Discover Hyundai in Kansas City

 

Discover Hyundai at Premier Auto Outlet

Established in 1967, Hyundai started with humble beginnings as a parts manufacturer for Ford motors, but over the last five decades or so they have emerged as a premier automotive company, offering quality vehicles at reasonable prices. 

Hyundai History

Officially Hyundai began in the mid- 1960s, but their history actually goes back to 1947 when Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company was founded by Chung Ju-Yung. In 1968, through collaboration with Ford on the Cortina, Hyundai's first vehicle under the Ford moniker, was developed and rolled out.  The Cortina enjoyed much success, available as a coupe, sedan and as a convertible. It even enjoyed a spot on the silver screen in the James Bond movie, "The Spy Who Loved Me". 

For many years, Hyundai worked with Ford developing and producing vehicles, but in 1975 Hyundai left their successful partnership and set out on its own as an independent auto maker, rolling out their first vehicle under the Hyundai name, the Hyundai Pony. The new model was a blend of inspiration with a body created by an Italian designer and technology developed from Mitsubishi Motors. The Hyundai Pony was a small rear wheel drive model that actually never made it to the US, but it did go over well for our northern neighbors, and it was enough to start Hyundai on the path of success. By 1982, Hyundai had grown in success and expanded to England and then on to Canada in 1984. By 1985, Hyundai had sales reach one million.

A year later, Hyundai passed its emissions test and moved into the United States. Hyundai's sticker prices were appealing to the US buyers, so Hyundai models were well-received. Hyundai continued to develop their technology and in 1988, it released the Sonata, the first model to use Hyundai technology exclusively. Its enormous success allowed it to climb the ranks and become one of the most popular vehicles and emerge as one of the top 100 most valuable brands on the market in the world at the time.

Hyundai Today and Beyond

Hyundai continues to expand and develop new models on a regular basis. The largest integrated manufacturing plant is in Ulsan, South Korea. It produces 1.6 million units per year, and they are sold in 193 countries. They also have seven research and development facilities that continually work on new technologies and coming up with innovative designs. One facility is located in Japan and there are three in South Korea, there are also facilities in India and Germany and the last one is in the United States in California that focuses on US models.

Hyundai models like Elantra and Sonata are popular vehicles, but their real successes lie in the development of SUVs like the Santa Fe, a mid-sized SUV with room for five, and the Palisade, a larger SUV with room for eight. They have also had success with compact SUV models like the Kona and Venue. Other models that are popular are hatchback models like the Veloster and the Elantra GT.

To learn more about Hyundai and their models, check in with Premier Auto Outlet and see what models are available for you around Kansas City, Overland Park, and Topeka, and let us help you get into your Hyundai.