Topic: Inside Hyundai

[MKII]

Hyundai's growing R&D activities are at the core of the automaker's rapid product development and technical maturation. AEI recently toured the Namyang, South Korea, facility and spoke with Hyundai's top R&D engineer, Dr. Woong-chul Yang.

Technology self-reliance


The company maintains the vision of a powertrain company at its core, but Dr. Yang noted that Hyundai has nurtured a carefully assessed group of automotive competencies, under a "Technology Self-Reliance" umbrella. The approach has been to buy top technology, model by model, so that it also provides an in-house learning experience.



In each succeeding product generation, the engineers methodically incorporated more of Hyundai's own engineering. The 1994 Accent was the first model with a Hyundai-developed platform and powertrain (including a later version of the Alpha engine), evolved from the Mitsubishi-engineered Excel. The 1988 Sonata was basically a Mitsubishi-engineered midsize with Giugiaro (Italdesign) styling, but the 1998 model contained a significant amount of Hyundai engineering.



And the 2011 edition of Sonata is pure Hyundai—there is no residual Mitsubishi technology. Indeed, there is preciously little from Mitsubishi remaining throughout the entire product line
http://www.automotivedesign.eu.com/article/27784/Inside-Hyundais-world-class-RD-complex.aspx

Hyundai's competitive pricing secret
Hyundai Steel fires up second furnace in Dangjin

Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo fires up Hyundai Steel’s new blast furnace at the company’s plant in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday. (Hyundai Steel)

http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20101123000876

[neil]

Let's hope Little Kimmie doesn't turn them into smoking ruins.

[G0dspd]

Let's hope Little Kimmie doesn't turn them into smoking ruins.

Interesting article.  Especially with the events that took place this week.

How does Hyundai do business in the shadow of war?
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/24/how-does-hyundai-do-business-in-the-shadow-of-war/

Headlines of the last few days:

- South Korea Marines vow "thousand-fold" revenge
‎- N.Korea stages artillery drill, warns of threat of war
- Expats recalled as North Korea prepares for war
- US and S.Korea plan naval show of force off tense peninsula‎

[blur911]

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's biggest automaker did better but also reported a 13 percent fall in its domestic market. Its global sales rose 1.4 percent to 314,569 units.

A growing concern for Hyundai is a strike at its biggest local production base in Ulsan that began on November 15. For three weeks, subcontracted workers have occupied the factory, asking the company to make their positions permanent. Hyundai is calling it an illegal strike and is considering shutting down the plant after a production loss of about 220 billion won (US $190 million) so far.

Hyundai affiliate Kia Motors improved with a 33 percent jump in November sales, helped by strong sales of new models such as the K5 sedan and Sportage R SUV.