IRVINE, Calif. -

No longer is either Honda or Toyota holding the No. 1 spot for brand loyalty on Kelley Blue Book’s website.

The top position is still in the possession of a foreign automaker, but Hyundai ousted these traditional mainstays to take headline spot for the second quarter of this year on Kbb.com.

Furthermore, site officials mentioned Hyundai not only secured the leading spot in loyalty in February of last year, but Monday’s discovery also marks the first time since Kbb.com began tracking this data that Hyundai has held the No. 1 spot for an entire quarter.

Kelley Blue Book believes shoppers’ loyalty to their respective brands has waned during the past year for the majority of nameplates due to the economic downturn and consumers becoming much more aware of issues such as fuel prices, safety recalls, available vehicle options and additional models within their intended price points. 

While many of the industry’s top players have found themselves struggling to retain customers, analysts contend Hyundai has “blazed a new trail” and preserved its loyal consumer base. They attribute the driving factors behind this retention have been aggressive marketing campaigns combined with innovative product redesigns like the highly successful 2011 Sonata and 2011 Elantra. 

For the second quarter of this year, KBB determined Hyundai’s brand loyalty was at 52.3 percent with Honda following at 49.7 percent and Toyota sliding in third at 47.7 percent.

Rounding out the top five for the quarter were Ford in the fourth spot at 45.4 percent and Subaru in fifth at 44.8 percent.

In a time when most brands are losing loyalty, Kelley Blue Book said it’s notable that fellow Korean automaker Kia also is bucking the trend. Analysts found Kia is one of only two brands that are up in brand loyalty year-over-year with the other being Mini.

KBB thinks both Kia and Mini are succeeding in retaining loyalty for reasons similar to Hyundai with a combined result of attractive redesigns, additional models within their respective lineups and aggressive marketing campaigns. 

“Hyundai’s product renaissance is benefitting the company not just by attracting an all-new customer base, but by helping them to retain current loyal Hyundai owners, as well,” explained Arthur Henry, market intelligence manager for Kelley Blue Book.

“This latest brand loyalty analysis from kbb.com is a testament to the power of attractive vehicle designs and intriguing marketing in the minds of in-market car shoppers as they consider their next vehicle,” Henry continued.

Elsewhere, KBB pointed out several luxury brands — which the firm thinks have eroded in loyalty during the past few years — have now risen in loyalty for the quarter, as well.

Analysts revealed April and May saw some positive economic signals (such as a sharp drop in gas prices), and as a result, Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence sees prior luxury owners shifting back to the luxury brands they enjoyed when the economy was booming.

Seen as a positive sign for luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, KBB indicated each of these nameplates saw quarter-over-quarter increases during the second quarter from the previous quarter.

However, analysts acknowledged all of those mentioned badges remain down year-over-year.

Analysts reiterated Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence examines brand loyalty while consumers are still in the shopping phase.

For this analysis, KBB said loyalty is defined as owners of the brand who are currently shopping the same brand for their next vehicle. This includes data from consumers who view a trade-in page or private party page in addition to a new-vehicle page on Kbb.com.