Hyundai Celebrates 25 Years In The United States

Feb. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Hyundai Motor America is celebrating 25 years of accomplishments and achievements after bringing Hyundai vehicles to the United States in 1986. Back then, gas was only $1.20 per gallon with airbags as the latest in safety technology. Now, Hyundai has a full line-up of top-safety rated vehicles.

Hyundai has grown into a full-line producer of cars and crossovers, from Accent to Equus, from Tucson to Veracruz.  Since the company's arrival, Americans have put 6,608,208 Hyundai vehicles in their driveways, with more than 4,350,000 still on the road today.

In 2010, sales topped 538,000, making Hyundai the sixth best-selling brand in the country, behind only Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Chevrolet. U.S. production capacity has grown to over 400,000 units of Sonata, Elantra and Santa Fe models produced in modern assembly plants in Alabama and Georgia. Hyundai engines and transmissions are produced here, too.

Direct U.S. employment totals more than 4,000, with total employment including suppliers and dealers of over 45,000. Hyundai's commitment to the U.S. market includes engineering, design, testing, production, sales, and marketing. In all, Hyundai's investments in the U.S. total $1.7 billion.  

Hyundai continues to live past that standards of every other automaker. Since 1999, every Hyundai sold comes with the industry’s Best Warranty – a 10-year, 100,000-mile power train warranty, and a 5-year, 60,000-mile vehicle warranty. Today, Hyundai offers a comprehensive suite of programs under the Hyundai Assurance banner that includes America’s Best Warranty, five years of unlimited mileage roadside assistance and the innovative job-loss protection program.

Hyundai Motor America has continued to increase their aspirations with last year’s goal of 50 miles-per-gallon fleet average by 2025, the most aggressive fuel economy goal in the industry. This new, and up-coming strategy features Hyundai’s “BlueDrive” technology which implements new, affordable technologies including direct injection, turbo charging, internally-developed transmissions and light weighting. Alongside that, Hyundai’s engineering teams are developing new fuel cell and battery solutions to help provide alternative solutions beyond the internal combustion engine.

Not only has Hyundai made changes to its fleet of automobiles, Hyundai Motor America began Hyundai Hope on Wheels, an effort to raise awareness and help fight children’s cancer by raising money to find a cure. A portion of every Hyundai sold goes directly to this fight and more thn $23 million has been donated in 1998.

"As far as we've come since 1986, we still feel we're in the early stages of connecting the Hyundai brand to the U.S. consumer," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "We've always challenged convention – from our powertrain strategies, to our consumer partnership programs, to our unique Genesis and Equus retail approach. It's authentically Hyundai to question the status quo and pursue our own vision of how things should be in order to best serve our customers. This willingness to challenge convention will continue to guide us these next 25 years."

Now, Hyundai features 12 distinct vehickes and crossovers with even more on the way including three new, exciting models coming this summer. The Veloster, a unique 3-door 40-mpg sporty coupe featuring Hyundai's Blue Link telematics solution, will join all-new 4-door and 5-door versions of the Accent, which will also deliver 40 mpg. Hyundai's award-winning Genesis gets a thorough face-lift and new engines and transmissions, with the performance-focused Genesis R-Spec and its all-new 429-horsepower Tau 5.0L V8 engine making its first appearance.

Hyundai Motor America has become a staple company for the United States and will continue to grow for another 25 years with even more accomplishments and achievements met. If you are interested in a Hyundai product, come see us today. We would love to share our insights about each vehicle with you.

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Edmond Hyundai is a new Hyundai and used car dealership located in north Oklahoma City and south Edmond. We sell Hyundai parts and accessories. We service and repair all models of cars, trucks, vans and suv. Visit us at http://www.edmondhyundai.com