Hyundai's Global VIP Customer Convention
Posing for a photo at the impressive Genesis exhibit at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show are (l to r) Ross Friedmann of Hyundai Motor America; Steve Armstrong of Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, and Mike Antich of Automotive Fleet magazine.
A row of Hyundai i30 and Ioniq models get a final inspection prior to the ride-and-drive. The five-door Ioniq hatchback is available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric model.
Among the attendees at the Hyundai Global VIP Customer Convention was a large contingent from New Zealand. Pictured are several New Zealanders returning from a scenic ride-and-drive in Gyeongju.
The third-generation 2017 i30 hatchback was available for test drives, which debuted earlier at the Paris Motor Show. In the U.S., it will be sold as the 2018 Elantra GT.
Newly-assmbled Hyundai models driven from the adjacent factories are parked dockside to await shipment on a RoRo auto transport vessel to export markets. Hyundai models are sold in 193 countries.
Hyundai Heavy Industries builds roll-on/roll-off (RoRo)ships, shown above, to export Hyundai vehicles. Its shipyard is near the Ulsan factory complex.
Hyundai prominently displayed the redesigned 2018 Sonata (above) at the Seoul Motor Show. Other top attractions were the new Ioniq and i30 models.
An aerodynamic digital exhibit of a wind tunnel demonstrating how design influences drag or air resistance, impacting fuel economy.
Lee Won-Hee, president of Hyundai Motor Company, welcomed the global VIP customer attendees at the opening night dinner, which was held outdoors and featured traditional Korean music
The tour of the Hyundai Motor Studio Goyang allowed attendees to don virtual reality (VR) goggles to get behind the wheel of a VR car and compete on a VR race track.
The Ioniq is one of Hyundai’s entries into the expanding hybrid market competing with the Toyota Prius. The Ioniq offer three electrified powertrains on a single vehicle platform.
Hyundai has placed a strong emphasis on design by hiring top designers from Bentley and Bugatti, as exemplified by the Genesis G80. The Genesis brand theme is human-centered luxury.
Available for test drives were the Ioniq all-electric (EV) the Ioniq Hybrid, and Ioniq plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models. The half-day ride-and-drive was through the countryside surrounding the historic city of Gyeongju.
Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated auto manufacturing facility in Ulsan, with an annual production capacity of 1.6 million units. Attendees toured Factory No. 3 of a five-factory complex, which assembles i30, Elantra, and Ioniq, of which 70% are exported.