Adjusting Driving Patterns Based on Driver's Mood... Hyundai's Advanced Technology Also Publicly Released

Hyundai UX Studio Seoul to Relocate and Open to Public Within the Year
"First Movers Must Have Technology" Brand Identity Enhanced

Hyundai Motor Company has decided to create a separate space where the general public can easily access its advanced technologies under development. Advanced technologies refer to cutting-edge technologies developed in the early stages of various research and development (R&D) processes, with mid- to long-term mass production potential in mind.

Currently, there are facilities in South Korea, Germany, China, and some other countries where advanced technologies can be demonstrated, but they have been operated in a closed manner. In a situation where competition in advanced technology surrounding future mobility is intensifying on all fronts, this move is interpreted as an effort to increase customer touchpoints and enhance brand image.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 19th, Hyundai Motor plans to open a customer experience space within this year in the lower floors of its office building near Gangnam Station in Seoul and is scheduling detailed construction plans. The Gangnam-daero building is a newly established facility last year, housing the domestic business headquarters, the premium brand Genesis business headquarters, and various marketing organizations.

Interior view of the Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) PV5 unveiled by Kia at CES 2024 earlier this year [Photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group] [Image source=Yonhap News]

The newly created customer experience space will be based on the existing UX (User Experience) Studio. The UX Studio facilities are only located in Seoul, Shanghai in China, and Frankfurt in Germany. Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D headquarters has been demonstrating advanced technologies under development to a limited number of invited consumers, clients, and media personnel. The intention is to lower the barrier for the general public so that anyone can directly experience the advanced technologies.

This is different from spaces like showrooms or Hyundai Motorstudio. Those spaces primarily showcase completed vehicles or technologies that have already reached mass production.

Advanced technologies may not always reach mass production. Until a few years ago, these were technologies or principles that could only be imagined, and the feasibility of applying them to actual vehicles is tested. Although mass production is considered, practical conditions such as production costs must be taken into account, so advanced technologies often do not progress to prototype or mass production stages or are realized only years later. It signifies providing customers with a vision of the future of automobiles.

Chairman Chung Euisun of Hyundai Motor Group [Photo by Yonhap News]

The company is developing technologies that use sensors located throughout the vehicle interior, such as on the instrument panel and seats, to understand not only the current state of passengers but also their emotions, controlling driving patterns and infotainment accordingly. Additionally, it is working on a self-healing polymer coating technology that can automatically restore small scratches after a certain period.

Hyun Jeong-seon, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, established the Advanced Technology Institute directly under his command shortly after assuming the chairmanship in 2020 because he judged that differentiated technological competitiveness is essential to lead as a first mover in the future mobility market.