the compact sedan category offering a “class-above” midsize car interior volume, modern design, outstanding 40 mpg highway fuel economy, and loads of comfort and convenience features, all at an attractive starting price.

The 2011 Genesis brings consumers the award-winning Tau® V8 engine producing 385 horsepower, propelling the Genesis from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds.  The Hyundai Genesis is built on Hyundai’s performance-driven rear-wheel-drive architecture. With technology rivaling more expensive luxury sedans, Genesis showcases features such as XM NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Lexicon® audio systems and electronic active head restraints.