Hyundai Canada hits 2-million Cumulative Sales Milestone

• Company took 24 years and 3 months to hit 1-million sales, but only 8 years and 1 month to hit 2-million
• Top-3 highest volume Hyundai vehicles of all time are: Elantra compact car, Accent subcompact car, and Santa Fe compact SUV

TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. announced today that it had achieved a significant milestone with the 2-millionth cumulative sale since the company arrived in Canada in 1983. The sale, a 2016 Tucson 2.0L Luxury AWD, was delivered to a customer by Hyundai Val-Bélair in Ville de Quebec, QC. To celebrate the milestone, the customer received a free 5-year lease from Hyundai. Further, this announcement comes just one month after Hyundai sold its 500,000 Elantra compact car in Canada and nearly coincides with a global milestone. Further, Hyundai Auto Canada's overarching parent organization, the Hyundai Motor Group, recently achieved 100-million in global cumulative sales.

"Two million total sales is an achievement only a handful of automotive brands have been able to reach," said Don Romano, President and CEO for Hyundai Auto Canada. "Hyundai vehicles have developed a solid reputation for quality, design, efficiency, and performance, which has powered us to this significant point. As proud as we are of this milestone, the future looks even brighter for Hyundai with a host of new, industry-leading products that will continue our tradition of challenging the competition with new thinking."

The remarkable growth of Hyundai vehicle sales in Canada has been well documented, but the pace of growth is vividly shown in the amount of time between sales milestones. It took 24 years and 3 months for the 1-millionth Hyundai vehicle to be sold, but exactly a third of that – 8 years and 1 month – for the company to hit 2-million.

Today, Hyundai is one of the country's highest volume automotive brands thanks to a wide product line-up of cars, SUVs, and luxury vehicles. This is exhibited by the fact that the company sold 461,778 passenger cars in 2011-2015 -- more than any other single brand in Canada -- and both the Tucson and Santa Fe Sport compact SUVs are in the country's top-15 list of best-selling light trucks. Further, in the second half of 2016, Hyundai will launch its first vehicle under its new luxury brand, Genesis.

"The fullsize G90 flagship sedan is the first of six cars and SUVs that will make-up our Genesis luxury brand by 2021," said Romano. "Bringing a dedicated luxury brand to market is a natural extension of Hyundai's role as a top-tier automotive company and it's fitting that it's happening in the same year as our 2-millionth vehicle sale."

The launch of the new Genesis luxury line is part of a series of developments underway at Hyundai Auto Canada to elevate the brand and redefine the customer shopping and ownership experience. The most notable is a new design for Hyundai dealerships. Under the Global Dealership Space Identity program, white-and-blue exterior colours typically associated with Hyundai dealerships are being replaced with bronze. Inside customers will find an open environment - with Hyundai-blue accents - with modern, premium furniture, customer lounges, as well as new, digital kiosks, tablets, and wheel stands that enhance and facilitate the shopping experience.

"The automotive industry is filled with brands that adhere to primary colours such as blue or red, and this new design for Hyundai dealerships will help us stand-out among the competition," said Romano.

The second new initiative is the Hyundai Signature Certification program. The objective of this training and certification program is to differentiate dealers from the competition by going beyond the traditional sales and service processes to become leaders in customer satisfaction. The program creates an environment of continuous learning and improvement by putting emphasis on the customer's needs.

The final element is a consistent marketing campaign that communicates Hyundai's award winning design, advanced engineering, specialized manufacturing, durability testing, and world class driving experience and prompts customers to "reconsider any pre-conceived notions about the Hyundai brand," said Romano. Dubbed the "H-Factor", it's a creative expression of the company's drive to deliver customer experiences that exceed expectations.

For example, H-Factor is promoting the little-known fact that Hyundai is the only major global automaker that owns its own steel plant. By creating proprietary Advanced High Strength Steel with metallurgists and vehicle engineers working side-by-side, Hyundai can better achieve its development objectives for vehicle frame rigidity. Better rigidity improves quality, delivers a sportier ride, reduces noise vibration and harshness in the cabin, and improves safety by better managing collision energy forces.

Finally, the company is making significant strides in developing an eco vehicle line-up. In 2015, Hyundai was the first to begin delivering the zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) to real-world customers in British Columbia and Ontario. The Tucson FCEV has a range of over 420 km, refuels in less than five minutes, seats five, and emits pure water vapour as exhaust. Later this year Hyundai will be releasing Ioniq, the world's first platform with three alternative powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric.

Read more at: http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/hyundai-canada-hits-2-million-cumulative-sales-milestone-578338251.html