Hyundai UK plans big investment to make the company a top five sales brand.

• Hyundai Motor UK outlines vision for future growth
• New products to spearhead growth in 2015 and beyond
• Investment in dealer network and brand engagement to attract new customers

Hyundai Motor UK today has set out its vision for continued growth in 2015 and beyond.

After another record year in 2014, during which the company sold over 80,000 cars in the UK for the first time, Hyundai has outlined its short, medium and long-term plans for future growth.

In the short-term, Hyundai Motor UK is targeting 100,000 annual registrations, with a medium-term goal of 5% market share. In the long-term, the company aims to secure a Top 5 sales position among all car brands in the UK.

New product launches, continued investment in the dealer network and increased public engagement via key cultural and sport partnerships will help the company achieve its goals, according to Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK.

Presenting the company’s vision, Whitehorn said: “Hyundai has undergone something of a transformation in recent years - and we’ve tripled sales in the UK since 2008. But that’s not enough - we want Hyundai to grow into something more, and we do that by offering more cars that people want to buy.”

Hyundai plans to launch several new models in 2015. The supermini New Generation i20, which went on sale a week ago, will be joined later in the year by the new i20 Coupe, New i30 and i30 Turbo and New i40, amongst others. Diversifying the split of core model sales is key to the company’s growth strategy as it moves towards 100,000 UK sales – 20,000 each of i10, i20, i30 and ix35 with the final 20,000 models made up by the rest of the range.

All new models will feature the latest technology and features developed by Hyundai engineers in Germany and Korea. The company announced a £48 billion investment (80.7 trillion KRW) in new facilities (49.1 trillion KRW) and R&D (31.6 trillion KRW) earlier this month, while a recent study by Thomson Reuters IP & Science found that Hyundai had posted the biggest increase in the number of patent filings among global carmakers over the last five years.

As well as attracting new customers with new models and technologies, Hyundai is going through the process of revamping its UK dealer network with a new showroom identity - designed to offer visitors an excellence experience that matches the quality of the brand’s new models. 

This approach extends to an understanding of how today’s consumer operates - the digital store Rockar was opened towards the end of 2014 and offers motorists a completely new way to buy a car.

Hyundai will also engage consumers through a series of sporting and cultural initiatives this year and beyond. As well as the long-term agreement with Tate, Hyundai has been a sponsor of FIFA football tournaments for more than 15 years, and will remain an official partner until at least 2022. After a hugely successful inaugural year in the World Rally Championship, Hyundai is hoping to build on its successes on the road and with motorsport fans in 2015.

“We’re a young company and have the freedom to do things a little differently,” added Whitehorn. “We need to take this as an opportunity to reach out to more people and build advocacy for the Hyundai brand.”

The carmaker is one year into an unprecedented 11-year partnership with Tate, one of the world’s top art institutions. The collaboration - which is founded upon Hyundai’s and Tate’s commitment to worldwide innovation - is the longest of its kind in Tate’s history.

BusinessCar magazine and website readers vote Hyundai's ix35 as 'Best Crossover'

• BusinessCar magazine and website readers vote Hyundai's ix35 as 'Best Crossover' in the title's 2015 awards
• Voters praise its all-round appeal including value and versatility, specifications and style, and low running costs plus tax efficiency
• Hyundai's industry-leading five-year/unlimited mileage warranty gets yet another awards namecheck –crucial in the highly competitive fleet sector

Hyundai's stylish and versatile ix35 has what it takes to bear heavy usage, high mileages and the close scrutiny of company accountants, according to readers of the BusinessCar magazine and website - who voted the car 'Best Crossover' in the prestigious 2015 BusinessCar Awards.

“ix35 illustrates the great leaps Hyundai has made in terms of product appeal, quality, value and design, and shows that the brand is now a mainstream choice,” said BusinessCar Editor Paul Barker. “These awards are selected by the readers of BusinessCar, and they obviously appreciate the talents of a company that is on the up and can match the more established business car players for efficiency, satisfaction and operating costs.”

