COSTA MESA, Calif., Aug. 19, 2013 – Hyundai Motor America’s premium sedan, Equus, was named by the automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, the 2013 Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) winner in the Luxury Car category. The Equus beat out some tough competition that included the Lexus LS, Lexus GS, Cadillac XTS, Audi A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
AutoPacific’s 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA) are based on 52,000 surveys completed by owners of new cars and light trucks in the United States in the first half of 2013. The IVAs measure the fusion between owner expectations and the reality provided by the manufacturer by quantitatively measuring how closely a vehicle matches those expectations. To determine the winners, owners rate their new car or truck on how close it came to “ideal” in 15 different categories ranging from exterior styling and passenger roominess to info/entertainment technology and ride and handling. The vehicles that customers said they would change the least across the 15 key vehicle attributes were considered the most “ideal.”
“Having the Hyundai Equus win the overall Luxury Car category in AutoPacific’s 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication that has gone into not only the Equus but Hyundai’s entire vehicle lineup,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The Equus’ premium amenities, sophisticated design and Hyundai’s innovative valet program, ‘Your Time, Your Place,’ resonates with our consumers. At Hyundai, we strive to exceed customer expectations in safety, quality, value and performance from the entry level Accent to the top-of-line Equus.” “The Ideal Vehicle Awards show that marketers, product planners, researchers and engineers have developed and launched a vehicle executed best for their target market,” says Dan Hall, vice president of AutoPacific.