The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Toyota, BMW, Hyundai in recall saga

    Toyota, BMW, Hyundai in recall saga

    Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai and BMW are recalling some of their models.

    Toyota is recalling 60,000 Avalon and Camry sedans in North America because their front passenger air bags may not deploy in a crash.

    Hyundai is recalling 173,000 Sonata sedans in the United States for power steering failure, according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

    A recall is in effect for the BMW 7 Series, after supplier Continental AG informed the German automaker that a manufacturing defect could cause the luxury sedan’s airbag control module to fail.

    Toyota’s involves Avalons and Camrys from the 2016 model year. Almost all were sold in the U.S.; about 1,500 were sold in Canada and Mexico.

    Toyota said the cars have a system that activates or deactivates the front passenger air bags depending on the weight of the passenger. In some of the affected vehicles the system was improperly calibrated, so the front passenger air bags and knee air bags may not deploy.

    Toyota said it’s unclear how many times the condition has occurred or whether it has been responsible for any injuries.

    The 2011 Sonata has a circuit board inside the power steering system’s electronic control unit that may get damaged from corrosion or other weather-related effects. As a result, the power assist may fail and a warning lamp will appear on the instrument panel, although the driver probably would have already been aware of the increased steering effort. Hyundai said its supplier in South Korea, Mobis, had changed the protective coating on the circuit board in October 2010, after which these problems are said to have ceased. Hyundai first noticed the problem in March 2015 when it began analysing warranty claims for this part and tracked the claims up until January, when Mobis reviewed its records and determined the cause.

    Dealers will replace the ECU starting in June. The 2011 Sonata, which was entirely redesigned that year, has been recalled nine times since its 2010 introduction, including for complete steering failures in which the intermediate shaft couplings could separate. In November and September 2015, Hyundai recalled the 2011 and 2012 Sonata for brake pedal defects and engine failures.

    Continental AG notified BMW that an error in the manufacturing process, specifically unintended residue of metallic particles left over from stamping, could cause a short circuit and in turn a reset of the airbag control module. The residual metallic particles would need to be separated from the housing through excessive vibration or acceleration. The airbag light would go on, but the airbags would during this time be inactive.

    The issue affects 6,110 vehicles in the U.S., all of which will be recalled and repaired with new airbag control modules free of charge. The dealer fix should take about four hours, and BMW will notify customers by mail in May. In addition to the recall, BMW has issued a stop-sale of all 2016 BMW 7 Series. These include the 740i, 750i, and 750i xDrive.

    The BMW 7 Series starts at $82,295 including destination for the rear-drive 740i with a turbocharged straight six making 320 hp, and the model range extends all the way to the 750i xDrive which rings in at $98,395 with all-wheel drive and a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 good for 445 hp. For 2017 BMW adds some serious performance chops with the 600-hp Alpina B7 and the stately M760i xDrive with its 600-hp V-12.

  • Powering road transport with technology

    Powering road transport with technology

    Road transport is going online — courtesy of God is Good Motors (GIGM), which has just opened  its information communication technology (ICT) office in Lagos, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO  

    DOING things differently with the aim  of pleasing the customers is his major pre-occupation.

    God is Good Motors (GIGM) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chidi Ajaere took over his father’s company seven years ago. But he transformed it into a world-class  firm with the power of technology.

    With over 700 buses in the firm’s fleet, Ajaere understood the difficulties in monitoring the drivers and the condition of the buses on the roads. It is for this that he  deployed technology.

    At the firm’s new terminal in Jibowu, Lagos, which has state-of-the-art facilities, Ajaere said customers could make booking and seat reservations easier online with the firm’s new apps.

    Ajaere, who is also the Chairman of the God is Good (GIG) Group, said the unveiling of the new GIGM.com logo is about re-positioning the company to have a worldwide appeal.

    Because of the advent of smart technology, the world has become a global village, and the GIGM.com brand is leveraging on that by investing in technology to make its operations easier for travellers.

    Though he admitted that the business is challenging, with innovations, one could swim it over.

    He said: “Basically, as I had mentioned earlier, I have a relentless desire to make sure that things can be better, especially in a country like Nigeria, I feel like there are too many opportunities and one of the best ways to take advantage of the opportunities is to make things better and make it better for your customers if you are in business; or if you are in government, to make it better for your people.

