Getting a New Car? For Many Buyers the Choice is Hyundai

Canadians are still buying cars - and the popular names at the top of the heap are very familiar - Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Chevrolet, Ford and Volkswagen.

But the design and popularity of the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai have been making its mark and the Elantra has hit the number two spot in car sales according to data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants as reported in a recent article on CBC.ca.

With sales of cars up 1.5 per cent over last year in September, Hyundai has much to cheer about with double-digit increases and sales of Elantra over 37 per cent this year.According to Hyundai Canada president Steve Kelleher, he's proud of his company's achievement. "We've addressed the quality and durability issues that was part of the past perception of Hyundai." And despite the recession, "...In the past three to four years, our sales have been annually increasing by nine per cent."

Kelleher says the consumer decided to take a second look at their line-up with the Elantra, Santa Fe and Accent the vehicles many Canadians are choosing when they want to buy a new car. Despite having been selling their product in Canada since the mid-1980s, Hyundai still feels like its the new kid on the block and have taken to heart many comments from their customer base. "We listened to our Quebec customers for example, and insured more models had heated seats as an option, " says Kelleher.

With the consumer focused on being kinder to the environment and saving money on gas, there's a focus for many buyers on fuel-efficiency. Kelleher explained that despite technological advances, the next 15 years the roads will still be dominated by internal combustion engines. At Hyundai R&D, this meant a focus on having their cars with six speed transmissions and made with lighter materials to be very competitive with their fuel efficiency.

But don't just take Kelleher's word for it - Hyundai was just awarded with three Best-in-Class Automobile Journalists of Canada Awards for the 2012 Accent, Elantra and the new Veloster Sport Coupe.


Liked this article? Don't miss another one. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.