Veracruz Earns Winter Vehicle Award From NEMPA

Veracruz Earns Winter Vehicle Award From NEMPA

HYUNDAI VERACRUZ SHARES NEMPA'S ALL WEATHER SUV-- $25,000-$35,000 AWARD WITH THE BUICK ENCLAVE

Boston, Mass, 03/17/2008 In one of the most hotly-contested categories of the New England Motor Press Association's (NEMPA) 2008 Winter Vehicle Awards, the Hyundai Veracruz registered a tie with the Buick Enclave for best All Weather SUV-- $25,000-$35,000.

The award was presented at a NEMPA ceremony at the Boston Globe on the evening of March 11, 2008 hosted by NEMPA president Ezra Dyer.

Bill Griffith of the Boston Globe noted a NEMPA member's praise for the Veracruz in a recent article: "Hyundai keeps surprising with quality and good looks."

NEMPA members voted their choices for top winter vehicle during the annual Winter Vehicle Voting Day on February 2, 2008. All of the eligible vehicles were brought to one designated area, and the assembled NEMPA members had the opportunity to evaluate their merits in winter driving conditions. Vehicles ranging from pickup trucks to high-powered sports cars were included in the test—four-wheel drive was the only common element in all.

In addition to the Buick Enclave, other vehicles tested in the All Weather SUV-- $25,000-$35,000 segment included the Acura RDX, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Edge, Ford Escape, Ford Explorer, GMC Acadia, Honda CR-V, Honda Pilot, Infiniti EX35, Land Rover LR2, Mazda CX-7, Mazda CX-9, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, Mercury Mountaineer, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Murano, Pontiac Torrent, Saturn Outlook, Saturn Vue, Subaru Tribeca, Suzuki XL7 and Toyota Highlander.

The Hyundai Veracruz impressed the journalists with its refined and powerful performance and a long-list of standard features including six air bags, which include two-roof mounted side curtain air bags for all rows of seating, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), active head restraints and 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels. This combination of performance and value put the Hyundai Veracruz at the top of the "All Weather SUV" list.

Judges felt it's a solid effort, saying that the Veracruz is "a Hyundai built like a Lexus.”

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 780 dealerships nationwide.

NEW ENGLAND MOTOR PRESS ASSOCIATION

The New England Motor Press Association is unique among regional motor press groups. Its members represent all six New England states, reaching one of the densest populations in all of America. Many also have national followings. These automotive writers and talk show hosts influence multi-vehicle owners looking to buy a wide range of cars and trucks to cope with the varied weather conditions of the region.