Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest carmaker, said Tuesday it placed second on German motoring magazine Auto Bild’s annual quality satisfaction report.

The magazine’s 2013 report evaluated 20 original equipment manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Toyota and Hyundai’s sister company Kia that sell cars in Germany. It also examined large volume luxury segment heavyweights like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Auto Bild, which has been issuing the quality report since 2001, put Hyundai second after Toyota in terms of overall quality and customer satisfaction. It said Hyundai got particularly high marks in customer loyalty, a key indicator on build quality.

The ranking places Hyundai above Mercedes-Benz and Mazda that jointly ranked third. Kia came in sixth along with BMW, Audi, Honda and Scoda, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group headquartered in the Czech Republic.

Auto Bild compiles the list by examining feedback from car owners, maintenance requirements, warranties, recall information, and detailed tests of the car and its durability.

The carmaker has been giving considerable emphasis on quality control and on building cars that are tailor-made to specific markets.

Many cars sold in Europe are designed by Hyundai engineers at its German research and development center in Russelsheim, and made in factories in the Czech Republic and Turkey.

The latest models such as the upcoming Genesis premium sedan and next generation Sonata have been seen at the Nurburgring motor speed complex, made famous as the place where many of the world’s best carmakers test their vehicles before unveiling them to the public. (Yonhap News)