BusinessCar readers praised the ix35’s value and generous specification levels, good powertrains and refinement. Voters considered the choice of front-wheel drive or 4x4 an important differentiator, while overall levels of interior and exterior quality played on the style-conscious user-chooser market.

Crucially for the fleet market, the ix35’s low running costs and tax efficiencies made the car affordable under company car tax rules. While operational cost efficiencies - impressive residuals, durability and Hyundai’s reassuring five-year/unlimited warranty – keeping finance-focused fleet managers happy.

A delighted Martin Wilson, Fleet Director, Hyundai Motor UK said: "The ix35 has been a multiple award-winning star car for us, and has proved to be a vital part of our modern, capable range that has revolutionisedour fleet customer perception in the UK.

"This latest award is all the more valuable to us as it comes direct from people who know which cars can cope with being pushed to their limits, and yet still be attractive financially to companies and the end user."

UK SALES - HYUNDAI - More records nroken at Hyundai, and the removal of the Veloster from the UK.

• 82,159 Hyundai registrations in 2014 – another record year
• First time Hyundai has exceeded 80,000 registrations
• 25,000 i10 sales in 2014, the first Korean manufacturer to hit this milestone with a single model

Hyundai Motor UK has reported record volumes in 2014, with 82,159 registrations. 2014 therefore represents another milestone and record year for the company which has seen registrations more than triple since 2008.

i10 sales exceeded 25,000 vehicles in the UK, making Hyundai the first Korean car manufacturer to reach this milestone with a single model. New Generation i10 has been a hit with UK customers whilst also providing equally popular with industry experts after receiving eight major awards and accolades in 2014 including the coveted Scottish Car of the Year title and What Car? Best City Car.

Speaking of the record year, Tony Whitehorn, President & CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, said: “Hyundai sustained growth in 2014 driven by strong consumer demand for our desirable vehicles, meaning we achieved yet another record year. ix35 significantly outperformed the market with registrations increasing 26% in a segment that is up 19.9%, while i20 has achieved record volumes in its run out year.

“With an extensive range of new and enhanced products on the way, 2015 is a year of real opportunity for Hyundai Motor UK.”

Sales growth is set to continue in 2015, with New Generation i20 on sale from 22 January and a raft of new models and product enhancements poised to further increase the brand’s desirability. The New Generation i20 is the third car to be launched under the ‘Product Momentum 2017’ initiative which will see Hyundai launch 22 new models and derivatives in Europe by 2017, including the recently announced i20 Coupe, i30, i30 Turbo and i40.

Hyundai is supporing CRISIS, the homless charity with 16 vehicles over the festive period.

• 16 Hyundai vehicles supplied to support Crisis’ festive period campaign
• Cars will move guests, medical teams, supplies and volunteers around London
• Campaign expected to help 4,000 homeless and vulnerably housed people

Hyundai is supporting Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, by supplying vehicles for use by its dedicated team of volunteers in London over Christmas. The charity is taking delivery of 16 vehicles (a mix of Santa Fes, i800s and i30s) as it prepares for the festive period – its busiest time of year. The cars will carry supplies and transport individual guests and volunteers around London, supporting Crisis at Christmas which runs from 22 to 30 December (TBC).

Jon Sparkes, Crisis' Chief Executive, said: “Christmas should be a time for family and friends, for warmth and celebration, yet for homeless people it can be one of the hardest times of year – a cold, lonely time to be suffered rather than enjoyed.

“Crisis at Christmas is only possible due to the generosity of our volunteers and donors, such as Hyundai, who have come together to make Christmas happen for some of society’s most vulnerable people.”

Crisis at Christmas will see a dedicated team of more than 9,000 volunteers supporting 4,000 homeless people over the Christmas period, helping them to take their first steps out of homelessness. More than 6,000 people slept rough in London at some point last year, an increase of 77% since 2010.