(Strategic Vision: San Diego, California) -- For the first time, Hyundai has produced the most leaders on Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index, leading in three segments. The 2007 results are based on the ratings of new vehicle owners in 19 product segments. The only other brand to produce three leaders was Nissan. Hyundai Motors had a total of five leaders (the Kia brand earning two more); Ford Motor Co. and BMW Group each earned three (one for BMW, two for Mini); GM, Honda, and Mercedes each earned two; and Dodge, Lexus, and Volkswagen each earned one. BMW repeated as the top-scoring brand for the eighth time in nine years, and Volkswagen of America kept its claim as the best full-line corporation. The Total Quality Index is the premier measure of new-vehicle owner satisfaction, asking buyers to rate all aspects of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to driving. Although Toyota improved their overall TQI scores, the most significant change in 2007 is the lack of any Toyota brand segment leaders.

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