A Double Win For Imperial Select

Online, March 19, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS was named SAGMJ Car of the Year in a glittering banquet in Johannesburg yesterday evening. The Elantra has also won the US Car of the Year prize for 2012. It is the first time that a Korean Car has scooped the coveted title although Hyundai has previously qualified as a finalist in the competition twice. The Kia Picanto was the runner up.

The Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS was launched in August last year to great popularity. It has become a leading seller in the sedan category and has been the push Hyundai needed to take their brand to even greater success.

"We are extremely proud of the recognition that a world-class product such as the Hyundai Elantra has received from the guild. This award, and the fact that we had two finalists in the previous competition, is confirmation of the giant strides Hyundai has made locally and globally," said Alan Ross, the Managing Director of Hyundai South Africa, after receiving the trophy for this prestige award.

The road to success

The Car of the Year award is not simply chosen according to stellar performance and accessories, but according to value for money. Members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists diligently observe the local car markets and auto trade through their profound knowledge of modern automotive technology, test-driving many cars to choose the Car of the Year award winner, annually. Their decisions may not be affected by luxury, high performance or extravagant features. However, this is the reason why super sedans have been unsuccessful in the competition in previous years, losing to the smaller and more compact cars.

The ten finalists are sieved out from hundreds of potential winners by the experienced judges, and this year, there were a record number of car makers going for gold. The finalists (in order of ranking of the final results) were:
1. Hyundai Elantra
2. Kia Picanto
3. VW Jetta
4. Suzuki Kizashi
5. Alfa Romeo Guiletta
6. Audi A6
7. Ford Focus
8. Citroen DS4
9. Peugeot 5008
10. Mercedes-Benz SLK

The win was also noted as "recognition of the quality and emotional appeal that the Hyundai products have developed as part of the brand's 'Modern Premium' strategy," in a statement by MD, Alan Ross.

A big win for Imperial Select

Imperial Select own Hyundai South Africa and Kia South Africa, making the Car of the Year awards a double-win for Imperial Select.
"To have two of the car brands in our fleet make the top two positions is a dream becoming reality. We're ecstatic and proud of what Hyundai South Africa and Kia South Africa have achieved in this year's awards" states Ross Barlow, Marketing Manager for Imperial Select.

"This really goes to show that we work hard to bring South Africans the best in cars, not only in terms of performance but also value for money. This is going to be a momentous year for Imperial Select."

Find the Hyundai Elantra on Imperial Select starting at R199 900 only! Visit www.Imperialselect.co.za to look at our full range of cars today.