Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis earn top marks from major US auto outlet

Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis are drawing praise from a prominent US automotive publication, which says the brands are rapidly closing the product-quality gap with established luxury rivals.

CarBuzz recently reported that Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis are "shaking up the existing order of the auto market" by quickly narrowing the product-quality gap with traditional luxury brands, including those from Germany.

CarBuzz is one of the major US automotive outlets, reaching more than 6 million monthly readers and about 7.5 million social media followers, and provides vehicle reviews for consumers considering a purchase.

CarBuzz shared its experience test-driving the Hyundai Motor Palisade hybrid, saying it was "hard to find any difference" between the SUV's smooth ride and cabin quietness and those of the many luxury SUVs priced above $100,000 that it has tested.

Citing J.D. Power's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study, CarBuzz said savvy consumers have for years been watching Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis consistently improve across a range of metrics, including sales volume, customer satisfaction and durability.

The outlet attributed the group's rapid rise to its ability to deliver interior quality, user interfaces and cabin refinement — features once reserved for flagship models from established luxury brands — at more accessible price points.

Looking at individual brands, Genesis recorded scores ranging from 869 to 886 points across the past five years of data.

CarBuzz noted that Genesis has outscored Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi, Volvo, Acura and Infiniti across multiple years, concluding that Genesis "is no longer a challenger — it is a brand firmly established at the very top of the luxury market."

Hyundai Motor and Kia have also consistently maintained high scores of around 850 points, significantly narrowing the gap with major premium brands. In 2026, Hyundai Motor scored 858 points — 12 points behind Lexus and 18 behind Mercedes-Benz — while Kia scored 857, just 6 points behind Volvo.

CarBuzz also highlighted the group's manufacturing competitiveness, noting that Hyundai Motor Group is expanding investment in AI-based robotics and next-generation production automation technology, and pursuing a strategy with Boston Dynamics to improve manufacturing efficiency and production flexibility. The outlet said these investments could serve as a long-term foundation for lowering production costs and delivering even higher product quality at competitive prices.

Meanwhile, in a separate report headlined "Hyundai, Kia set new US sales record — BMW cuts 8,000 jobs," CarBuzz said Hyundai Motor and Kia sold 920,383 vehicles in the US in the first half of this year, up 3 percent from the same period a year earlier.

CarBuzz noted that hybrid sales by Hyundai Motor and Kia surged 65.5 percent year-on-year to 225,321 units in the first half of 2026, calling the broad hybrid lineup "one of the key factors driving overall sales growth."

Hyundai Motor's hybrid exports to the United States from January through July this year jumped 70.1 percent year-on-year to 121,027 units — the highest growth rate among all regional export markets. As a result, the US share of Hyundai Motor's total hybrid exports rose sharply, from 40.2 percent last year to 49.4 percent.

CarBuzz praised Hyundai Motor Group for flexibly responding to shifting market demand through a diverse product portfolio spanning hybrids, electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles — a contrast, it said, to some global automakers that had pursued EV-centric strategies and are now struggling with slowing electric vehicle demand.