Hyundai Motor Co. topped customer loyalty in the U.S. car market with the highest repurchase rate in 2011, a survey by the country’s biggest consumer research company J. D. Power said Thursday.

Hyundai Motor released a statement detailing the survey from J. D. Power and said it surpassed the customer loyalty of BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus and other brands with a repurchase rate of 64 percent. Ford and Honda tied with 60 percent each, followed by Kia and BMW with 59 percent each.

The survey was conducted on over 70,000 customers who registered new cars last year.

“Customers are increasingly recognizing Hyundai as a quality brand. Quality control will stay as our priority as we continue to grow,” Hyundai Motor said in a statement. Hyundai now has a record high market share of 9.2 percent in the U.S., up 7.9 percent from a year earlier.

The company is moving up the ladder in brand reputation.

Hyundai’s Elantra won the North American Car and Truck of the Year Award at the Detroit Auto Show 2012. The award came after sales of the Elantra shot up by 40 percent in the U.S. last year, making it the No. 3 seller in the compact vehicle segment which includes the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. Hyundai aims to sell 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. this year and raise this to up to 1 million by 2010.

John Krafcik, chief of Hyundai Motor America, said the brand is quickly shedding its roots as a “value” brand and becoming a “major player in the global market.”

By Cynthia J. Kim  (cynthiak@heraldcorp.com)