Rick Kranz over at Automotive News is doing some well-deserved cheerleading for Hyundai, noting that the Korean manufacturer will likely top its current U.S. sales record in November and that, by the end of the year, the final tally could be three-quarters of a million vehicles more than the old record of 467,047 from 2007. Sales are one thing, but what Kranz is really touting is the company's turnaround. In 1998, Hyundai sold a dismal 90,000 vehicles during the entire year. It was plagued by myriad quality issues and the dismal reputation that comes with them. It was seen as a second-, maybe third-class purveyor of cheap econoboxes. Twelve years later, it's seen as a leader in both quality and value -- and even is competitive in the luxury and near-luxury segments, with the well-received and critically popular Equus and Genesis models. Not to mention that production had to be ramped up to keep pace with demand for the design-forward Sonata sedan.
Twelve years. That's a pretty impressive rags-to-riches story in a short amount of time. Are you paying attention, Chrysler?