July 6^th, 2000

Accent takes baton of sales leadership from Excel

Hyundai’s new small car, the Accent, has put in an astonishing first full month’s sales in June, racing past Toyota Camry four and six combined and Mitsubishi Magna as well as all other small cars to claim outright third top selling car status, all achieved without corporate advertising. (Five dealers each ran one teaser press ad)

Accent’s 2480 sales almost tripled the heavily promoted efforts of the Ford Festiva and Toyota Echo, accounting for a massive 35.3 per cent of the 22-car strong light car segment and even far outsold Corolla and its kin in the next size up class, according to monthly retail vehicle sales figures released today by official industry statistician VFACTS.

Accent took the baton of light car sales leadership from its stablemate, and long reigning former sales champion the Hyundai Excel, which still sold 808 units in June to claim fourth in the segment despite stocks running down and some models now sold out.

Accent and Excel combined to account for almost half (46.8 per cent) of June’s light car sales. Accent’s success stood out compared with other imported cars in June.

Hyundai was the star performing volume brand in the pre-GST-nervous June market, 14 per cent up on last month’s middle of the road tally, with sales of 4099 representing a healthy 10.6 per cent of the passenger car market and boosting its year-to-date share to 9.7 per cent.

The King is dead...
"Accent’s accession to the throne of small car supremacy was a case of King Excel gracefully passing on and long live the new King Accent," said Hyundai Australia managing director Doug Croker.

"Obviously, Accent’s combination of class leading power and room, sportier dynamics, its industry-best warranty plus its new looks and standard features, improved quality and safety engineering, all at still keen driveaway-no-more-to-pay pricing is a package that clearly appeals to Australian small car buyers.

"These buyers are savvy enough to appreciate that at $14,990 driveaway, with Accent you don’t have to pay another up to $1900 for on road costs, you do get a full sized small car with a proper big boot-not a bobtailed hatch, you do get effortless and class-leading performance from a big 1.5 litres of twin cam 16-valve engine, and you do get the security of Hyundai’s unrivalled 5-year/130,000km new car warranty.

"Accent is selling on its merits, achieving despite its competitors doing all sorts of deals to try to match Hyundai’s established benchmark value for money."

Hyundai’s new 7-seat Trajet V6 people mover has stalled through lack of stock arrivals, some dealers not yet receiving any units at all and others holding on to stock for showroom floor display.