Hyundai In The UK: 21 Years Young

2003 has marked the 21st anniversary of the Hyundai marque in the UK – a period that has seen the brand come an enormous way in the eyes of UK consumers.

In that time Hyundai has sold more than 325,000 vehicles in the UK, and introduced 20 new model ranges (excluding facelifts) to UK customers.

Today Hyundai has one of the youngest product ranges; the Trajet, launched in 1999, is in fact the company’s longest standing model!

Hyundai also has the largest single car plant in the world (Ulsan), and is currently the world’s seventh biggest car producer. The company has ambitions to become the fifth largest by 2010.

This year has been the most successful year for Hyundai in the UK; a year which has seen the brand head steadily into the motoring mainstream and prove formidable competition for the top-selling European brands. Hyundai is now the third-biggest Far Eastern importer to Europe.

January: Getz supermini wins What Car? Budget Car of the Year Award, beating the Ford Ka – previously a winner of this class six years running.

January: The UK continues to be the biggest European market for the Hyundai Coupe, selling more examples here than in Italy, Spain and Germany.

April: Internet site www.ciao.com votes the Hyundai Coupe the fourth sexiest car as voted by their female readers – ahead of the Porsche Boxster.

July: Terracan 4x4 goes on sale in the UK; smashes Hyundai Car (UK) Ltd’s sales targets, so far this year has sold 485 units in the UK.