106 November 2016 www.bahrainthismonth.com motoring This leading marque has been named as the world’s 35th biggest brand in the latest rankings. Hyundai Motor Company was awarded the accolade by global brand specialists Interbrand, overtaking four other renowned companies in the past 12 months. Despite yet another challenging year for the automotive industry, Hyundai’s value increased 11.1 per cent to reach USD12.55 billion, securing its place among the biggest brands on the planet. The Korean company also moved up one place to sixth in the worldwide automotive industry top 10 brands. Hyundai maintained global sales at five million units, helped by successful launches of its Creta, Sonata and Tucson models. The company also reinforced its Modern Premium philosophy through increased differentiation between the Hyundai and Genesis brand identities. Meanwhile, Hyundai is set to achieve even greater heights with electric models, high-performance N cars and future mobility-focused Project IONIQ moving the company into new automotive spaces. Project IONIQ Lab sets out to explore future mobility solutions through innovation, research and academic projects. Wonhong Cho, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Company, says: “The car-ownership model may become obsolete within a matter of years, therefore we simply can’t limit our vision to eco-friendly vehicles. To maintain our rate of growth as a global brand we must rethink the traditional business model and not just see ourselves as a transportation company, but also a mobility service provider. With Project IONIQ we will address this new paradigm and further Hyundai Motors’ standing as one of the world’s most valuable brands.” Mike Rocha, global director of brand valuation at Interbrand, says: “Over the past year, Hyundai has once again redefined its limits by introducing IONIQ to gain leadership in future mobility, by spinning off the Genesis brand to enhance clarity for each identity and by providing innovative experiences such as Hyundai Motorstudio Digital. We look forward to another year of growth for Hyundai as one of the forerunners of future mobility.” Hyundai Motors’ high-performance sub-brand ‘N’ was launched in September 2015, with an aim to bring intuitive, high-performance, fun-to-drive vehicles to a broad range of customers. The RM16, Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo, and RN30 concepts revealed in 2016 are inspired by the brand’s passion for performance and will evolve into the first Hyundai N model. “The latest Interbrand ranking shows Hyundai’s enormous success in the past decade, consistently rising both in the value of the brand and in our ranking against other major companies across many sectors,” says Mike Song, Hyundai’s head of operations for Africa and the Middle East. “The value that Interbrand places on the Hyundai name reflects the fundamental strength and stability of Hyundai as a company, and the high levels of trust placed in us by consumers worldwide.” Call 17 121-121. Brand Value Continues to Grow FIRST MOTORS
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