Started as a local construction company Hyundai has grown at an incredible rate and now holds the standing of the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world. From producing the first car ever manufactured in South Korea, the company now has operations in 193 countries with around 5,000 dealerships and showrooms.
Hyundai’s success can be traced through the company’s philosophy of inspiration, intelligence and integrity. It is also this philosophy that has lead Hyundai to include the prefix ‘I’ in all future Hyundai models. This set of core beliefs has also led Hyundai to multiple awards in recent years, winning awards for the Santa Fe and Getz models.
From the initial concept, Hyundai cars are designed with safety in mind, putting the designs through rigorous simulations that predict driving conditions and crash safety performance. It is through these simulations that Hyundai have developed state of the art technologies including their Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Traction Control System. Other safety advances come in the form of headrests that minimize whiplash and ‘smart’ airbags that sense impact strength and direction and inflate accordingly.
As one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, Hyundai are dedicated to producing cars with low emissions. As part of this Hyundai has opened an Environment Technology Research Centre which works in conjunction with other R&D centres in a bid to achieve its goals. Hyundai has reduced harmful emissions and improved fuel economy through the manufacture of lighter weight vehicles. This has been achieved by replacing the steel and lead components of the cars and replacing them with lighter, more environmentally friendly materials such as aluminum.
Hyundai, like many other large manufacturers, are also working towards the ultimate goal of creating cars with produce zero emissions. Their Tucson (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) was the first of its kind capable of operating at sub-zero temperatures.