LAST year marked the 21st anniversary of the Hyundai marque in the UK - a period that has seen the brand come a long way in the eyes of UK consumers.

In that time Hyundai has sold more than 325,000 vehicles in the UK and introduced 20 new model ranges (excluding facelifts) to UK customers.

Today Hyundai has one of the youngest product ranges; the Trajet, launched in 1999, is in fact the company's longest-standing model.

Hyundai also has the largest single car plant in the world (Ulsan) and is currently the world's seventh-biggest car producer. The company has ambitions to become the fifth-largest by 2010.

The past year has been the most successful year for Hyundai in the UK; a year which has seen the brand head steadily into the motoring mainstream and prove formidable competition for the top-selling European brands. Hyundai is now the third-biggest Far Eastern importer to Europe.

In January, the Getz supermini won the What Car? Budget Car of the Year Award, beating the Ford Ka - previously a winner of this class six years running.

The UK continued to be the European market for the Hyundai Coupe, selling more examples here than in Italy, Spain and Germany.

The Getz was also declared budget car champion on top motoring programme 5th Gear.