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.

New i30 from Hyundai, now comes with Turbo power along with a host of upgrades.

• Production commences at Hyundai Motor’s manufacturing facility in Nošovice
• Refreshed design and new Turbo model boost appeal to European customers
• Improved fuel efficiency starting as low as 3.6 l/100 km and 94 g/km CO₂

Hyundai Motor this month has begun production of the latest version of its European top-seller, the New i30, at its European production facility, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC), in Nošovice, Czech Republic.

New i30 follows the company’s strategy to create cars that are tailored to the needs of European customers. The second-generation i30, on sale since 2012, has accounted for a fifth of Hyundai’s overall European sales in recent years. The upgraded model is expected to further enhance i30’s position in the competitive European C-segment.

The New i30 range is enhanced with new engines, transmissions, safety and comfort features and refreshed exterior design. The line-up boasts improved engine efficiency across the new car’s three bodystyles – three-door, five-door and wagon – with fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions as low as 3.6 l/100 km and 94 g/km respectively. The updated car enhances driver choice with a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and expands the model’s appeal with a Nürburgring-tuned 186 PS i30 Turbo model.

New i30 Turbo

Powered by a 186 PS, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, the New i30 Turbo has been developed with a focus on sporty driving dynamics and everyday usability. Acceleration to 100 km/h is achieved in 8.0 seconds and top speed is 219 km/h. Unique exterior and interior design features set the New i30 Turbo apart from the rest of the New i30 line-up. These include a new radiator grille, front and rear bumpers with red detailing, new front LED lamp design, twin exhausts and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Hyundai gets OK to continue supplying cars for Emergency Services.

• Hyundai retains its position on the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Vehicle Purchase Framework
• CCS Framework now also includes ‘blue light’ lot , meaning more Hyundai vehicles are set for emergency service and high profile police use
• New arrangement follows successful four-year period in which Hyundai supply has grown rapidly to more than 1200 vehicles a year to the public sector

Hyundai Motor UK has been awarded a place on the Crown Commercial Services (CSS) Vehicle Purchase Framework enabling continued supply to the 'blue light' sector – the emergency services – and to a whole range of public bodies. The remit follows a successful four-year tenure for Hyundai as a supplier to the previous CCS and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) Framework.

Under new arrangements, Hyundai has continued access to the blue light market, as well as the broader public sector: everything from central government to local authorities, health, education, defence, and not-for-profit organisations.

Martin Wilson, Fleet Director, Hyundai Motor UK said: "The emergency services are discerning and demanding customers, and rightly so, when lives may depend on vehicle reliability and flexibility. With these high-profile customers using our vehicles, it acts as a powerful recommendation to potential buyers.

"Hyundai started sales to police forces in 2010, with a modest total of 41; within a year that soared to more than 350, and now tops 600 a year. We have supplied some 2,250 cars to blue light customers during the past four years and this new agreement should see that figure rise again.”

The police forces supplied by Hyundai are spread widely across England and Wales, with the biggest customer boasting more than 600 vehicles, including 500 i30s. Hyundai’s major customers are responsible for policing a total land mass of over 8,000 square miles and a population of nearly 20 million people.

Commenting on recent success, Denis Watling, Public Sector Assistant Manager, Hyundai Motor UK, said: "We're confident that our well-known five-year/unlimited mileage warranty, dedicated fleet and aftersales teams and award winning lineup of products will continue to prove as popular with police forces and other public bodies in 2015 and beyond."

Bidders were also judged on more specific capabilities such as the ability to supply priority parts and bespoke training to emergency service workshops. Hyundai has invested heavily in a specific aftersales programme for its Emergency Service operator customers over the past 12-18 months, including the provision of training at Hyundai’s purpose-built Training Academy just off the M40.

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.