AutoPacific’s first-ever Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA) ranked auto manufacturers for how closely their 2006 model year cars or trucks came to matching owners’ expectations and criteria. The vehicles that customers said they would change the least were considered the most “ideal.”

“This award is the result of Hyundai’s laser focus on listening to customer needs – and meeting those needs in our new product designs,” said John Krafcik, vice president, Product Development and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The Hyundai brand stands for industry-leading quality, superior standard safety technology, and great value – and that’s a recipe we’ll continue to build on to meet and exceed the expectations of our growing customer base."

To determine the winners, AutoPacific asked owners to rate their new car or truck on how close it came to “ideal” in the following areas: exterior size; passenger roominess; cargo space; driver’s seat comfort; driver’s seat visibility; interior technology; power; ease of getting in and out; interior storage compartments; and tires and wheels.

“With Hyundai being the top-rated brand in our first Ideal Vehicle Awards and having two vehicle segment wins, it has outscored all other brands in the U.S. market,” said AutoPacific’s present, George Peterson. “Sonata hit the target for ideal exterior dimensions, passenger area and cargo space, and the Santa Fe came out ahead with solid numbers across the board. These results show that Hyundai’s planners, engineers and designers have paid close attention to what their customers want.”

The IVA ratings reflect input from buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired from September 2005 through January 2006, with the exception of pickup trucks (which were not included in the study due to body style differences within each line).

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year it publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies for the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Additional information can be found at www.autopacific.com.

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif. is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 700 Hyundai dealerships nationwide.