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Hyundai of St Augustine in Florida is proud to share the latest findings from the latest Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com Market Intelligence data which states that brand loyalty for Hyundai recently surpassed that of Honda and Toyota, leading Hyundai’s brand loyalty to the No. 1 spot among car shoppers on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. 

Additionally, KBB.com also reports that Hyundai values have been outperforming the car segment average, and the all-new Sonata recently emerged on the kbb.com Top 10 Most-Researched New Vehicles list.

The KBB.com report compared figures from February 2010 to Q4 2009, where Hyundai has seen the greatest recent increase in loyalty.  The new report shows Hyundai owners looking at new models within the brand increasing by 10.4 percentage points to 56.3 percent.  This surge leads Hyundai to the top spot in brand loyalty on kbb.com for the first time in recent history, up from third place in Q4 2009.  In addition, the Hyundai Sonata recently broke into kbb.com’s Top 10 Most-Researched New Vehicles list for the first time. 

In the same timeframe, Toyota fell from the No. 1 spot to third place and Honda continues to hold steady at second place.  “Hyundai is clearly benefiting from ‘a perfect storm’ -  a result of introducing passionate new products like the 2011 Sonata and 2010 Tucson, while Honda’s mainstream vehicles like the CR-V and Accord are a bit stale in the marketplace and Toyota is experiencing a huge consumer perception crisis,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.  “To sustain this momentum, Hyundai should continue to promote its attractive new-vehicle lineup, solid warranty offer and strong price-points to new-car shoppers.  Hyundai’s main challenge in the near future will likely come from domestic automakers like Ford and GM as they gear up for battle over buyers starting to look for a change from ‘Camry-land.’”

In Florida, Hyundai as a brand has also been a solid leader in sales and loyalty with Hyundai of St Augustine reporting a staggering 60% increase in new car sales this past February over the same time last year.  Hyundai models like the Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe helped push Hyundai of St Augustine to the record setting sales achievement.

Hyundai cars are stylish, practical and fun to drive offering safety, versatility and sharp performance, making this line of vehicles a perfect choice for anyone or any family. Florida Hyundai shoppers can learn more about the complete lineup of Hyundai vehicles online by visiting http://www.hyundaiflorida.com/

The redesigned 2010 Tucson has arrived in Palm Coast, Florida at Hyundai of St. Augustine.  The sleek crossover from Hyundai, with its athletic European design, strikes a stark contrast from its predecessor and improves in every functional area, from its roomier cabin with extra cargo space to its leap in fuel economy and technology.

Jacksonville Hyundai shoppers will find much more versatility in the 2010 Tucson.  According to Hyundai, “The new Tucson was developed as an urban cruiser. It is tough and compact for life in the city, yet sleek and agile for out-of-town travel.” It is the first Hyundai CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) to be designed and engineered in Europe at Hyundai’s Frankfurt-based design and technical centers.

Inside and out, the new Tucson is a feat in automotive engineering. It features advanced weight saving technology and the eco-efficient Theta II 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine delivering up to 31 mpg on the highway. True to Hyundai form, the Tucson applies life-saving safety technologies as standard equipment while offering, for the first time, Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Hillstart Assist Control (HAC). Likewise, to keep its passengers informed and comfortable Tucson integrates Hyundai’s first panoramic sunroof, touch-screen navigation and a Bluetooth^® hands-free phone system. 

Florida Hyundai shoppers can learn more about the Tucson and see photos online at http://www.hyundaiofstaugustine.com/2010-hyundai-tucson.htm

The Tucson combines dynamic, sculpted, performance-oriented styling with thoughtful everyday utility to create a vehicle that will change the way consumers, especially younger car buyers, think about compact crossovers.  Tucson has a great stance and road presence.  The profile of Tucson features a sports car-like theme with a double-zigzag treatment for the wheel arches that wrap around the available Euroflange 18-inch alloy wheels. The concave sills have a wedge-shaped profile that extends rearward and wraps around into the rear bumper, a first of its kind design in a vehicle of this type.

Hyundai of St Augustine is encouraging consumers to experience the new Tucson and its dynamic styling and handling capabilities.  Florida Hyundai shoppers can schedule a test drive by calling 888-292-9681 or by visiting http://www.hyundaiflorida.com/

Hyundai as a brand has solidly taken hold in Florida where the Dealerrater.com Hyundai Dealer of the Year, Hyundai of St. Augustine, just announced record sales increases for February. 

The record setting month for Hyundai of St Augustine mirrored and even surpassed the national sales gains of Hyundai Motor Corp which closed out February with impressive sales increases.  Overall, Hyundai Motor Corp reported an 11% increase in February 2010 versus February 2009, while Hyundai of St Augustine reported a staggering 60% increase in new car sales over the same time last year. 

Despite statewide economic challenges and lagging auto sales in Florida, Hyundai models like the Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe helped push Hyundai of St Augustine to a record setting sales achievement in February. According to Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales, “Our sales gains in February were driven by strong consumer response to new products like the Tucson, which was up 102 percent, and the all-new U.S.-built Sonata, which was just launched this month and has already driven a 58 percent sales increase.”  In addition to success of Sonata and Tucson, the freshened Santa Fe with a 52 percent increase, Genesis with a 39 percent increase, and Accent with a 22 percent rise, all registered significant growth over the same period one year ago.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata joins an elite group of motor vehicles as a “Top Safety Pick” of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This award is only given to those vehicles that do a superior job protecting people in front, side, rear and rollover crashes.  While past Hyundai models, such as the Genesis, have been named IIHS “Top Safety Picks,” the standards were higher than ever for 2010, with a roof strength test added to the qualifications. According to the new guidelines, roofs must be more than double the strength of current federal requirements in order to better maintain vehicle integrity in the event of a rollover accident.

Because this roof strength test is so demanding, many of the vehicles that had previously been named “Top Safety Picks” were dropped from the list in 2010.  From the 2011 Sonata’s inception, Hyundai engineers carefully considered the importance of roof strength and designed the newest edition to pass this high hurdle set by the IIHS.

The Sonata continues to draw in Florida consumers from as far as Jacksonville, Orange Park, and Palm Coast.  As one of the best selling models at Hyundai of St. Augustine, the dealership goes the extra mile to stock one of the largest most diverse selections of new and used Sonatas. 

Florida Hyundai shoppers who would like to learn more about the award winning 2011 Hyundai Sonata can visit Hyundai of St. Augustine online at http://www.hyundaiofstaugustine.com/index.htm