    “What informed this basically is because we wanted to make our services better for our customers and because we are a road transport company,one of the challenges that face our sector is safety. So, using technology to improve and drive safety is one of our passions and also providing the best services for our customers. As I said earlier, we are not there yet. This, for us, is a process for continual improvement.”

    According to him, “one of the things we employed is technology. At GIGM, we have an Intelligence Command Unit (ICU) department, which has been able to design an in-house software that manages the speed limit of all our vehicles. From the ICU, we have Beat Spring computers that can pinpoint and monitor the location of each of our vehicles and also monitor their speed limit, so we are able to caution them as they drive because we have found out that the biggest contributor to road accidents in Nigeria asides bad roads is over speeding. So, if we are to reduce the speed limits of our captains, the next step is to train them.

    Ajaere said the firm has invested a lot in technology and in training, especially in drivers, and in the terminals to make them conducive for our customers.

    ‘’When I came into the road transport industry, 90 per cent of terminals were under the bridge, so we thought to make it more modern and better for our customers. Service, people, technology, safety are what we are after.”

    Getting software for transportation business, he said, wasn’t easy; rather, “we basically had to go source for the best intellectual mind in the I.T. industry in Nigeria and we employed them to build our in-house software’’.

    “Like anywhere in the world, most technologies are usually open to hackers, but I think we have a safe-proof mechanism to ensure that it would be almost impossible for hackers to hack our system.”

    Customers, he said, need not join the queue to buy tickets instead do it online or use the self-service machine that even offer 10 per cent reduction in fee.

    He continued: “When the Internet is no longer working, we have a manual mechanism that helps our processes and aside that, we always have backup for our internet. There are even more technology that we would like to offer to Nigeria, but the Nigerian internet system is not as advanced as the kind of services we want to provide for them.

    ‘’We have backups in all our terminals and our head office to ensure that when one fails, the other one works. And then even when both of them fail, there is also a manual mechanism for us to activate in the downtime so that we are able to provide efficient services.

    “Besides this, we constantly ensure that we are doing regular maintenance for our buses and that is really important so that the vehicles don’t break down on the way. We have comfortable seats. Most of our vehicles have DVD systems so that our customers are entertained in the vehicle as they go on their journey.”

  • GM to shut plants temporarily after Japan earthquakes

    GENERAL Motors Corporation is to begin two-week closures at four North American manufacturing plants as a result of supply chain problems caused by the recent earthquakes in Japan.

    Closures have been scheduled to begin at plants in Spring Hill, Tenn.; Oshawa, Ontario; Lordstown, Ohio; and Fairfax, Kan at the weekend.

    GM said the temporary shutdowns were not expected to have any impact on its full-year North American production plan nor does it expect a material impact on either second-quarter or full-year financial results.

    The Spring Hill facility produces the Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia. It also manufactures four-cylinder engines and includes a stamping facility, a body shop, a paint shop and two injection-molding operations.  As of last month there were 2,643 employees in Spring Hill.

    Lordstown is where GM builds its Chevy Cruze. The plant employs 4,150 hourly union workers and 350 salaried employees.

    The Fairfax plant manufactures the Chevy Malibu.

    More than 3,200 hourly union workers are employed at the facility, along with 270 salaried staff.

    The GM plant in Oshawa manufactures the Chevy Camaro and Impala, the Buick Regal and the Cadillac XTS on its flex line and the fleet Impala and Chevy Equinox on its consolidated line.

    The company has 23,000 employees in Canada at three separate locations.GM stock traded down about 1.2% in the noon hour Friday, at $32.28 in a 52-week range of $24.62 to $36.88.

  • Toyota Highlander offers comfort ride

    Toyota Highlander offers comfort ride

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander is essentially not different from last year’s model. It, however, has minor upgrades, which include a standard towing package on all V6 models. The six-speed automatic transmission works well and provides quick downshifts in most situations, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO.

