British magazine recognizes the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group as having well-designed cars and mind blowing ambition.
UK’s Oldest Motoring Magazine
Summit Place Kia is proud to pass on the information that at this year’s annual Autocar Awards, sponsored by Britain’s oldest motoring magazine, the Hyundai-Kia group was recognized as having “mind-blowing” ambition when it announced, just a few short years ago, that it wanted to become the fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world.
Representatives of the magazine also went on to state that the company should be commended for offering well-designed cars of great quality with longer warranties than other manufacturers in the market.
Kia Sportage
Here is the complete press release:
(SEOUL) November 18, 2008 – The UK’s oldest motoring magazine, Autocar, has named Hyundai-Kia as its Automotive Manufacturer of the Year at its annual award ceremony in Westminster London, England. The annual Autocar awards event is widely considered Europe’s most prestigious industry accolades ceremony and is where the European Car of the Year Award winner is announced.
Citing the Korean giant’s “mind-blowing” ambition, editor Chas Hallet presented the title to Mr. Nam-Yong Kim, President of Hyundai-Kia’s European Research and Development Centre in Germany.
Hallett commented, “When the irrepressible Hyundai-Kia group started talking, just a few years ago, about wanting to become the world’s fifth largest car company behind Toyota, GM, Ford and Audi-VW, many of us were skeptical.”
“Then the Korean group got serious. They hatched a plan to assemble a European design and engineering team to conceive a range of models for Europe. Boldly, they challenged the VW Golf and Ford Focus head on, building cars that looked as good and worked as well – and offering them with a far longer warranty, just for good measure. “
Kia cee’d
“They began to acquire a reputation as the Eastern marques that would bring forth bold design concepts, much as Citroën has been doing in Europe, and they built separate factories for Hyundai and Kia in lower-cost Eastern Europe, servicing both operations from handily placed engine and gearbox plants,” he added.
The product of a merger in 1998, Hyundai-Kia currently dominate the Korean domestic car market with an 80 per cent share and this year became the world’s fifth largest car-maker, according to Automotive News in the US.
With plants in North America, China, Europe and other locations including Russia, the Middle East and South East Asia, Hyundai-Kia have climbed into the top ranks of the world’s biggest car companies in less than 50 years. Both companies began making automobiles in the 1960s and didn’t start exporting their products until the 1980s.
Kia currently builds its cee’d family and Sportage SUV models at its state-of-the-art factory in Zilina in the Slovak Republic and construction of a plant in Georgia, US is nearing completion.
President Nam-Yong Kim commented, “This recognition of the efforts of everyone within Hyundai and Kia is a great honor, coming from such a renowned publication as Autocar. This is a significant recognition of the determination of our Chairman, Mr. Mong-Koo Chung and all of our people to firmly put the Korean automotive industry on the global map.”
The Bottom Line
So if you are looking for a high quality, affordable car that gets great gas mileage, why don’t you come on in and check us out during our Anniversary Celebration. You can also call 248-682-6002 to set up an appointment for a test drive or visit us on the web at www.summitplacekia.com. Either way, we’d “love to see ya’” in a Summit Place Kia from Metro Detroit’s sales leader!
