Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that it will open the country’s largest driving center, called the HMG Driving Experience Center, in the first half of 2022 to offer customers new opportunities to experience the brand and practice driving. 

The automaker said the facilities will be built within the driving test site of local tiremaker Hankook Tire Technology in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. 

A ceremony to celebrate the partnership was held at Hyundai Motor Group’s headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday and attended by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun, Hankook Technology Group Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sik and Hyundai Motor Group’s Thomas Schemera, the head of its product division.

Hyundai Motor Group said the establishment of the HMG Driving Experience Center will bring “many changes” to the local automotive culture, spreading a positive driving culture through education and instruction on driving safety, and providing an enjoyable road experience.

“We are going to construct the highest-level driving experience center so our customers can enjoy the value and joy of life through automobiles,” said Schemera.

Spanning more than 1.26 million square meters, the HMG Driving Experience Center will comprise eight courses and will feature a slalom zone and experience zones with various forms of terrain, such as sand and rocks, along with a 4.6-kilometer circuit. 

The automaker said it will develop top-notch driving experience programs by working together with experienced driving instructors and using the latest multimedia devices, targeting customers with different levels of driving experience. 

The company said the second-story customer service building will be built on 9,602 square meters inside the HMG Driving Experience Center, which can hold up to 300 people. 

A customers’ lounge, a kids’ room, lecture rooms, an exhibition hall, a brand shop and other amenities will be located in the customer building, the company said. 

Hyundai Motor Group has been running a driving experience program since 2016 and has expanded the program to involve Kia Motors and Genesis cars in 2019. The program is offered at Inje Speedium, a racing circuit in Gangwon Province. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)