The author at the Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang.
Calling it a theme park may be a stretch, but it is as close to one as Hyundai fans will ever get. Here you can see its latest and most advanced models and realize how far it has come to become a premier automaker with legit bragging rights with wins in the World Rally Championship and the Touring Car Endurance Series.
There are currently seven Motorstudios; four in South Korea (Seoul, Goyang, Hanam, and Busan) and three across the region (China, Indonesia, and Russia); eight, if you count the one in the Zepeto Metaverse.
We went to the Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang city, a Seoul satellite city north of the country, where notable celebrities like RM of BTS and actor Lee Do-hyun are from. It is the fourth Motorstudio built by Hyundai but the largest brand experience center in South Korea, designed by renowned Austrian architectural firm, Delugan Meissi Associated Architects. The facility has a striking design, and the relatively small signage in front bears a Hollywood, 80s-type font and styling unique to any auto brand.
The lobby
The lobby is expansive and shows all of the Hyundai models from the Palisade to the Kona, except for the 2023 Sonata, which was recently launched and will be available in the market by mid-April. It even had all the Genesis (Hyundai luxury brand) models. Customers can come in to browse, buy, or even test-drive a unit, but the latter is by reservation only. Vehicle ‘gurus’ are standing by should someone want in-depth information about the cars. For Hyundai owners, it is also a dealership where their vehicles get service and repair one floor below while they wait in brand-specific lounges at the main exhibition area.
How Hyundais are made
Want more than just a plain look-see of the different Hyundai and Genesis models? That is when the entire Motorstudio experience begins, and it starts with Hyundai’s automaking process.
Loop artwork by Everywhere
Behind the display of vehicles is ‘Loop’ - an artwork of different vehicle parts in globe form made by the artist group, Everywhere. Past it is the automaker’s five-step production process explained using large 3D dioramas and replica machines from melting steel (supplied by Hyundai Steel), stamping, welding, painting, and assembly.
Walk to Level 0 (we know this as B1 in the PH) and see an artsy display of airbags followed by several small auditoriums that use some cinema magic to show how Hyundai continuously perfects its safety, technology, activity, and connectivity features.
Sensuous Sportiness in the form of a kinetic sculpture
To show how designers get inspiration for the current Sensuous Sportiness design language, a room on Level 3 uses a bed filled with hundreds of poles moving in unison to create different shapes and forms, which is absolutely breathtaking and is a total must-see.
Into the Car ride
With all the finer points of car-making out of the way, it is time to get a feel of its drive, and I’m not talking about cruising on a Sunday morning. It is a virtual four-minute ride with WRC pros like Thierry Neuville and Sébastian Loeb in the 4D immersive theater system complete with a 12-meter by 4-meter screen, an 11.2 JBL surround sound system, wind-fog-water shoots-strobes effects, and rally-themed seats that would rival the ones in Universal Studios’ Transformers: The Ride-3D. From here, it is a straight shot to the N Brand Zone that shows how the i20, i30N, and various other Hyundai rally cars help develop the models we use today.
Hyundai i30N World Rally Car
Here, people can see the different rally cars used by Hyundai in motorsports events, the Content Wall showcasing the story behind the N brand’s DNA, and the various tuning products used to improve each model’s performance.
Lifestyle products with Red Dot Award-winning designs are available at The Shop. Everything from t-shirts, caps, umbrellas, stickers, and keychains is available and even features a collection exclusive to this specific Motorstudio.
If all that walking, talking, riding, and shopping has taken a toll on your appetite, drop by any of the three eateries by Haevichi (Kitchen, Café, and Café M).
There is actually more to this Motorstudio than I can write – programs for kids, classes, forest, and auto camping experiences.
It is not Disneyland or Universal Studios Singapore, but if you are ever in South Korea, put this on your list of things to do, and you will not regret it. Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang is some 16 kilometers from Seoul and just 32 minutes away by subway. Who knows, you might even bump into Hyundai’s brand ambassador BTS.