Hyundai has secured awards in two of the most popular categories among used car buyers – small cars and small SUVs – in the inaugural CarSales Best Used Cars Awards.
The Hyundai i30 Active GD series scooped the small passenger car category, rising above tough competition from the Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla. The GD was a hugely popular model in Australia, with total sales of 155,483 from 2012 to 2017.
“The launch of the original FD series i30 in 2007 really made customers sit up and take notice of Hyundai,” said Carsales’ Editor in Chief, Mike Sinclair. “The GD of 2012 took the value and quality equation even further and it remains terrific value six years on.”
The Hyundai ix35 Elite LM2 series secured the small SUV category, ahead of the Subaru XV and Volkswagen Tiguan.
RedBook.com.au general manager Ross Booth said that the Hyundai ix35 delivers “great value for money for a high-spec model with sat-nav” and added that it is “a hard-wearing and functional all-rounder.”
The predecessor to the current TL Tucson, Hyundai sold 82,464 LM series ix35s between 2010 and 2015.
“Hyundai is a fast-moving brand that is committed to providing local consumers with reliable vehicles tailored for their needs and a great warranty,” said Mike Sinclair.
“These awards are further acknowledgement of Hyundai’s rapid rise from affordable budget brand 30 years ago to the design and engineering powerhouse it is today.”
Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mr. JW Lee, said: “The Carsales Best Used Car Awards for the previous-generation i30 and ix35 (now Tucson) underline each model’s compelling long-term ownership proposition as well as recognising the enduring strength of every Hyundai vehicle.”
“Hyundai’s Lifetime Service Plan applies for the life of any Hyundai and the benefit of our transferrable five-year, unlimited kilometre factory warranty extends to many buyers of i30’s and ix35’s on the used market,” he said.
The Carsales Best Used Car Awards are based on comprehensive data from Redbook.com.au as well as expert evaluation to recognize the best post-2012 models on the Australian used-car market.
Judges nominated vehicles by category, based on factors such as safety, cost of ownership and market appeal.
RedBook.com.au data on retained values, servicing, insurance, running costs, safety features and the average time to sell on the used market (to quantify a model’s popularity) contributed to half of each vehicle’s score.
An experienced judging panel comprising senior carsales journalists and Redbook.com.au experts ranked the finalists against criteria such as comfort and driveability.
