Hyundai brings a positive sign for the longer term future of the Nordschleife with word they are building their own Nürburgring test center.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, says the goal is to improve the overall reliability and driving dynamics of their vehicles.

“The new Hyundai test centre at Nürburgring is an expression of our intention to focus on improving the customer experience of our vehicles, such as ride and handling—an important consideration for European drivers,” Rushforth said. “The new centre represents a significant investment, and one we expect will significantly contribute to enhancing the perception of the Hyundai brand and our key competitive competence in Europe.”

Hyundai is spending around AU$7 million on the 3050m2 facility and they say construction is well underway. No opening dates have been announced as yet.

[Pic: Scoopy/autoevolution]

Hyundai Building New Vehicle Test Centre at Nürburgring

• AUD$7m investment demonstrates Hyundai’s commitment to Europe
• All new Hyundai vehicles to be tested at the world’s most famous race track
• New facility will further enhance product quality and performance

January 16 2013 – Hyundai has revealed plans for a new vehicle test centre, situated at the famous Nürburgring track in Germany – with construction already well underway. The new facility, which represents an AUD$7m investment, reaffirms the brand’s commitment to developing its credentials as a top European carmaker.

Tests carried out at the new facility will be used by engineers at the company’s existing R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, to improve the quality and driving performance of Hyundai’s European-designed vehicles. In 2012, almost 95% of the 444,000 Hyundai cars sold in Europe were designed, engineered and tested in Rüsselsheim, including the best-sellers i30, ix35 and i40.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, said: “The new Hyundai test centre at Nürburgring is an expression of our intention to focus on improving the customer experience of our vehicles, such as ride and handling – an important consideration for European drivers. The new centre represents a significant investment, and one we expect will significantly contribute to enhancing the perception of the Hyundai brand and our key competitive competence in Europe.”

The 3,050m² building’s location was chosen for its direct access to the famous race track, dubbed ‘The Green Hell’ due to its challenging nature. Just as with Hyundai’s re-entry into the WRC series, track-testing at Nürburgring will enable Hyundai to develop the driving dynamics, reliability and durability of its vehicles.

About Hyundai Motor

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai Motor Group, with more than two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Hyundai Motor — which has seven manufacturing bases outside of South Korea including Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, India, Russia, Turkey and the U.S. — sold 4.4 million vehicles globally in 2012. Hyundai Motor, which employs over 80,000 worldwide, offers a full line-up of products including small to large passenger vehicles, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Further information about Hyundai Motor and its products is available at www.hyundai.com.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Pty Ltd (HMCA) was established on October 1st, 2003 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. The award-winning range of Hyundai vehicles continues to set segment and industry benchmarks in value, quality, and safety, with innovations such as Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, and Australia’s first five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres.

Hyundai Motor Company is the fastest growing automotive brand since 2005, according to the 2012 Interbrand ‘Best Global Brand’ survey, with an increase of 115%. The growth rate of the Hyundai Motor Company brand in the last year alone has been calculated at 24.4%, against an industry average of 11.2%. Its current brand value of US$7.5 billion ranks it seventh among global automotive companies.