The Most Improved Car Manufacturer Of The Decade Is...Hyundai

HIGH WYCOMBE, UNITED KINGDOM – Aug 31, 2011: Hyundai has been awarded the most improved car manufacturer in the Auto Express '10 Years of Driver Power' special, out on newsstands today. From a total of over 300,000 surveys received over the last 10 years of the annual Driver Power survey, Hyundai has gone from being one of the poorest performing manufacturers for customer satisfaction to one of the five best brands.

Hyundai’s customer satisfaction rating has risen by over eight per cent in the last 10 years from 78.12 per cent in 2002 to 86.34 per cent in 2011. No other car manufacturer has made such a dramatic leap forward over this period. This achievement is also mirrored by a dramatic rise up the best manufacturer chart from 28th place in 2002 to fourth place in 2011.

Performing strongly in the reliability and satisfaction poll since its launch in 2007, the Hyundai i30 is rated fourth in the Top 50 cars of the decade. This vehicle sent shockwaves through the industry last year when it was named the most satisfying car in Britain in the 2010 Driver Power survey and its accolade as the fourth best car of the decade showcases the quality and reliability of the latest Hyundai product line-up.

Acting Editor for Auto Express, Graham Hope, commented: “No brand has taken such a massive leap over the past decade as Hyundai. Its range now is unrecognisable from 2002, and our readers regularly tell us that they are both pleased and proud to own a Hyundai, which is reflected in its meteoric rise up our Driver Power ratings. And the company looks set to achieve even greater things in the years ahead.”

Hyundai UK’s managing director, Tony Whitehorn, said “We are delighted to win this award. It confirms just how far we have come in a short space of time and that we now have a range of cars people can be proud to have on their driveways. With even more desirable products just around the corner, this really is a very exciting time for the brand.”

Full results of the 36-page driver power special can be seen in Auto Express magazine on-sale 31 August.