Digital path boosts car brands

The carmakers were praised by survey compiler Interbrand for "becoming more attuned to the emotional connection consumers have with their cars" and tailoring social media and internet services to individuals.

Audi's virtual showroom in London was cited as the future of automotive retailing and the "next big thing" in terms of engaging customers throughout the purchase cycle.

The Audi concept does away with the massive - and expensive - car showroom in favour of a store the size of a regular retail outlet that uses an array of nine 72-inch screens to show virtual full-size vehicles.

Motion sensors and wireless interactivity let customers add interior and exterior options to customise the car. The finished product is then saved onto a USB stick for future reference.

South Korean duo Hyundai and Kia were two of the biggest movers in the 2012 survey. Kia's value increased by 50 per cent over last year to place it 87th overall and put it alongside parent company Hyundai as a global powerhouse.

Toyota maintains its place as the dominant carmaker with a worth of more than $31 billion, just ahead of prestige brands Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Volkswagen is the fifth-ranked carmaker but the parent company also has Audi and Porsche in the listings.

Honda's production problems in the past 12 months were reflected in an 11 per cent drop in the company's worth, though it still sits in 21st place.

TOP AUTO BRANDS

Overall Rank	Company	Value ($bn)	Annual growth
10	Toyota	$31.9	9%
11	Mercedes-Benz	$31.0	10%
12	BMW	$29.97	18%
21	Honda	$17.8	-11%
39	Volkswagen	$9.53	18%
45	Ford	$8.2	6%
53	Hyundai	$7.69	24%
55	Audi	$7.42	17%
72	Porsche	$5.3	12%
73	Nissan	$5.12	30%
87	Kia	$4.22	New
99	Ferrari	$3.88	5%

(values converted from US$ at a 1.03 exchange rate)