Hyundai expands Turkey plant to include new i10

• Capacity doubled to 200,000 units with total investment of $677 million
• First New Generation i10 for European market rolls off today
• HAOS working as strategic production base in Europe
• Investment creates more than 2,700 jobs

Hyundai Motor Company has completed expansion of its Turkey plant, Hyundai Assan Otomotiv Sanayi (HAOS), doubling its annual capacity to 200,000 units with an investment of $634 million. With an additional $43 million added by the end of this year, the total investment will reach $677 million, creating more than 2,700 new jobs in Turkey.

The production of New Generation i10 starts today at HAOS with a ceremony attended by Republic of Turkey Minister of Economy Zafer Caglayan, Korean Ambassador of Turkey Sang-Kyu Lee, and Hyundai Motor Company Vice Chairman Euisun Chung, as well as executives,  HAOS employees and media.

“HAOS will be the sole production centre of the New Generation i10, which has a strategic importance for European markets. We will continue investing more at HAOS to produce world-class quality vehicles,” said Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, during his speech at the ceremony.

The New Generation i10 debuted at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt this month showing features of its dynamic and spacious design and outstanding performance. New Generation i10 is designed, engineered and assembled in Europe to satisfy the needs of Europe’s demanding drivers.

The 16-month expansion of Hyundai Motor’s HAOS plant will contribute to the auto industry of Turkey by adding new jobs to the local economy.  HAOS has become Hyundai Motor’s small car production base for Europe by adding New Generation i10 to existing i20 production.

Established in 1997, HAOS, in Izmit, is Hyundai Motor’s longest-operating manufacturing facility among seven factories outside of Korea. Originally capable of producing 60,000 units per year, the plant added 40,000 units of capacity in 2006. HAOS began producing i20 in 2010 to cover the rapidly growing demand of European customers. Now, with an annual capacity of 200,000 units, HAOS is a base of regional strategic importance for Hyundai Motor.

New European Test Centre officially opened at iconic Nürburgring location for Hyundai

• New European Test Centre officially opened at iconic Nürburgring location
• Hyundai Motor invests more than €6,6 million in its new facility
• Purpose-built site to conduct more accelerated durability tests

Hyundai Motor has officially opened its brand new European Test Centre at the Nürburgring in Germany, the company’s latest investment in its regional infrastructure. An opening ceremony marked the completion of the €6,62 million purpose-built vehicle testing facility, boosting the brand’s R&D operations in Europe.

The company’s new test centre provides it with a full-time presence at the iconic Nürburgring circuit, allowing it to further evaluate and develop the durability and driving dynamics of its vehicles more effectively and more often.

Construction of the striking 3,622m2 Hyundai European Test Centre began in June 2012 and was completed in less than 15 months. The unique glass and steel building houses workshops, office spaces and hospitality areas over four floors. The Nürburgring facility is an extension of Hyundai’s European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, where the brand’s European design and engineering teams have been based since 2003.

Hyundai’s accelerated durability tests are conducted from the European Test Centre. Each car taking part in the tests laps the Nürburgring 480 times in both dry and wet conditions, simulating over 100,000 miles of rigorous driving in less than six weeks.

Throughout each lap, data parameters are continually monitored, assessing steering input and vehicle course, suspension movement and ride and handling characteristics. The results are given directly to the vehicle development team based at the circuit, enabling Hyundai’s engineers to quickly make changes and tailor cars’ characteristics to the demands of European drivers.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe commented: “The Nürburgring is a unique challenge for any vehicle, so it is the perfect location for our new facility.  The new European Test Centre is a natural extension of our Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, and enables Hyundai Motor to more quickly and more accurately test the reliability and drivability of our vehicles. The emotional appeal of being ‘tested at Nürburgring’ will also help to further build the brand’s reputation across Europe.”

The Nürburgring is widely recognised as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, with 73 corners – 33 left and 40 right –spread across 12.8 miles of tarmac. With a difference in height of almost 300 metres between the lowest and the highest points, it features uphill and downhill gradients of 11 and 17 per cent respectively.