Hyundai Motor clinches top spot in Indian dealer satisfaction study

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. has emerged as the leader in India’s mass-market satisfaction segment, according to an annual survey by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association of India (FADA).

The survey of 1,821 Indian car dealers showed Hyundai Motor India topped the list with 852 points out of 1,000, primarily due to its improved inventory management.

Maruti Suzuki India, the local unit of Japan’s Suzuki Motor, came in second with 791 points, followed by India’s local brand Mahindra & Mahindra, which scored 774.

This year’s average mass-market segment score stood at 769 points.

In the previous year’s survey, Hyundai took second place.

The survey, conducted by FADA in collaboration with PremonAsia, a Singapore-based consulting firm, covered five categories – four-wheeler mass market, four-wheeler luxury brands, two-wheeler mass market, three-wheeler vehicles and commercial vehicles.

Overall, the average dealer satisfaction score across the industry has shown a positive increase, rising by 48 points from a year earlier to reach 767, the 2023 survey showed.

“Our performance this year is the result of trust and cooperation with local dealers,” said a Hyundai Motor official. “We will continue to strive to increase brand awareness by strengthening synergy with dealers and expanding contact points with customers."

Hyundai entered the Indian car market by launching the Santro mini car in 1998.

AIMS FOR 20% MARKET SHARE BY 2030

The Korean automaker has been selling over 400,000 vehicles in India annually since 2014, with strategic models ranging from the i10, i20 and Creta to the Exter compact SUV, which launched there in July.

Hyundai Motor India plans to raise its annual sales target to 800,000 units by 2030 for a 20% market share.

Currently, Hyundai operates a plant in Chennai, dubbed the Detroit of Asia, with an annual production capacity of 820,000 vehicles.

Last month, Hyundai signed a deal to take over a GM car manufacturing plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra. Hyundai expects to increase its output capacity to 1 million units with the acquisition of the GM factory and more investment.

The Korean company said in May it will invest 200 billion rupees ($2.45 billion) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu over the next decade to strengthen its presence in India, which functions as Hyundai’s Southeast Asian hub.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.