END OF YEAR UK - HYUNDAI - the UK arm celebrates thee 8th year of successive growth.

• Total vehicle sales increase 4.8 percent year on year
• Retail registrations grow by 8.2 percent
• Hyundai Motor UK’s 8^th successive year of growth

Hyundai Motor UK today announced that in 2016, it sold 92,510 vehicles, a year-on-year rise of 4.8 percent and the 8^th consecutive year of growth.

2016 continued to produce growth in both the retail and fleet markets, with figures of 8.2 percent and 1.9 percent respectively. In the fleet and business sector, the IONIQ Electric and Hybrid have proved their position in the range with over 80% of registrations achieved in this section of the market.

In its first full year of sales, Tucson secured the top selling model spot, accounting for nearly 28% of all Hyundai Motor UK sales. The i10 continues to be extremely popular with buyers, with over 25% of sales down to the multi award winning city car. The i20 benefitted from a strong sales campaign in 2016 and as a result achieved over 17% of Hyundai Motor UK’s sales, enough to secure third place in the overall rankings.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK, commented: “2016 was a very significant year for Hyundai Motor UK, with both retail and fleet areas performing very strongly in a market that has been extremely challenging. This performance demonstrates the continuing appeal of Hyundai Motor vehicles to a broadening customer base and provides a strong basis for what will be an exciting new year with the next phase of our Brand’s development”.

In 2017, Hyundai Motor will launch New i10 and New Generation i30. Both will go on sale in the first quarter of this year. IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid and the eagerly-awaited i30 N along with other significant models will all play a part in next year’s success story.

Hyundai grows sales in Europe with a host of all new models launched and more to come.

• Sales record: 237,221 registrations in Europe during first six months of 2015
• Customer demand driven by several new model launches
• All-New Tucson to further boost demand and enhance brand perceptions

Hyundai Motor has posted a record first-half year in Europe, with registrations hitting 237,221 units between January and June – an all-time high for the brand. The growth in Hyundai Motor’s sales is driven by the introduction of new models, including New Generation i20, New i30 and New i40. 

Significant further demand is expected with the launch of the All-New Tucson, arriving on the European market during the coming months.

The record sales total represents an 8.1% increase over the 219,373 registrations delivered in the same period last year. And it exceeds the previous first-half best, achieved in 2012.

Ramping up its Product Momentum initiative, the company will renew or replace 80% of its model line-up in Europe during 2015. Among the newcomers, the New Generation i20 range now includes the Coupe version, and the New i30 family has its Turbo model for the first time. New i40 Saloon and Tourer have also brought increased interest from customers in Europe.

Under this comprehensive product renewal strategy, the i10 will soon be the oldest model in the Hyundai range, even though it was only launched at the start of 2014.

Expected to further enhance sales as well as brand perceptions among customers in Europe, the All-New Tucson is coming to the C-SUV segment–the company’s best-selling segment last year.

Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented: “We are committed to making cars that meet customer demands, by focusing on the specific needs of European buyers. This approach is helping to deliver our sales growth in a competitive market. We have arguably the youngest range of cars, soon to be boosted with the introduction of All-New Tucson, which will help to further shift perceptions of our brand and attract more new customers to choose Hyundai.”

Hyundai Motor accounted for 3.2% of all cars registered in Europe during the first half of 2015, matching its share of the market achieved during the same period last year.

More than 90% of the vehicles Hyundai sells in the region are designed, engineered and tested in Europe to meet the needs of European customers. And 90% are built at its two local factories in the Czech Republic and Turkey.

New way of buying cars at Rockar Hyundai sees it's 100,000th visitor this week at Bluewater, Kent.

• New generation of car retail experience proves a hit with consumers
• 100,000 people have visited Rockar Hyundai store in Kent’s Bluewater Shopping Centre
• Rockar.com has received 78,000 visitors since the website launched

This week digital car retailer ‘Rockar Hyundai’ will celebrate the 100,000th visitor to its flagship store in Kent’s Bluewater Shopping Centre since opening its doors just six months ago. Because of its unique location, Rockar Hyundai’s store can have more visitors on a single Saturday than many traditional dealerships would expect to see in a whole year. 

The www.rockar.com website has also received 78,000 web visitors since it was launched in November 2014.

Last year, the new car industry rose to a ten-year high with 2.47 million new cars registered. This factor combined with Hyundai’s partnership with Rockar has meant the business is seeing success early on.

Rockar Hyundai represents a completely new way of engaging with people and for them to buy a car. Unusually, customers can choose to complete the entire process online or in store. Rockar provides shoppers with a truly customer-focused experience that allows them to research, test-drive, sell their old car and purchase a new Hyundai all at the touch of a button. 

Rockar’s pricing policy is always transparent and competitive, which appeals to people who don’t want to negotiate for the best deal, and the entire buying process can be completed in less than five minutes.

For those customers who want advice before they purchase, Rockar Hyundai’s in-store team of ‘Angels’ are there to help. These are not salespeople on commission, they are product experts there to advise and lend a helping hand - should customers need one.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK, said: “We are delighted that Rockar Hyundai has experienced such a successful start.This innovative retail proposition is challenging the existing automotive retail modelbecause it is taking the product to where the customer is. 

