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Hyundai’s new luxury Grandeur has begun gathering accolades only months
after its release around the world.
Grandeur topped the Large Car class in American automotive research group
AutoPacific’s latest Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, which polled more than 24,000
US new car buyers and lessees between September and December last year.
Grandeur — badged Azera in the US — also scored the outright highest score of
any passenger car in the survey, ahead of established and expensive luxury brand
models.
In a further boost for the burgeoning Hyundai brand, its Santa Fe won the
Mid-Size SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) class for the fifth time in the
now-superseded first model’s six-year life.
AutoPacific president George Peterson said: “The Vehicle Satisfaction results
for the new Hyundai Azera (Grandeur) prove that Hyundai is serious about selling
top class products.
“In its first year on the market, Azera (Grandeur) achieves not only a class
win, but also the highest scoring passenger car, ahead of vaunted premium luxury
cars like Lexus LS, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The fact that these
cars are twice the price of the Azera (Grandeur) is just icing on the cake,” Mr
Peterson said.
AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) assigns values to the
satisfaction ratings of owners it has surveyed in 45 areas related to their
ownership experience including general car operation, comfort and safety.
This recognition for Grandeur closely follows its top rating in frontal crash
testing from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which
conducts offset frontal crash tests to a similar regime as Australian and
European NCAP in that the car impacts a deformable barrier across 40 per cent of
the driver side front at 64 kmh. Grandeur rated “Good” on a scale which then
descends through “Acceptable”, “Marginal” to “Poor”.
Research from the IIHS has shown drivers of cars receiving ‘Good’ ratings in
this test are 46 percent less likely to die in frontal crashes compared to those
in “Poor” rated vehicles. The Institute has rated over 200 vehicles since the
tests first started over 10 years ago.
Five “Best Bets”
Meanwhile, long-established US car critic The Car Book has judged five
Hyundai models — more than half the brand’s current US range —as segment “2006
Best Bets” for meeting the safety and performance needs of the American new car
buyer.
With the freshest line up in the US car industry, Hyundai earned “Best Bet”
distinctions for the new Accent and Santa Fe, as well as for Sonata, Tucson and
Elantra from author Jack Gillis and the Center for Auto Safety.
The Car Book has analysed new vehicles each year for the past 26 years to
identify those which have made a significant contribution to bettering the
market. “Best Bets” ratings designate The Car Book’s highest-rated cars in each
of the vehicle size categories. Ratings are based on expected performance in ten
important criteria: crash tests, safety features, rollover, fuel economy,
overall maintenance and repair costs, warranties, insurance costs and
complaints, with the heaviest emphasis on safety.
“Four of the five Hyundai models earning ‘Best Bet’ distinctions are repeat
winners,” said Mr. Gillis, one of America’s most well-known car consumer
experts. “Hyundai’s blend of standard safety features, excellent performance and
overall value make it one of the most consistent contenders in our annual
rankings.”
Theo van Doore, Director of Sales & Marketing for Hyundai Motor Co
Australia said the various awards reflect Hyundai’s on-going commitment to build
quality and its positioning on safety, also seen locally as the leading car
brand in offering affordable safety to Australian new car buyers.
Mr van Doore said active safety features built into the Grandeur and Sonata
such as ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and ABS (Anti-skid Braking System)
with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) maximize these cars’ abilities to
help their drivers avoid danger, while their suite of passive safety features
such as multiple airbags (eight in Grandeur, six in Sonata), advanced seat
belts, active four-way-adjustable front head restraints and controlled
deformation body engineering all help protect occupants should a crash occur.
“The recognition in the US for owner satisfaction and safety is a reflection
of the effort that has gone into making the Grandeur a true large luxury car,”
said Mr van Doore.
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