Hyundai’s Image Improving
15 May, 2007
6 Comments 
Its a hard game to win when you started out as a cheap and cheerful manufacturer. Toyota gave up trying to sell Luxury cars with a Toyota badge and opted out for Lexus, Hyundai is thinking the same thing, nonetheless, Hyundai’s image has greatly improved over the last few years.
A recent research conducted by AutoPacific, a leading US automotive industry research house, reported that Hyundai had the largest opinion improvement of nine major car brands.
Hyundai came out first for image improvement, other key winners included:
- Hyundai up 32%
- Toyota up 23%
- Honda up 19%
- GM up 17%
- Nissan up 13%
The survey concentrated on if buyer’s opinion of a manufacturer had changed in the last year.
“The surprise — or not so surprising — winner of the most improved manufacturer was Hyundai. Comments about the performance of Hyundai gave the brand credit for substantially improved styling, newly-found high durability/quality/reliability, a strong value message and a great warranty program. Positive comments outweighed negative comments by about four to one.” AutoPacific Spoksman
Continues negative remarks about Korean cars are still present in the Australian motor industry even today (even on this site), but although we appreciate Hyundai’s efforts, there is always one rotten apple that ruins the lot, and that comes in the form of Daewoo.
Either way, it is time we take Hyundai for what it really is, a quality brand which has proved it self as a major competitor against the Japanese.
“These impressive results are the latest of a number of such offshore recognitions of Hyundai’s rapid rise to the top levels of quality and appeal and they are being mirrored in Australia.” Hyundai Motor Australia’s director of sales and marketing, Kevin McCann, said
The question now remains if Hyundai will launch their own Luxury brand to compete with Lexus, despite the image improvement, it would be highly unlikely that many Australians would be willing to pay in the high 70s and 80s for a Hyundai badge, regardless of quality.
This is the car that will most likely put Hyundai on the luxury map.
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May 15th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I must admit, the title of this article is correct indeed. Hyundai have come a long way. Not too suprisingly, though, Nissan is only up 13%. Lately Nissan seem to be much more conservative, only slightly changing appearances as the models progress (several exeptions, though).
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May 15th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I think the new GTR will do wonders for nissan
lets just pray it comes to Australia
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May 15th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Oh, indeed.
I will also definitely agree with the below statement found in the article:
The question now remains if Hyundai will launch their own Luxury brand to compete with Lexus, despite the image improvement, it would be highly unlikely that many Australians would be willing to pay in the high 70s and 80s for a Hyundai badge, regardless of quality.
I remember, not too long ago now, the Hyundai branding came up into discussion among a few car enthusiasts. After some of them saw photoes of the latest Hyundai designs, they said, and I quote, “I’d probably buy that.. but as soon as I get it home I’ll de-badge it so no-one knows what it is.” I believe it would be quite fair to say that Hyundai still has a bit of work to do in the marketing and corporate branding side of business.
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May 15th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
fact is they will always be a hyundai, and thats where they will stay in the market
they can improve there image, but they cant upgrade there image
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July 18th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
@sam, “fact is they will always be a hyundai, and thats where they will stay in the market”
that’s what they said about Nissan, Toyota, Honda, and other Japanese cars in 70s and onto 80s in the US. But look at them now. My first car was 83 Toyota collora, What a POS.
I own a 05 Infiniti G35 and am very disappointed and will not buy another Nissan again. Instead we’ll be trading it in for 07 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Things always change, no one company stays at the top forever, nor do they get to the top from the start.
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May 13th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Hello what you have just written is there a way you could write it again in a much more simple format for the 80% of braindead australians who wont have any idea what you are tring to say.
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