Interview with Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India

As Hyundai achieved its highest-ever sales in India, we spoke to Hyundai India MD, Mr Unsoo Kim, about the company’s future plans. 

Customer experience is becoming increasingly important. How can you enhance this for your customers?

As customers are increasingly becoming more particular about the products they choose and experiences they encounter, we too have been seamlessly adapting to this trend, which led us to initiate the Hyundai Signature Outlet program that offers customers tailored purchase experiences that are specially curated for a premium experience with a dedicated focus on high-end products. Initiated back in 2020, we began with 114 Signature Outlets, we scaled up to 190 Signature Outlets in 2021 and presently have 255 Signature Outlets in 125 cities. In a bid to stay ahead of the curve, we have developed solutions that go ‘Beyond Mobility’ by utilizing Intelligent Technology to provide future-ready solutions to our new-age buyers. With a focus on elevating customer convenience, we recently launched the industry-first ‘myHyundai’ mobile application, letting users access the complete Hyundai ecosystem at the tip of their fingertips. ‘myHyundai’ offers the complete bouquet of Hyundai services such as Online Car purchasing via ‘Click-to-Buy’, Booking a service online via ‘H-Care’, Connected Mobility via Blue-Link and more.

Also Read: Interview with Tarun Garg, Director – Sales, Service & Marketing, Hyundai Motor India

SUVs have been a core success area for you. What made you focus on them so much?

At Hyundai India, we continuously strive to keep our product line future ready with technological advancements, best-in-class features and segment-first connected car technology. 2022 was the year of SUVs for us, with a flurry of SUV launches beginning with the all-new Venue, the futuristic Tucson and the first ever mass-market performance-oriented SUV, the Venue N-Line being launched in India. The ever-popular Creta was the number 1 SUV in our lineup garnering sales of 1.31 Lakh units between January to November 2022, thus bolstering our position as an SUV leader. At Hyundai India, we understand that modern customers look for a versatile SUV that caters to their mobility requirements by offering a unique, feature-laden and premium travel experience. Our cars suit the diverse lifestyle needs of our new-age, tech-savvy and millennial customers. By offering a plethora of transmission and engine options across our SUV range, we are where the customer is. There is a Hyundai SUV for everyone!

As we continue to elevate benchmarks through our unique and futuristic product offerings, the all-new Tucson raises the level of safety through a combination of advanced safety features with Hyundai SmartSense (ADAS) offering 19 smart & intuitive safety features. Equipped with Level 2 ADAS technology with a camera and radar sensors, the Tucson is able to detect a car, a pedestrian or a cyclist on the road, thereby offering comprehensive protection.
 
On the back of strong demand across segments and an overall resurgence of the Indian market, our sales numbers have consistently remained strong month-on-month, with exponential growth compared to last year. We are poised to surpass our previous record of domestic sales of 5,50,002 units we had achieved back in 2018, buoyed by relentless sales momentum.

Also Read: Interview with Michael Cole, President & CEO – Hyundai Motor Europe

And what does the future hold for Hyundai India?

Hyundai India aims to bring a complete range of innovative and technologically advanced BEVs to the market by 2028. By doing so, we aim to bring vehicles to the Indian market that not only excite our customers but also empower our customers in doing their bit towards creating a sustainable environment, ensuring ‘Progress for Humanity’.

We are gearing towards launching the globally acclaimed Ioniq 5 BEV, which has already taken the global markets by storm, by winning accolades at ‘World Car of the Year’ awards. The Ioniq 5 will herald a ‘pump-to-plug’ revolution in India, showcasing Hyundai’s global technology and product strength.

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Mr Kim joined Hyundai Motor India as Managing Director in 2022, at an opportune time, when strong domestic demand for SUVs led to the company recording its best-ever domestic sales of 5,52,511 units. He has been a part of the Hyundai Motor Company since 1991.

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