Hyundai

Hyundai Background Information

Hyundai Background Information

Hyundai Motor Company is a success story of the automotive industry. It began manufacturing cars and small trucks in collaboration with Ford’s United Kingdom operations in 1967. This partnership helped launch Hyundai and they began building cars under their own nameplate by the early 1970s. During Italy’s Turin Motor Show, Hyundai introduced its subcompact car called the Hyundai Pony. The Pony was a success and catapulted Hyundai to the top automaker position in South Korea. Hyundai went on to export their vehicles in El Salvador and Guatemala in the mid-1970s and Canada by 1983 ("Hyundai Motor Company," 2012). In 1985, Hyundai established Hyundai Motors America, Inc. The following year, Hyundai made its first export to the US with the Hyundai Excel subcompact car. The Excel was a success and was the top selling import subcompact car for three consecutive years with over 1 million exports by 1989. Hyundai continued to define their company with the delivery of the mid-size Sonata in 1989, the compact Elantra in 1990, and the Santa Fe sport utility vehicle (SUV) in 2000. Over the years, Hyundai has fined tuned its product resulting in over 15 awards in quality, performance, management and safety. Additionally, Hyundai was ranked number one in customer satisfaction among 19 global automakers ("Hyundai History,"). One of Hyundai’s most successful vehicles is the Hyundai Elantra.

The Hyundai Elantra won 2012 North American Car of the Year for design, innovation, comfort, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value ("North American Car and Truck of the Year,"). The Hyundai Elantra comes in four different models from the basic to the limited with a long list of safety features and upscale options. The Elantra’s 1.8L 4-cylinder provides excellent gas mileage with 29 in the city and 40 on the highway. Customers can choose from eight different exterior and three interior colors....