At Hyundai, Branding Is Job 2 — because they’ve already got the quality, but nobody knows or cares:
The South Korean auto maker is desperate to convince consumers that its cars and SUVs are worth premium prices. Its impatience to see results is understandable. Hyundai’s quality is actually ahead of Toyota’s in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, and behind only Lexus and Porsche. Consumer Reports just tapped two of Hyundai’s new vehicles as “Most Impressive” among five 2007 models it recently singled out. But only 23% of all new-car buyers last year even bothered to consider a Hyundai. That compares with 65% for Toyota Motor Co. and more than 50% for Honda Motor Co.
It sounds like Samsung vs. Sony a few years back.