Genesis Rated Most Dependable Brand in U.S.

Hyundai's premium brand Genesis has topped the latest dependability study by U.S. market researcher J.D. Power.

In the annual Vehicle Dependability Study released on Wednesday, Genesis led some 30 global auto brands to become the first Korean brand to achieve the feat since the study began in 1990.

The study "measures the number of problems per 100 vehicles experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of their three-year-old vehicles," meaning a lower score reflects higher quality.

Genesis received 89 points, dethroning Lexus (100 points), which had held the top spot for eight consecutive years since 2012, followed by Buick (103 points) and Porsche (104 points).

Hyundai and affiliate Kia shared 13th with 132 points. BMW came eighth, Audi 15th and Mercedes-Benz 22nd.

Genesis also topped J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, which rates new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership, published in June last year for the second consecutive year.