Hyundai Elantra named 2012 North American Car of the Year

MEDIA RELEASE

16th January 2012

Hyundai Elantra named 2012 North American Car of the Year

The new Hyundai Elantra, released in New Zealand in June 2011, has taken top honours in the most exclusive award in North America, being named 2012 North American Car of the Year.

A jury of 50 independent North American automotive journalists evaluated each of the new cars introduced last year and chose the 2012 Hyundai Elantra as the winner. The award was announced at a news conference at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which marks Hyundai's second win. The Hyundai Genesis was named North American Car of the Year in 2009.

The jurors considered more than 50 new vehicles, before selecting the top three cars and top three trucks. The Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus were the other car finalists.

This is the 19th year of the awards, which were inspired by the prestigious European "Car of the Year awards". The jury is administered by an organising committee and funded exclusively by the jurors. Jurors judge the cars on a number of factors including innovation, impact on the industry, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for money.

Elantra exemplifies Hyundai's emotional "Fluidic Sculpture" design principles. "Fluidic Sculpture" considers the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion. The Elantra is an evolution of the design qualities found in the Hyundai i45.

Along Elantra's sides are the i45's flowing lines, with the addition of a strong undercut feature line starting at the front door. These lines, along with muscular wheel arches and a sleek roofline, create a memorable and spacious package. Flowing lines also lead to an aerodynamic body. The drag coefficient for the Elantra is an exceptionally low 0.28 that compares favorably to its segment rivals.

Hyundai's signature hexagonal front grille and detailed swept-back headlights give the Elantra a compact athletic face.

The Hyundai Elantra is also a fond favourite here in New Zealand, selected as one of twelve cars shortlisted for the 2011 New Zealand Car of the Year Award.

In the U.S., Elantra's strong Environmental Protection Agency ratings are backed up by the highest owner satisfaction with real-world fuel economy in the compact class, according to data from J.D. Power and Associates.

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