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander, which represents the third year of the model’s current generation, remains a top contender among family-friendly crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUVs). For buyers repelled by minivans or those, who do not need a V8-powered toy-hauling behemoth, the three-row Highlander hits the sweet spot, offering front or all-wheel-drive, a choice of four-cylinder or V6 engines, and five distinct trim levels, each with a successively longer list of features.

    Regardless of trim level, the Highlander stands out by virtue of its spacious and comfortable cabin. Second-row seating is a choice of three-across bench seating or captain’s chairs with a side table. The refined V6 and smooth six-speed automatic transmission deliver effortless acceleration and make the Highlander one of the quickest big crossovers around. There are also plenty of contemporary tech tools and smartphone-integrated services, anchored by an eight-inch high-resolution touchscreen display in the higher trim levels.

    For 2016, Toyota keeps the Highlander essentially unchanged. There is a new standard towing package that makes all V6 models capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.

    The Highlander packs enough goodness that has made it one of top picks for a three-row crossover this year. But it is not the only model worth checking out. The Highlander’s main rival, the Honda Pilot, is fully redesigned this year and is more upscale and carlike than in prior years. The Ford Explorer is also updated this year and offers a similar range of prices and features plus a strong turbocharged V6 option. There is also the handsome-looking Dodge Durango or the three-row Hyundai Santa Fe, the latter of which stacks up nicely against the Highlander across the board. All of them are competent family vehicles, but the Highlander certainly earns its well-deserved reputation for all-around goodness.

     

    Body Styles

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander is a three-row midsize crossover offered in LE, LE Plus, XLE, Limited and Limited Platinum trim levels. Eight-passenger seating is standard on the LE, LE Plus and XLE, while seven-passenger seating (featuring second-row captain’s chairs instead of a three-person bench) is optional on the XLE and standard on the Limited and Limited Platinum. Note that the related Highlander Hybrid is reviewed separately.

     

    Powertrains

    The base Highlander LE comes standard with front-wheel drive and a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 185 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined (20 mpg city/25 mpg highway), which is barely better than the ratings for the stronger V6 engine.

    That 3.5-liter V6 is optional on the LE and standard on all other trims. It is rated at 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque.

     

    Safety

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander comes standard with traction and stability control, antilock disc brakes, front seat side airbags, a driver knee airbag, a front passenger seat-cushion airbag and full-length side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is also standard.

    The Limited trim gets a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, and its optional Driver Technology package (standard on Limited Platinum) adds a frontal collision warning and mitigation system (with automatic braking), lane-departure warning and Toyota’s Safety Connect telematics (emergency assistance, stolen-vehicle location and automatic collision notification). Unfortunately, these items are unavailable on lesser Highlander trims.

     

    Interior design and special features

    Hard plastics that were once the bane of the Highlander have since been supplanted by supple surfaces with fancy stitching at the seams. The gauge cluster has a contemporary look, thanks in part to the multifunction information display that sits in the middle. Although the base 6.1-inch central touchscreen is a bit basic in both form and function, the available 8-inch unit is more satisfying with its improved graphics and functionality.

    Toyota has baked a number of handy storage features into the Highlander’s interior. There is a unique built-in shelf on the dashboard, for instance, that can serve as a resting place for phones and other small personal items. The shelf’s short height, however, can make it hard to fit your hand in there to place or retrieve those items. Vastly more spacious is the storage box under the console armrest that is big enough for a large purse.

  • Jaguar XJ drives 240km-long ‘Skyroad’ Expressway

    Jaguar XJ drives 240km-long ‘Skyroad’ Expressway

    Jaguar has taken its latest XJ to one of the world’s most spectacular modern roads – the ‘Skyroad’ in China – to find out how innovation in road technology and design is helping to match the improving ride of modern luxury cars.

    The 240km-long road, officially named the Yaxi Expressway, cost over 20b RMB ($3b), took five years to build and has become a tourist attraction as it snakes through spectacular scenery in Sichuan Province.

    The region, which is not only extremely mountainous, but also an active earthquake zone, required the road designers to utilise innovative thinking. Engineers solved the issue by using tunnels and viaducts to make up over half the length.

    Skyroad engineer Peng Li said: “Constructing modern roads is very challenging from a technology perspective because we have to keep pace with the development of the auto industry and there are many factors in the design of road surfaces and layouts.

