Hyundai Motor chairman 2nd influential CEO in car industry

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo has been named the second most influential CEO is the global carmaking industry this year, up three notches from 2010, industry sources said Thursday. U.S.-based Motor Trend magazine introduced Chung with the tagline, "His ambitions scare the competition," and said Hyundai models attract consumers for their design and features more than price. The news outlet said in its 2012 Power List that Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Motors Corp. the flagships of the world's fifth-largest automotive group, have met every goal set by Chung over the years. Competitors from Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors (GM) are the first to ask about Hyundai's latest models, it went on to say, a sign that the South Korean company is now competing with established giants. The magazine also said that its outlook for the conglomerate is excellent as total sales of Hyundai and Kia cars this year stand just 27,000 units shy of Ford, the world's fourth largest automaker. The latest accolade comes after Chung was also named the second most influential car industry CEO in Asia last month by Automotive News, another U.S. magazine. Motor Trend named Chrysler Group and Fiat SPA chief Sergio Machionne as the most influential CEO in the automotive sector, with the heads of Ford, Volkswagen and GM following Chung to round out the top five list. (END)