It’s raising brand awareness and importantly interrupting people who are not shopping at Bluewater with the intention of buying a new car.”

Simon Dixon, CEO and founder of Rockar, said: “Rockar is challenging every preconception about how buying and selling a car should be. 

The average age of a new car buyer is 56 years, but the average age of a Rockar customer is just 37. What’s also interesting is that on average 60 per cent of buyers, and 54 per cent of visitors to the Bluewater store, are female – Rockar’s key demographic. 

The brand conversion rate is impressive too, as 95 per cent of our customers have never owned a Hyundai before. When looking at the success of Rockar so far, it is clear that challenging the historical approach to car buying is the way forward.”

The successful new approach to car buying stretches to all aspects of the business, including the test drive. Rockar is putting convenience at the heart of its ‘YouDrive’ service, by allowing customers to book one of the 25 dedicated cars at the click of a button. 

For maximum convenience and availability, there is a section of Bluewater’s car park reserved for Rockar’s YouDrive service and customers can drive the car alone if they wish. With such ease, customers are comfortable booking multiple test drives, and those that do are then twice as likely to make a purchase. Approximately one third of test drives convert to purchase decisions.

UK MARCH SALES - HYUNDAI - More records tumble for Hyundai in March.

• March registrations hit record 16,491, Hyundai Motor UK’s best ever month
• UK was Hyundai’s largest European market in March
• i20 and ix35 achieve record volume

Hyundai has today reported its best ever month in the UK, with 16,491 registrations in March 2015. This represents another milestone for the company after achieving record volumes in 2014 with 82,159 registrations.

The 7.6% 2015 YTD growth and record March have been fueled by a surge of retail and fleet customers embracing the New Generation i20, with 3,590 registrations making it the vehicle’s best ever month. 

ix35, now in its run out year, also achieved its best month with 3,696 registrations, affirming its solid position in the C-SUV segment, while i10 achieved 5,262 registrations.

Speaking of the record month, Tony Whitehorn, President & CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, said: “The first 3 months of 2015 have seen Hyundai break multiple records in the UK, and in March our registrations outperformed every other European market. Hyundai Motor UK’s continued and sustainable growth is a testament to the wave of desirable new vehicles, including New Generation i20 which has already seen considerable success, backed by our commitment to putting customers at the centre of our business.

“With 80% of Hyundai’s product range either brand new or refreshed in 2015, we expect our growth to continue throughout the year.”

Just months into 2015, Hyundai has already introduced numerous new and updated vehicles to the range – New Generation i20, New Generation i20 Coupe, New ix20, New i30, New i30 Turbo and New i40 will all be on British roads by the end of the second quarter. Following its debut at Geneva Motor Show 2015, Hyundai will also introduce All-New Tucson later this year.

Today’s figures further support Hyundai’s growth strategy in the UK. The business has set a short-term goal of achieving 100,000 annual registrations with sales diversified across the company’s core models – 20,000 each of i10, i20, i30 and ix35/Tucson, with the final 20,000 models made up by the rest of the range. 

In addition, Hyundai Motor UK has set a medium-term goal of 5% market share and outlined a long-term vision to secure a Top 5 sales position among all car brands in the UK.

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.

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.  

New European Test Centre officially opened at iconic Nürburgring location for Hyundai

• New European Test Centre officially opened at iconic Nürburgring location
• Hyundai Motor invests more than €6,6 million in its new facility
• Purpose-built site to conduct more accelerated durability tests

Hyundai Motor has officially opened its brand new European Test Centre at the Nürburgring in Germany, the company’s latest investment in its regional infrastructure. An opening ceremony marked the completion of the €6,62 million purpose-built vehicle testing facility, boosting the brand’s R&D operations in Europe.

The company’s new test centre provides it with a full-time presence at the iconic Nürburgring circuit, allowing it to further evaluate and develop the durability and driving dynamics of its vehicles more effectively and more often.

Construction of the striking 3,622m2 Hyundai European Test Centre began in June 2012 and was completed in less than 15 months. The unique glass and steel building houses workshops, office spaces and hospitality areas over four floors. The Nürburgring facility is an extension of Hyundai’s European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, where the brand’s European design and engineering teams have been based since 2003.

Hyundai’s accelerated durability tests are conducted from the European Test Centre. Each car taking part in the tests laps the Nürburgring 480 times in both dry and wet conditions, simulating over 100,000 miles of rigorous driving in less than six weeks.

Throughout each lap, data parameters are continually monitored, assessing steering input and vehicle course, suspension movement and ride and handling characteristics. The results are given directly to the vehicle development team based at the circuit, enabling Hyundai’s engineers to quickly make changes and tailor cars’ characteristics to the demands of European drivers.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe commented: “The Nürburgring is a unique challenge for any vehicle, so it is the perfect location for our new facility.  The new European Test Centre is a natural extension of our Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, and enables Hyundai Motor to more quickly and more accurately test the reliability and drivability of our vehicles. The emotional appeal of being ‘tested at Nürburgring’ will also help to further build the brand’s reputation across Europe.”

The Nürburgring is widely recognised as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, with 73 corners – 33 left and 40 right –spread across 12.8 miles of tarmac. With a difference in height of almost 300 metres between the lowest and the highest points, it features uphill and downhill gradients of 11 and 17 per cent respectively.