Mid-East picks Hyundai Sonata as Best Mid-Size Car
Plaudits continue to pour in for the Sonata YF, as Hyundai’s all-new D-segment competitor was awarded the Best Mid-Sized Sedan in the first Middle East Motor Awards 2010 (MEMA) recently. The award was presented on October 14th during the opening ceremony of the 10th International Motor Show Sharjah in UAE.
MEMA’s judging process sees the nominated cars evaluated by a panel of twelve selected automotive experts, mostly motoring journalists, from nine Middle Eastern countries. To qualify for the award, nominated cars must be launched in at least five Middle Eastern countries during the 12-month judging period, and they will be evaluated on criteria such as performance, technology, practicality, and value.
In its category, the Sonata competed against cars such as the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Ford Taurus. Whilst the Accord is identical to what we get in Malaysia save for trim differences, the Nissan Altima and Ford Taurus are models not offered in our shores.
The Sonata has made significant in-roads in the Middle East this year, having scooped Car of the Year titles from Saudi Arabia-based publications Sports Auto and Gulf Auto respectively. In July, it picked up another Car of the Year title from Syria’s Auto Sports along its SUV sibling, the Hyundai Tucson. The rave reviews have since been followed with strong sales figures, with a 103% year-on-year increase for the period of Jan – Sept 2010.
Mr B T Shin head of Hyundai Motor Company Middle East Regional Headquarters
KON
Picture: Official Hyundai release
See also:
- Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA) Official Website
– Hyundai Sonata YF launched… finally! – by KON (24/6/2010)
– Next-gen Hyundai Sonata & Tucson previewed to Malaysian media – by KON (9/3/2010)
