Hundai's Seoul ambition

SEOUL - Hyundai South Africa are serious about being the No 1-selling brand in Africa and South Africa within five years.

Not only do they want to be top of the sales charts, they also want to be number one in quality and owner satisfaction index.

Speaking in South Korea, CEO of Hyundai South Africa, Alan Ross, was adamant the company would reach these targets but did not set a time frame for this to happen.

"We are confident we will get there, but we not sure how long it will take," said Ross.

However, marketing director Stanley Anderson, was more bullish saying that they would reach the target within five years.

"It's my ambition and target to be the number one seller in South Africa in five years," said Anderson. "We can do it and it's my job to see it's done," he said.

Although Hyundai do not report to Naamsa with individual sales, as part of Associated Motor Holdings and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors, the group disclosed total aggregate sales of about 64400 units last year. This includes other motor company sales as well.

Anderson said the company's market share was up by 45% last year over 2009.

He was optimistic sales volumes would improve by another 10% to 15% in 2011 compared with the previous year.

Last year Volkswagen Group South Africa sold a total of 67023 passenger cars - growth of 34.3% over 2009 - 4% ahead of the total market year on year growth. With 19.9% of the total passenger market, Volkswagen was again passenger market leader.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) ended 2010 on a high by delivering 9711 new vehicles to customers in December. The total figure for 2010 was 50074 passenger units. In 2009 their sales were 45789 passenger units.

When Ross was questioned about Hyundai starting its own production facility in South Africa, he said that volumes simply did not justifyit."Right-hand drive volumes do not justify it and our volumes are not sufficient to make a local assembly plant economically feasible," said Ross.

SEOUL - It was cold, the coldest I have ever been in my life. For five days in a row the temperature never reached minus 5°C and on one particular day it reached minus 20°C - enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey .

A brass monkey was a device which held cannon balls and in the cold the brass would contract, thus spilling the cannon balls.

We were at Hyundai's top secret Namyang Research and Development Centre outside Seoul and about to test drive a range of products, the Accent, Elantra (due for launch in South Africa in June and July) and also the electric i10 BlueOn and Sonata Hybrid. There are no plans at present to launch the electric car or the hybrid in South Africa.

The snow lay in deep drifts and the roads were a slippery, frozen nightmare.

Part of the oval track had been submerged in a heavy snowfall the night before and was closed, so we had to settle for a cleared patch to drive on.

However, there was also a downside to the experience. Because of the top secret nature of the R&D Centre, we were not allowed to film any of the buildings or vehicles on the grounds of the huge complex which is staffed by 10000 highly qualified engineers.

So there we were, like eunuchs at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, our cameras and cellphones confiscated for the duration of the test drive by lean and mean looking security personnel who accompanied our party.

You know the type - the Dark Suits, sunglasses and coiled telephone cord wrapped around their necks which led to their ears. Not sure what would have happened if someone had forgotten to hand their 'phone in and it started to ring - probably would have got taken out by a bazooka - Korea is a tense place at the moment with megalomaniac Kim Jong-il just a few clicks over the border with a nuclear arsenal at the ready!

But all was not lost -our hosts had a company cameraman accompany us and he was able to supply the journos with a few photographs of our track experience.

However, there were dozens of camouflaged cars running around the complex that are the vehicles of the future. Pity we could not snap a few of them!

But back to the present. The first car up for testing was the electric i10 BlueOn. Basically the same as the petrol powered version, it has more power and instant acceleration.

The BlueOn boasts a maximum speed of 130km/h, and can travel 140km on a single charge. The 0-100km/h sprint is achieved in 13.1 seconds. Hyundai says the vehicle is equipped with a highly efficient electric motor powered by innovative 16.4 kWh LiPoly (lithium-ion polymer) battery technology that offers numerous advantages over other battery types.

BlueOn boasts a maximum power of 61kW and maximum torque of 210Nm.

As pure electric vehicles operate only with the battery and electric motor, the battery's lifespan and storage capacity determines the vehicle's performance. Hyundai chose LiPoly batteries because compared with previous nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH), LiPoly delivers the same power with 30% less weight and 40% less volume, boosting efficiency and leaving more interior space for passengers.

The Sonata Hybrid is another story all together. It is powered by a 2.4-litre Theta II engine, coupled to an electric motor.

Unlike Ford and Toyota hybrid systems, the Hyundai system does not use a CVT (continuously variable transmission) with integrated electric motors and generators. Hyundai has opted instead for a six-speed automatic transmission with an electric motor that takes the place of the torque converter.

The Hybrid reaches 120km/h in about 9 seconds - not too bad for a car this size.

The Hybrid can be driven in zero emissions, fully electric drive mode at speeds up to 125km/h or in blended petrol-electric mode at any speed. When the car comes to a stop and the electrical load is low, the engine shuts down to completely eliminate idle fuel consumption and emissions.

Now for news that South African motorists will find interesting.

Both the Accent and the Elantra, unlike the BlueOn and the Hybrid, will be launched later this year in South Africa.

The all-new Accent is a big improvement on the model it replaces.

Hyundai says the Accent will be powered by the new-generation Gamma engine, 1.6L or 1.4L DOHC in-line four-cylinder petrol engines that feature multiport fuel injection with CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing).

By replacing the old Alpha engine of its predecessor with Gamma, the sedan promises more power and torque, as well as improved fuel economy, the company says.

Saving the best for last is the new Elantra, which in my opinion, is going to be a best seller for Hyundai in South Africa and will challenge the VW Golf and Toyota Corolla ranges for top sales spot.

The interior is now more stylish and better equipped. The exterior styling is also more aggressive and appealing.

The new Elantra comes with a choice of two all-new and remarkably advanced petrol engines, Nu 1.8-litre MPI and Gamma 1.6-litre MPI D-CVVT. Both are mated to six-speed auto/manual transmissions, which deliver impressively more kilowatts while consuming less fuel and producing lower emissions than the powertrains they replace, says Hyundai.

While it may have been bitterly cold in Korea, driving the new products was a warming experience that's going to spread a glow on the faces of the Hyundai bosses when the first sales figures are announced - they are that good!