Hyundai Grabs Award at 2007 Chicago Auto Show

With the Chicago Auto Show going on, awards keep coming in for the best vehicles being unveiled at the said motor show. Another vehicle to receive yet another award is the Hyundai Entourage.

The minivan was selected as the best in its class by MotorWeek. The Hyundai Entourage won the prestigious Editor’s Choice Award in the minivan category along with another Korean vehicle - sharing the distinction of being the best minivan at the Chicago Auto Show with the Entourage is the Kia Sedona. The Hyundai Entourage will be featured on a special episode of MotorWeek along with other winners of different categories. MotorWeek chose winners for their thirteen categories.

John Davis, the producer and host of the automotive show, praised both the Hyundai Entourage and the Kia Sedona in his statement: “This second-generation Korean-branded design matches all the best features of its rivals, and then beats them in the price and powertrain warranty. The leaps that Hyundai and Kia make in perceived quality with each new vehicle are well documented, and the Entourage and Sedona are just the latest examples.”

The segment won by the two Korean cars is also acknowledged by Davis. “From school bus to apartment moving, minivans are the most versatile vehicles on the planet,” he added further. Indeed, the minivan has always been a favorite among car buyers for their sedan-like handling while having adequate room for cargo and passengers.

The result of the MotorWeek Driver’s Choice Award in its 25th year was based on the assessment of fifteen judges. The panel is composed of writers, producers and crews of the PBS automotive series. To come up with the winners, the panel went through 150 vehicles in all of the thirteen categories. These vehicles went through a battery of road and track tests as the board of judges evaluated each car’s capabilities. Among the aspects that were checked by the judges are performance, technology, practicality, and overall value from the consumer’s perspective. Both the Hyundai Entourage and the Kia Sedona received high marks for all of those criteria.

Hyundai is very proud of the Entourage’s achievements, which was quite apparent on John Krafcik’s statement. Krafcik is the vice president of Strategic Planning and Product Development for Hyundai Motor America. “Since its introduction last year, Entourage has earned a number of honors and awards including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s top five-star crash test rating and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest honor –the gold ‘Top Safety Pick’ award,” Krafcik stated. “We proudly accept the MotorWeek award, which recognizes the Entourage’s spacious interior, powerful performance, and unsurpassed standard safety technologies,” he added further.

The award will surely be a big help in the marketing of the Hyundai Entourage. It already boasts of strong achievements that will serve as its anchor in its bid to take over the top spot in its segment. All those recognitions and awards will support the Entourage just how a Volvo motor mount supports an engine.

Aside from the award ad recognitions given to the Entourage, another strong selling point for the car is its safety features. The Hyundai Entourage is equipped with six standard airbags which includes side curtain airbags which covers all three rows of seats. The vehicle also employs an anti-locking brake system for better stopping power. The stability of the minivan is secured, thanks to its Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control System.

Space is also another selling point for the vehicle; it can seat seven comfortably in its three rows of seats. The third seat can be folded down to increase the amount of space for luggage. Its third row seat split configuration of 60/40 adds to its versatility.