Hyundai to establish test facility at Nürburgring

hyundai mark

Having sorted out the looks of its offerings and shoring up things on the quality front, Hyundai now has its sights fixed on improving the ride and handling aspects of its vehicles, and that of Kia as well.

News reports indicate that the company has begun construction of a 10,000 sq ft test centre at Nürburgring. When completed, the US$7.3 million facility will provide the perfect stomping ground for the Korean carmaker to evaluate its new designs and improve on something that has been – and remains – that bit elusive.

That’s all set to change with the arrival of the facility. Access to the track will not only allow work to be carried out on developing driving dynamics, but will also provide a perfect means to evaluate reliability and durability. Feedback gained from the test centre will be channeled to engineers at the European R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Sam Loo on Jan 21, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    aioyoo. Now I know why I am losing a lot of Toyota sales. Toyota has become so comfortable and has stopped investing. Koreans on the other hand have upped their game by doing a lot of research and development. If this continues, Hyundai will eventually overtake Toyota in sales several years down the road. To be honest, I have tried Altis and the new Elantra, and the Elantra beats the Altis to kingdom come when handling is concerned.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 33 Thumb down 14
    • artworks on Jan 21, 2013 at 2:10 pm

      elantra ride&handling is suck as well

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 15
    • xiper on Jan 21, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      how about the resale value? :P

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 11
      • Jilbaber on Jan 21, 2013 at 3:56 pm

        I started to feel sick with this resale value comment..unless real sam loo can came up with new idea to make it fun again !

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 3
    • confused on Jan 21, 2013 at 2:32 pm

      Does Cologne (Marsdorf) rings any bell to you? If not, well..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • kadajawi on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:27 pm

      Time to sell Hyundai then. Also good lah, can tell seller poor resale value, press down the price, and when you sell again get higher price cause more demand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Discovery Turbo on Jan 21, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      Time to resign and sell Hyundai.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • BMW Fanboi on Jan 21, 2013 at 11:01 pm

      Test facility at Nürburgring?
      Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
    • Storm on Jan 22, 2013 at 9:04 am

      You got to be kidding to say Elantra beats Altis in handling..Altis is not good in this area but Elantra is far worst.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Sam Loo on Jan 22, 2013 at 10:54 pm

      Fake Fella

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • tikus on Jan 21, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    No need Germany R&D.We Protong R&D in Tanjung Malim also can..Why spend more??

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 7
    • kadajawi on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Proton R&D is done by Lotus. So of course it will be good.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • RedBeanBun on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:59 pm

      thats why Protong selling in 1 country only, and the Korean are selling in 1 globe.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Kalun on Jan 21, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Proton has Lotus and years mastering Lotus skills in Ride Handling. Why need to waste another billion of tax payer money to built a Nurburgring facility?
      Even our Sepang Curcuit is not fully utilise.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • oilworker on Jan 21, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    cant wait to hear James May’s (Top Gear UK) comments on this.. hehehe

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
    • kadajawi on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:32 pm

      Bad news! Hyundai is testing their cars on the Nordschleife.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • I thought Top Gear is fine with the current gen of Korean cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Splendid

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Jilbaber on Jan 21, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    Ok, I’ll start buy Hyundai/Kia brand after output from the test facility applied into their cars..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Kalun on Jan 21, 2013 at 6:46 pm

      You will say shoot! I made a mistake. Now the ride is hard as rock!
      Hyundai, just go to Lotus and ask for assistance. That’s all. Lotus was always known for Premium ride handling and comfort.
      Nurburgring based haven’t met Lotus ability.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • I don’t know weather this is good or bad news. good news because all Hyundai have rather bad dynamics for a car, Bad news because will they solely focus on dynamics and ignore driving comfort as most Nurburgring cas have or according to Mr MAy

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Well you can’t have the extreme both end of the world (unless you are on adaptive suspension). The korean’s suspension has always been on the soft side, a little nordschleife should be able to stiffen it up and make it sharper.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • kadajawi on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:37 pm

      To be fair though the Nordschleife is a relatively uneven racetrack. Haven’t had the chance to drive on it, only watched a race there. But the roads leading up to it are bloody brilliant. Great fun. Anyway yes the reason the track is so popular is because it sort of resembles normal roads. They might optimize for comfort too there, at least to a certain degree (no pot holes, no speed bumps).

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • observer on Jan 21, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    Hyundai and kia know they already take the world with their european designer, now the tackle one of their weakness. The ride and handling. Once done, toyota will eat dust

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 1
  • Sam Loo on Jan 21, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    The real Sam Loo is here, and that Sam Loo is not the real one, some Korean fans never cease to amaze me.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 14
  • Sam Loo Original on Jan 21, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    Bluff. I am the real Sam Loo. Toyoda forever and ever.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 6
  • Kalun on Jan 21, 2013 at 6:40 pm

    How many times James May stress out cars from Nurburgring based are rubbish as daily commute cars. It made the car hard and not comfortable for daily commute. If Hyundai can make it abit softer, than it would be great.

    Or add Lotus terminology to it “Add Lightness and stiffer under chassis”

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • crank on Jan 21, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    Haha. James May is gonna love this. He is never getting inside a Hyundai.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • ahnadino on Jan 21, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    To all proton lover and owner by the next 10 years proton will closed shop locally. Whereas kia n hyundai maerket globally.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
    • Kalun on Jan 21, 2013 at 9:12 pm

      Yes yes. You and your close shop terminology. Even if the pakatan rule, then you will still say close shop.
      Tell that to all Malaysian companies out there to close shop so you have no job and whining that Africa is richer than you.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • doraemon on Jan 22, 2013 at 1:00 am

      If Pakatan wins, which we do hope they do, what makes you think theyll reduce proton protectionism?

      Jobs are at stake, and jobs= votes. Do you think theyll risk that? Not delivering promises doesnt cost you votes, but making people lose their jobs as a result of your direct action will.

      Look at Obama, he got his second term. He didnt deliver all his promises but he kept the GM factory alive.

      Its all rhetoric mate. Politicians promise the sun moon, earth, Megan Fox… But crunch time theyll just disappear.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2
  • ThePolygon on Jan 21, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Guys and girls… with all these investment of Hyundai here and there, it won’t be long before their price rises above the others.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • Thats what they were saying in Europe, the usual advantage of Hyundai being cheaper is gone.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Sam Loo on Jan 21, 2013 at 11:44 pm

    So many people like to imitate me. Looks like you guys are trying to join the bandwagon selling used kimchi ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
 

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