Hyundai Motor Group, with Hankook Tire Technology, announced on Wednesday that it would establish South Korea’s largest test drive center, named HMG Driving Experience Center. The center would provide customers with new opportunities on the company’s brand and experience quality practice driving.
South Korea’s largest automaker joined hands with Hankook Tire Technology to build the massive drive center in the local tiremaker’s test site in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Hyundai expects the center to open within the first half of 2022.
The two companies held a signing ceremony on Wednesday at Hyundai Motor Group’s Seoul headquarters. At the event were Chung Euisun, Hyundai Motor’s Executive Vice Chairman, Cho Hyun-sik, Hankook Technology Group’s Vice Chairman, and head of HMG’s product division Thomas Schemera.
HMG Driving Experience Center
Currently, Hankook is in the process of constructing a 1.26 million-square meter site along with a 4.6-kilometer closed-circuit racetrack. Under the partnership, Hyundai Motor Group could access all portions of the test facility and establish a customer experience center.
Schemera said that HMG would construct the highest-level driving experience center for customers to enjoy their automobiles.
The facility would include four experience zones and four experience courses that would allow customers to experience Hyundai’s products. Each of the zones and courses enables customers to test-drive vehicles in various conditions and setups.
Hyundai Motor Group also plans to build a two-story customer service building that could house up to 300 people. The large-scale lounge would include conference rooms, a kids’ room, brand shops and an exhibition hall.
The car manufacturer said it would develop different programs offering customers different levels of driving experience. Hyundai would work alongside experienced driving instructors and utilize the latest multimedia devices to target consumers.
Since 2016, Hyundai Motor Group has been operating a driving experience program at the Inje Speedium racing circuit in Gangwon province. In 2019, the company expanded the program to include Kia Motors and Genesis.
