MEDIA CENTRE

Hyundai Motor Company has been named the fastest growing automotive brand by international brand consultancy Interbrand, enjoying a 24.4% surge in its brand value to NZ$9.17 billion (US$7.5 billion).

Interbrand’s 2012 Best 100 Global Brands report shows Hyundai ranked No. 53 out of 100 brands this year, a steady increase from the No. 84 position in 2005 and the company’s highest ranking ever.

“Hyundai’s recent investment in global campaigns and sensational new product designs are fulfilling customers’ emotional needs,” Interbrand said in a statement.

“Brand awareness for Hyundai has increased phenomenally in a short period of time and we are looking forward to the brand’s future direction.”

Hyundai New Zealand General Manager Andy Sinclair said it shows people across the world value the Hyundai brand, and it’s no different here in New Zealand.

“New Zealanders like the Hyundai experience – the style, quality, safety and, in particular, the brand’s value for money,” he said.

In March 2012, New Zealanders voted Hyundai the top automotive brand for overall customer satisfaction with the brand receiving five star ratings almost across the board in the 2012 CANSTAR Blue survey.

“That is a strong endorsement of Hyundai New Zealand’s commitment to the customer experience,” said Mr Sinclair.

The brand’s global growth rate of 24% in 2012 significantly outperformed the industry’s average growth rate of 11% and, beyond the auto industry, Hyundai’s growth rate is keeping pace with the world’s fastest growing superbrands such as Apple, Google, and Amazon.

“The significant growth in brand value, despite global economic difficulties and fierce competition, shows our enhanced brand status,” Mr Sinclair said.

Around the world, it is no different. In the U.S., Hyundai achieved the highest score among all automotive brands in the J. D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study.

According to the study, the brand’s increasing popularity is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as perceptions of the brand’s quality and appeal improving over the last 10 years.

Hyundai New Zealand is proud to announce that retired real-estate agent Vivienne Bidwell is the winner of a brand new Hyundai i30 hatchback car and the If you can start it, you can win it online competition.

General Manager Andy Sinclair says a secret delivery to Vivienne was arranged this afternoon at Napier’s Milk and Honey café and they caught it all on video.

“Needless to say, she was totally over the moon when she saw it. We couldn’t be happier for Vivienne. It’s a beautiful car for people who appreciate style and are on the go – we hope she enjoys it for years to come.”

The i30 is Hyundai’s best-selling and most awarded model globally and the new-generation model pushes the envelope on design, technology and efficient performance.

“Designed in Germany but complementing our lifestyle here in NZ, it’s a great car for around town and on the highway. The i30 punches well above its weight for a small car” says Mr Sinclair.

With a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety technologies, the new i30 was named as ‘one of the safest choices within the small car category’ by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

The online competition, which allowed any New Zealand-based person to enter, ran for four weeks on Facebook and Hyundai NZ’s website and helped Hyundai NZ’s Facebook page become the most followed automotive brand in New Zealand.

Vivienne was one of 65,000 fans to enter the draw to win the i30.

The car, a Hyundai i30 GD 1.6 CRDI Elite A6, was the grand prize in the competition.