AutoPacific recently announced that the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is its first-ever President’s Award recipient. As the Sonata is considered by Hyundai as its most important vehicle today, it has received so many accolades and now this first-ever President’s Award given by the respected auto consulting firm confirms quite clearly consumers believe in the credibility of the new Hyundai.

AutoPacific was not sure whether the hype of the new Hyundai was all real, and so they put the Sonata to a test. AutoPacific has been conducting research on driver satisfaction since 1997.

George Peterson, president of AutoPacific said, “With all we have seen and read about the 2011 Sonata, AutoPacific felt that it was necessary to put this vehicle to a unique test. Over the years, we have seen several important vehicles come to market that have attempted to redefine their brands. They are often launched with a considerable amount of hype, but then fail to deliver a customer experience that truly satisfies.”

AutoPacific is well-respected in the automotive industry as a leading marketing and product-consulting firm. It annually publishes a number of syndicated studies on the industry. The awards and accolades it gives out are sought after by car manufacturers and dealers.

To receive the President’s Award, AutoPacific’s methodology involved 975 drivers and car owners in analyzing the all-new 2011 Sonata and rated the car based on 48 different categories that include comfort, convenience, performance and environmental friendliness, among others.

The Sonata received a very satisfactory score of 775 of a possible 1,000, to which Peterson excitedly declared, “Quite frankly, we were blown away by the results.”

The president explained that the “sheer magnitude of the 2011 Sonata’s score made recognition necessary. With a score 775 out of 1,000, the Sonata exceeded everyone’s expectations. The Sonata’s unique styling was rated almost perfect and was a key driver to its overall superior performance in this research. Clearly, 2011 Hyundai Sonata drivers are extremely satisfied with their purchase.”

But the AutoPacific president has something more to say about the new Hyundai. Peterson added that they have not given a score of 775 since they began conducting customer satisfaction research. He explained, “No vehicle has achieved a score of 775 before in our satisfaction research. The Sonata’s top score surpasses anything we have ever seen, including vehicles costing twice as much.”

The all-new Sonata boasts of its Theta II 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. It runs 22 mpg city/35 mpg highway with 198 horsepower.

About the award-wining Sonata, John Krafcik, the president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said, “Consumer response to the all-new 2011 Sonata shows the strong appeal of Hyundai’s recipe of bold design, great quality, a segment-best 35 miles per gallon, and outstanding residual values.

This first-ever AutoPacific President’s Award, recognizing the highest score on this survey that AutoPacific has ever seen, is an apt tribute to our California design team, our global engineering team and the 2,700 team members at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama for their fresh thinking and dedication in breaking the mold of the staid and boring mid-size car.”