Market response to the Hyundai brand has been positive.

Australia's exclusive importer of Hyundai forklifts, Flexilift Australia, has appointed three new dealers to carry the brand, one each in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania.

The company, which received its first shipment of Hyundai forklifts last month, says market response to the brand has been positive. General manager Jenny Ritchie says: "We've already sold two forklifts and provided numerous quotations, but the market is very quiet across the board at the moment."

She hopes the current capital investment incentive provided by the Federal Government will kick start the materials handling industry, but says it will probably only happen towards the end of the incentive period in June.

Ritchie says Korean-based Hyundai has announced plans to start manufacturing a 20-25 ton forklift, which she believes will generate significant interest in the Australian mining and timber industries.