    “In modern luxury cars like the Jaguar XJ, the passenger expectations are high. These cars are frequently chauffeur-driven and roads need to be designed to match the smooth ride and comfort engineered into luxury vehicles.

    “We incorporated a huge number of innovative technologies, materials and features to deliver this, including the world’s longest continuous slope of 51km, with an incline of 3 per cent, and the world’s first double-spiral tunnel, which optimises the experience for drivers.”

    One of the biggest challenges in the road’s construction was its location in a geologically unsettled region prone to earthquakes. This not only impacted construction, but also meant the design must be strong enough to withstand such potential natural disasters.

    “There were often many landslides, making construction very difficult,” added Li. “And in terms of design, it takes a lot of innovation to create an expressway to operate stably in an earthquake-prone region.

    The road has halved the journey time between Chengdu and Liangshan and opened up a region of China known for its tea production as well as pottery, flowers, silk, spicy cuisine and wild pandas.

    Jaguar spokesperson, Ian Hoban, said: “The XJ is the most luxurious car in our range and is designed both as a driver’s car and, in China particularly, for the chauffeur-driven market. Smooth ride, handling and rear seat comfort are all extremely important.

    “But it is not just the car that contributes to the handling, it is also important for our engineers to understand innovations in road design and optimise ride and handling to fit future trends in the construction industry.

    “One of the newest and most ambitious road construction projects in China enabled us to learn more about modern road design and to test out the XJ’s comfort, whether you are driving or working or relaxing in the rear seats.”

  • Toyota Highlander: stability control, comfort ride

    Toyota Highlander: stability control, comfort ride

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander is essentially unchanged from last year’s model. Minor upgrades include a standard towing package on all V6 models. The six-speed automatic transmission works well and provides quick downshifts in most situations, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander, which represents the third year of the model’s current generation, remains a top contender among family-friendly crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUVs). For buyers repelled by minivans or those who don’t need a V8-powered toy-hauling behemoth, the three-row Highlander hits the sweet spot, offering front or all-wheel-drive, a choice of four-cylinder or V6 engines, and five distinct trim levels, each with a successively longer list of features.

    Regardless of trim level, the Highlander stands out by virtue of its spacious and comfortable cabin. Second-row seating is a choice of three-across bench seating or captain’s chairs with a side table. The refined V6 and smooth six-speed automatic transmission deliver effortless acceleration and make the Highlander one of the quickest big crossovers around. There are also plenty of contemporary tech tools and smartphone-integrated services, anchored by an 8-inch high-resolution touchscreen display in the higher trim levels.

    For 2016, Toyota keeps the Highlander essentially unchanged. There is a new standard towing package that makes all V6 models capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.

    The Highlander packs enough goodness that has made it one of top picks for a three-row crossover this year. But it is not the only model worth checking out. The Highlander’s main rival, the Honda Pilot, is fully redesigned this year and is more upscale and carlike than in prior years. The Ford Explorer is also updated this year and offers a similar range of prices and features plus a strong turbocharged V6 option. There is also the handsome-looking Dodge Durango or the three-row Hyundai Santa Fe, the latter of which stacks up nicely against the Highlander across the board. All of them are competent family vehicles, but the Highlander certainly earns its well-deserved reputation for all-around goodness.

     

    Body Styles

     

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander is a three-row midsize crossover offered in LE, LE Plus, XLE, Limited and Limited Platinum trim levels. Eight-passenger seating is standard on the LE, LE Plus and XLE, while seven-passenger seating (featuring second-row captain’s chairs instead of a three-person bench) is optional on the XLE and standard on the Limited and Limited Platinum. Note that the related Highlander Hybrid is reviewed separately.

     

    Powertrains

     

    The base Highlander LE comes standard with front-wheel drive and a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 185 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined (20 mpg city/25 mpg highway), which is barely better than the ratings for the stronger V6 engine.

    That 3.5-liter V6 is optional on the LE and standard on all other trims. It is rated at 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque.

     

    Safety

     

    The 2016 Toyota Highlander comes standard with traction and stability control, antilock disc brakes, front seat side airbags, a driver knee airbag, a front passenger seat-cushion airbag and full-length side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is also standard.

