Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that its Hyundai and Kia brand cars have won their best ratings in a recent initial quality study by the U.S. marketing firm J.D. Power and Associates.

In the study, which serves as the auto industry’s benchmark for new-vehicle quality, the Korean auto giant was ranked fifth among 21 car brands studied, with three models becoming segment winners.

Hyundai Motor’s Genesis took the top spot in the midsize luxury car category, while Kia Motors’ Seoul and Sportage R topped their compact multipurpose vehicle and compact recreational vehicle segments, respectively.

Four other Hyundai models, including the Grandeur (or Agera in the U.S.), Santa Fe, Accent and Sonata, also ranked within the top three positions in their segments.

When including premium brands, Hyundai-Kia ranked 10th among 33 vehicles.

The J.D. Power study is based on complaint surveys on new-car owners who bought a vehicle in the U.S. between November last year and February this year.

Starting this year, the number of problematic factors has increased from the previous 228 to 233 with questions for new technology added.

(jylee@heraldcorp.com)