2014 Hyundai Accent Named No. 1 Small Car in APEAL Study

Hyundai Accent JD Power award

With the 2014 Hyundai Accent leading the way, Hyundai was the top-scoring non-premium brand in this year's J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study. Itself positioned as the "industry benchmark for new-vehicle appeal," the report this year drew on data from more than 86,000 vehicle owners and lessees, who provided feedback across more than 75 vehicle attributes. 

Now, it is true that the only segment winner for the brand was the 2014 Hyundai Accent, but that victory did come in the "Compact Car" category, and that's one of the toughest segments in the business. Consider: In setting the pace in that class, the 2014 Hyundai Accent had to defeat rivals like the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris. Also, beyond the strong performance of the 2014 Hyundai Accent, the Hyundai Sonata captured third place in a very tight battle for supremacy among mid-size sedans and was, in fact, just two points behind the top finisher.

The Hyundai Veloster also was recognized with a silver medal in the "Compact Sporty Car" category.

In the end, Hyundai actually was the only mainstream brand to even score above the industry average in the 2014 APEAL ratings

“We are so pleased to see the recognition that Accent has received in this year’s J.D. Power APEAL study,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning for Hyundai Motor America. “And it’s especially gratifying coming on the heels of our best-ever IQS showing just one month ago.”

And to be clear, that "best-ever IQS showing" refers to Hyundai's results in the 2014 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, in which the company also scored as the No. 1 non-premium brand in the auto industry. Further, the 2014 Hyundai Accent won its segment in the IQS, too, as did the Hyundai Genesis and Hyundai Elantra.