Hyundai is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011 and MotorTrend has decided to recap the best moments this automaker has gone through in its history.
Beginning in 1986, the Excel compact car was released by Hyundai with a base price of $5,000. We wish cars still cost only that much.
Today, more than two-thirds of the vehicles made the by the motor company are still on the road. Hyundai has sold more than 6.5 million vehicles since it started in the U.S.
"As far as we've come since 1986, we still feel we're in the early stages of connecting the Hyundai brand to the U.S. consumer," said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "We've always challenged convention - from our powertrain strategies, to our consumer partnership programs, to our unique Genesis and Equus retail approach."
The automaker still has some way to go with conquering the American market, but it has gracefully started making sportier and more luxurious vehicles. The Equus sedan is a pinnacle of grandeur. Still, Hyundai doesn't have a full-size SUV or a truck.
Sales figures report that it doesn't matter what kinds of cars they have, however, as revenues were up 24 percent from 2009.