Hyundai Motor America 10550 Talbert Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 MEDIA WEBSITE: HyundaiNews.com CORPORATE WEBSITE: HyundaiUSA.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SONATA EARNS TWO TOP HONORS IN 2011 ABOUT.COM READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS Jim Trainor Director (714) 594­1629 [email protected] ID: 27845 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 17, 2011 ­ The 2011 Hyundai Sonata earned the “Best New or Redesigned Car” and “Best Family Car” awards in About.com Cars’ 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards. The 2011 Hyundai Elantra also earned a position on the podium, receiving third place in the “Best Compact Car” category. For more information on the About.com 2011 Readers' Choice Awards, visit: http://cars.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/2011­About­Com­Cars­Readers­Choice­Award­Winners.htm. “From the first day voting opened, ‘Best Family Car’ was a neck­and­neck race between the Hyundai Sonata and the Subaru Legacy,” said Aaron Gold, About.com Cars journalist. “The Sonata provides a roomy interior with luxurious trim and a range of fuel­ efficient engines.” “Picking the best new or redesigned car of 2011 was a tough decision, but I agree 100 percent with the readers on this one,” added Gold. “No question, the Hyundai Sonata is the right car for 2011: A roomy family sedan with an expensive­looking interior and a reasonable price tag, powered by three fuel­efficient powertrains, one of which is a hybrid.” The all­new Sonata has been one of the most awarded vehicles in Hyundai’s history. Sonata received Hyundai’s first­ever recognition on Car and Driver’s “10Best” list and was the first midsize car to receive a five­star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system. Sonata was also the most­shopped vehicle in January according to data from Compete, topping segment leaders like Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Ford Fusion for the seventh time in the past nine months. “Sonata’s innovation and quality enable it to stand­out in the very competitive mid­size sedan segment," said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "The About.com readers recognized Sonata’s commitment to quality, modern design, and segment­leading fuel economy – all brand attributes echoed throughout our lineup.” Hyundai Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional midsize sedan segment by using only advanced four­cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. The Sonata launched with a new Theta II 2.4­liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and in­house six­speed automatic transmission, achieving 35 miles per gallon highway fuel economy. Both hybrid and turbo powertrains are available, offering a trio of valuable options for consumers. Sonata Hybrid, the only hybrid optimized for highway fuel economy, reaches 40 mpg highway and joins Hyundai’s lineup of four 2011 models topping the 40 mpg plateau. Hyundai is the first automaker to report monthly sales­weighted average fuel economy, and recorded 35.0 miles per gallon through the first two months of the year. These results are largely attributable to the strength of Sonata and Elantra sales. Sonata soared 126 percent through February and Elantra, which achieves 40 miles per gallon standard highway fuel economy, racked up a 32 percent sales increase. The About Group The About Group comprises the Web sites About.com, ConsumerSearch.com, and CalorieCount.com. About.com is a valuable resource for content that helps users solve the large and small needs of everyday life. ConsumerSearch.com analyzes expert and user­generated consumer product reviews and recommends the best products to purchase based on the findings. CalorieCount.com is an online resource that helps users solve the everyday challenges of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. The About Group is part of The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2010 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high­quality news, information and entertainment. 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 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5­ year/60,000­mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10­year/100,000­mile powertrain warranty and 5­years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. ### Hyundai Motor America 10550 Talbert Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 MEDIA WEBSITE: HyundaiNews.com CORPORATE WEBSITE: HyundaiUSA.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SONATA EARNS TWO TOP HONORS IN 2011 ABOUT.COM READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS Jim Trainor Director (714) 594­1629 [email protected] ID: 27845 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., March 17, 2011 ­ The 2011 Hyundai Sonata earned the “Best New or Redesigned Car” and “Best Family Car” awards in About.com Cars’ 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards. The 2011 Hyundai Elantra also earned a position on the podium, receiving third place in the “Best Compact Car” category. For more information on the About.com 2011 Readers' Choice Awards, visit: http://cars.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/2011­About­Com­Cars­Readers­Choice­Award­Winners.htm. “From the first day voting opened, ‘Best Family Car’ was a neck­and­neck race between the Hyundai Sonata and the Subaru Legacy,” said Aaron Gold, About.com Cars journalist. “The Sonata provides a roomy interior with luxurious trim and a range of fuel­ efficient engines.” “Picking the best new or redesigned car of 2011 was a tough decision, but I agree 100 percent with the readers on this one,” added Gold. “No question, the Hyundai Sonata is the right car for 2011: A roomy family sedan with an expensive­looking interior and a reasonable price tag, powered by three fuel­efficient powertrains, one of which is a hybrid.” The all­new Sonata has been one of the most awarded vehicles in Hyundai’s history. Sonata received Hyundai’s first­ever recognition on Car and Driver’s “10Best” list and was the first midsize car to receive a five­star crash test rating under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new, more stringent 2011 system. Sonata was also the most­shopped vehicle in January according to data from Compete, topping segment leaders like Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Ford Fusion for the seventh time in the past nine months. “Sonata’s innovation and quality enable it to stand­out in the very competitive mid­size sedan segment," said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "The About.com readers recognized Sonata’s commitment to quality, modern design, and segment­leading fuel economy – all brand attributes echoed throughout our lineup.” Hyundai Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional midsize sedan segment by using only advanced four­cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. The Sonata launched with a new Theta II 2.4­liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and in­house six­speed automatic transmission, achieving 35 miles per gallon highway fuel economy. Both hybrid and turbo powertrains are available, offering a trio of valuable options for consumers. Sonata Hybrid, the only hybrid optimized for highway fuel economy, reaches 40 mpg highway and joins Hyundai’s lineup of four 2011 models topping the 40 mpg plateau. Hyundai is the first automaker to report monthly sales­weighted average fuel economy, and recorded 35.0 miles per gallon through the first two months of the year. These results are largely attributable to the strength of Sonata and Elantra sales. Sonata soared 126 percent through February and Elantra, which achieves 40 miles per gallon standard highway fuel economy, racked up a 32 percent sales increase. The About Group The About Group comprises the Web sites About.com, ConsumerSearch.com, and CalorieCount.com. About.com is a valuable resource for content that helps users solve the large and small needs of everyday life. ConsumerSearch.com analyzes expert and user­generated consumer product reviews and recommends the best products to purchase based on the findings. CalorieCount.com is an online resource that helps users solve the everyday challenges of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. The About Group is part of The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2010 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high­quality news, information and entertainment. 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 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5­ year/60,000­mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10­year/100,000­mile powertrain warranty and 5­years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. ###.