Hyundai No. 1 for Brand Loyalty
Q3 2011 Marks Hyundai’s Second Consecutive Quarter on Top
ATHENS, OHIO, Oct. 26, 2011– Innovative product introductions like the all-new Elantra, Accent and Veloster are bringing Hyundai owners back to dealerships. Kelley Blue Book reported that Hyundai upheld its No. 1 spot for brand loyalty on www.kbb.com for Q3 2011, marking its second consecutive quarter as the top automotive brand. Kbb.com defines brand loyalty as “owners of the brand who are currently shopping the same brand for their next vehicle.”
“Hyundai owners truly love their cars, so it’s no surprise that their support has pushed us to the top of kbb.com’s brand loyalty rankings,” said Scott Margason, director, Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “From all-new models like the 40 mile-per-gallon 2012 Veloster, to popular models such as Sonata, Elantra and Accent, we continually offer our customers more reasons to remain loyal to our vehicles and our brand.”
Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence examines brand loyalty while consumers are still in the shopping phase. For this analysis, the team reviewed data from consumers who view a trade-in page or private party page in addition to a new-car page on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.
“The true measure of a customer’s experience with a brand is if they keep coming back for more. Hyundai customers are voting with their purchases to boost Hyundai to the No. 1 spot for brand loyalty, ” said Jeff Wood, President of Don Wood Hyundai, Athens, Ohio.
“Hyundai’s loyalty has been relatively high over the past couple of years because owners have been impressed with the level of quality received for the price paid,” said Arthur Henry, market intelligence manager for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. “However, Hyundai loyalty is now stronger than any other brand because of the impressive and well-received styling of their recently launched and redesigned models.”
For Q3 2011, Hyundai’s brand loyalty was at 48 percent, with Toyota at 47.9 percent and Subaru at 45.9 percent. Rounding out the top-five brands for Q3 2011 are Kia in the fourth spot at 45.3 percent and Ford in fifth at 45.2 percent.
Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kbb.com provides consumer pricing and information on minivans, pickup-trucks, cars, hybrids and SUVs. Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.
