According to J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai’s increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand’s quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade.

The 2012 Customer Retention Study is based on responses from 117,001 new-vehicle buyers and lessees, of which 73,733 replaced a vehicle that was previously acquired new. In addition to customer retention, the study also measures the rate at which each automotive brand captures customers from its competitors, known as conquesting.

“We are proud that Hyundai owners show their brand loyalty by choosing to buy another Hyundai vehicle over 60 percent of the time,” said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. “Once they experience the styling, comfort and value of Hyundai vehicles, it’s no surprise that they elect to stick with the Hyundai brand. We are thrilled that our vehicles and our dealers are earning the respect and loyalty of our customers.”
http://www.hyundainews.com/us/en-us/Media/PressRelease.aspx?mediaid=35185&title=hyundai-is-1-in-customer-retention-according-to-jd-power-and-associates

“Lower weight plus lower consumption plus lower price equals more fun,” said Seyth Miersma, editor-in-chief, Winding Road. “We’re not math majors, but that’s something like the equation we believe Hyundai must have dreamed up when it first conceived of the 2012 Veloster. We were instant fans of the outstanding gearbox and the chuckable handling that Veloster offered, and quickly realized that the low starting price was likely to make it an enthusiast darling.”

The awards selection process leveraged the opinions of Winding Road’s seasoned staff of test drivers combined with the vehicle’s scoring according to the Winding Road Involvement Index. Using more than 30 points of individual measure, the Involvement Index seeks to quantify (on a 100-point scale) the always-elusive “fun to drive factor.”

“With the Hyundai Veloster, we wanted to show the industry that sleek design and reasonable pricing can go hand in hand,” said Scott Margason, director, Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Veloster combines a stylish image with sporty driving dynamics and outstanding fuel economy, making it perfectly suited for both practical drivers and auto enthusiasts.”

The Veloster is an innovative compact coupe that features ground-breaking design, with a unique third door for easy rear-seat access, Hyundai’s Blue Link® telematics system, Pandora® internet radio with seven-inch touch-screen display and a new 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine that can be mated to either Hyundai’s first EcoShift™ dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual transmission. The Veloster is also one of four Hyundai vehicles that achieve 40 mpg on the highway, along with the Accent, Elantra and Sonata Hybrid.

Joining the Veloster on the award roster are the Mini Cooper S Coupe, Lotus Evora S, Ford Focus, Audi A7, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Land Rover LR4, Mazda5, Mazda MX-5, Dodge Charger, Audi S4 and Jaguar XJ. For the full feature on the Winding Road Best Cars Of The Year, check out Issue 78 of Winding Road’s digital magazine.
http://www.hyundainews.com/us/en-us/Media/PressRelease.aspx?mediaid=35188&title=veloster-named-best-under-20000-by-winding-road-magazine

The car marque says Hyundai Race is part of the company’s new brand direction which aims to provide customers with ‘experiences beyond expectations through innovative thinking’.

http://brand-e.biz/hyundai-plays-game-in-times-square_18869.html

HYUNDAI SA has introduced a water purification and recycling project to curtail water consumption at its Bryanston dealership in Johannesburg, which it says will reduce municipal water usage by more than 80%.

Earlier this year the Engineering Council of SA said the maximum consumption level SA’s water resources could sustain would be reached in about five years, and that industry accounted for only 10% of water consumed but caused sizable damage to the environment, including rivers.

Last week, conservation organisation World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released a report — Managing Water Risk — in which it warned that business in SA would face great operational challenges if it did not implement water conservation solutions.

Hyundai said the project was a large investment in the reduction of water pollution and waste. Should the initiative prove successful, it would introduce it at 45 dealerships countrywide.

“It’s a two-pronged approach,” said Kosta Avgoustinos, dealer principal in Bryanston. “The one component is to capture rainwater, which we use to supplement our water system. And the second prong is to filter and recycle all our (car) wash bay water by purifying it, removing the soap and mixing it back in with the rain water.”

Bryanston was notorious for water cuts, Mr Avgoustinos said, and the water infrastructure in the area was being upgraded, which was one of the reasons for the development of the project. He said the average municipal water bill was R5000 a month.

“The primary reason was environmental (awareness), but we also wanted to improve our operations in terms of having a constant water supply.”

Mao Amis of the WWF said competition for water would increase in the future and that a water shortage would hurt business’s bottom line.

“The risk that companies face in the future is that government might decide to survey water challenges,” Dr Amis said.

The custom-developed system cost Hyundai R200000, with running costs at more than R5 000 a month, but Mr Avgoustinos said in the long term it would save money.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=160319

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/29/2012-hyundai-veloster-configurator-powers-up/

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/29/infographic-a-history-of-james-bonds-famous-cars/