    The Limited trim gets a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, and its optional Driver Technology package (standard on Limited Platinum) adds a frontal collision warning and mitigation system (with automatic braking), lane-departure warning and Toyota’s Safety Connect telematics (emergency assistance, stolen-vehicle location and automatic collision notification). Unfortunately, these items are unavailable on lesser Highlander trims.

     

    Interior Design and

    Special Features

     

    Hard plastics that were once the bane of the Highlander have since been supplanted by supple surfaces with fancy stitching at the seams. The gauge cluster has a contemporary look, thanks in part to the multifunction information display that sits in the middle. Although the base 6.1-inch central touchscreen is a bit basic in both form and function, the available 8-inch unit is more satisfying with its improved graphics and functionality.

    Toyota has baked a number of handy storage features into the Highlander’s interior. There is a unique built-in shelf on the dashboard, for instance, that can serve as a resting place for phones and other small personal items. The shelf’s short height, however, can make it hard to fit your hand in there to place or retrieve those items. Vastly more spacious is the storage box under the console armrest that is big enough for a large purse.

  • Kewalram Group unveils $400m Assembly plant

    Kewalram Group unveils $400m Assembly plant

    A foremost dealer of Foton, Isuzu Cherry and Mitsubishi in Nigeria Kewalram Chanrai Group has unveiled an assembly plant with capacity to produce 198,000 vehicles and bikes.

    Tagged Group Automobiles Manufacturing Hub, the plant located inside the Afprint complex, Isolo, Lagos, covers 10,000 square meters with more than 6,000 sq meters of open area for road tests and off-loading of Semi-Knock Down (SKD) kits for kinds of vehicles under its umbrella.

    Kewalram will start with assemblage of 12,000 Foton and Isuzu trucks, 30,000 mini buses and cars, 36,000 three-wheelers (Keke Napep) and 120,000 motorcycles.

    The company’s Group Deputy Managing Director, Mr Victor Eburajolo, said Kewalram is partnering Daimler, maker of the Mercedes Benz to bring the best quality to the Nigerian automobile market.

    Eburajolo said the company has employed over 100 skilled Nigerians to work in the plant, noting that this is capable of creating about 500 indirect jobs at the early stage.

    He said: “We are starting with one shift, which gives 60 per cent of the above figure annually. We are starting with Foton trucks. We are also including buses and of course Isuzu. Isuzu is not new in this country. We have entered into agreement with General Motors to assemble Chevrolet brand and we also signed agreement to assemble 3-wheelers and 2-wheelers. If necessary, as demand increases, we can do three shifts. We are target four lines.”

    Flanked by National Automotive Design, Development Council (NADDC) Deputy Director, Policy and Planning and Customers Luqman Mamudu and other Kewalram top executives, Eburajolo said the company’s $400 million investment in the project showed that it believes in the policy.

    While appealing to some government agencies that try to create bottlenecks for investors to go strict by the rules, he thanked NADDC for its support.

    “Going forward, we want to appeal to some agencies that seem to create bottlenecks. We appeal that various agencies affiliated to this and various aspects of the Nigerian economy; timely approvals for documents of imports is key. If all agencies work in unison, we will have great results.

    “The NADDC has been very helpful, but there are some departments that make things so difficult for us. But let me emphasise that we are not going to cut corners, but if our papers are right, agencies should give timely approvals,” he said.

    One of Kewalram Executives Mr Anil Sahgal said: “The most important part of auto policy is quality. We are not compromising and we will consistently improve on this. We are putting all equipment required for this production line.”

    Mamudu debunked claims that made-in-Nigeria vehicles are costlier, explaining that with the huge rebate for knocked down parts, there was no way vehicles assembled locally would be costlier than imported ones of same brand, model and specifications.

    He said:”Vehicles imported are heavily levied but the local manufacturers are allowed to pay only 10 per cent on the knocked down parts used for assembling locally.

    “The moment a company registers as the an auto assembler, we send its name to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to ensure ease in procuring knocked down parts.

    “It is not true that price of locally made are costlier. We have made it in such a way that if you assemble one, you can bring in two, but we encourage them to produce more. We are trying to get component manufacturers because assembling is like a precursor of real manufacturing.”

