Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest carmaker, reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in J.D. Power’s latest quality study after being nudged out in 2009, the company said Thursday.

The 2014 initial quality study (IQS) by the U.S.-based global marketing company showed Hyundai Motor receiving 94 points, leading the pack among 20 high-volume brands examined.

The top ranking represents the first time the company has retaken the title since 2009. It also marks an improvement from the fifth-place finish for mass market car brands that Hyundai received in 2013. In that year, the company received 106 points.

Besides Hyundai, its smaller affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., ranked third on the list, just below Toyota and above Chevrolet and Honda.

Hyundai and Kia are flagship companies of Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest automotive conglomerate.

The Hyundai Genesis ranked first in the midsize luxury segment for the second year in a row, with the subcompact Accent and Elantra compact topping their respective fields in the latest quality report. (Yonhap)