Tucson sales show Hyundai has arrived

There was a time not so long ago when Hyundai’s marketing thrust here in Ireland was based on the premise that the Korean marque was ‘Ireland’s fastest growing car brand’ and a very neat little tag line it was, adding weight and substance to otherwise bland advertising.

Of course the claim couldn’t last long and it didn’t, what with Renault sub-brand Dacia suddenly coming on strong and usurping Hyundai’s claim to the title it had briefly held. The thing was though that Hyundai’s boast — however short-lived it might have been — was a portent of things to come and a signal to competitors and customers alike that the company was shaping up for big things here in Ireland and elsewhere.

Last October, when Hyundai launched the new Tucson crossover on the market, few might have guessed that just a few short months later the car would surpass perennial Irish favourites such as the VW Golf, the Ford Focus, and the Toyota Corolla to become Ireland’s best selling model.