  • House of Representatives and use of speed limiting devices in Nigeria

    In view of the low level of preparedness, inadequate number of speed limiters and maintenance Technicians, low level of public enlightenment coupled with the high cost, I hereby plead that the enforcement date be shifted from June 1 to a later date when the above – mentioned factors would have been reasonably addressed even though we know the commercial vehicle passengers will ultimately pay the price through increased transport fares.

    In addition, it should be noted that Tools to circumvent the speed limiters are widely available and easy to install because it operates through electronic sensors and the engine Computer which can be easily manipulated. In developed countries, electricity meters are not usually manipulated but you all know the situation in Nigeria of today where even prepaid meters are been manipulated.

    It is possible for Manufacturers of Commercial vehicles and Trucks to be compelled to install pre – set and unalterable road speed limit right from the factory as a condition for the sale of their vehicles in Nigeria to avoid the need to be compelling buyers to install.

    Adequate and Appropriate Driver education is much more vital than speed limiter and must therefore be emphasized. Driving Schools must not compromise the standards of their training. The public and private sector Organisations must also release their Drivers to go to Driving Schools for result – oriented theory and practical re – training and capacity building programmes. Speed Limit signs should be installed in the appropriate places on the highways and rural roads with the right monitoring mechanism put in place for the apprehension and prosecution of speed violators even for speeding up to 40km/h where the speed limit sign says Drivers should not speed more than 30km/h.

     

    Call for further brainstorming

     

    While I suggest that the June 1 implementation date should be pushed forward, I want the Federal Road Safety Commission and her Partners in the speed limiter project should in addition to the above – mentioned, take note of the above-mentioned facts for further brainstorming to ensure a more result – oriented implementation of the speed limiting policy in Nigeria.

    I am not an Apostle of doom, but the unpleasant and devastating results of the over-rushed new Drivers’ license and the ongoing Graduated Driver Licensing System, which have been worrisomely compromised, is one of the very fresh examples to further affirm my claims in this article.

  • Volkswagen recalls 91,000 Passat sedans

    Volkswagen is recalling 91,000 Passat sedans in the United States to fix insufficient cable insulation that could cause short circuits, it has said.

    The cars were assembled between 2012 and 2014, VW said. Vehicles in other markets were not affected by the fault, a spokesman said.

    The embattled German carmaker, which has for months been working on a fix for the nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles on U.S. roads caught up in the company’s massive emissions cheating scandal, has had a string of recalls lately due to various technical glitches.

    Last week, VW recalled nearly 5,600 electric e-Golf cars in the United States to address a battery problem that can cause stalling.

    Last week, VW recalled 177,000 Passat sedans across the world due to a potential electrical fault, and also recalled more than 800,000 VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne sports utility vehicles to fix a pedal mechanism.

  • Hyundai ranked No.1 in brand keys

    Hyundai ranked No.1 in brand keys

    For the seventh year in a row, Hyundai is ranked No. 1 in the automotive category in the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Index.

    Brand Keys, a New York–based customer loyalty and engagement consultancy, publishes this yearly syndicated study, which examines customers’ relationships with 635 brands in 72 categories.

    “Psychologists say that seven years is a mark that a friendship will last a lifetime. It’s also the seventh year in a row that Hyundai has been named #1 in our customer loyalty and engagement index,” said Robert Passikoff, Founder and President, Brand Keys.

    “When you’re a brand that can build that kind of emotional engagement, and a company that can build cars that meet high expectations, you can count on customers being your friends for a long, long time. We congratulate Hyundai for the great job they’ve done and will undoubtedly continue to do,” Passikoff added.

    For the Brand Keys 2016 survey, nearly 43,000 respondents self-selected the categories in which they are consumers and the brands for which they are top 20 per cent customers.

    Reacting, Hyundai Motor America Chief Marketing Officer, Dean Evans said Hyundai has a long-standing history of being on top for loyalty.

    “This means more consumers who buy a Hyundai buy another, and more than any other car at any price. Our brand mission is to make things better, from the owner to the driving experience, to keep our customers coming back,” Evans added.