Hyundai has opened up a new testing and development facility in Europe.
Where in Europe?
Right in the heart of Europe, as it happens. Hyundai has long since had its European headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, and the new facility is located just down the road in Russelsheim.
What kind of facility is it?
It's called the Square Campus, and it's part of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre (HMETC), which has been in Russelsheim since 2003, with the opening of the original facility, the Round Campus.
The new campus measures a pretty massive 25,000 square metres, and Hyundai has sunk €150 million into it.
What's there?
The new Square Campus includes a massive anechoic chamber for honing the refinement and silence of new cars, and it can test for drive-by noise regulations with no weather interruptions.
There's also a serious dyno setup which allows the testing of internal combustion, hybrid, and fully electric power trains, as well as an electric car charging laboratory and a lab that develops new driver assistance systems and works out better software for over-the-air updates.
Anything else?
Hyundai says that the new facility, along with updates to its dynamic testing base at the famed Nurburgring race track (about a 90 minute drive away) will allow to to much more quickly and efficiently develop and test new cars for the European market.
Tyrone Johnson, Managing Director at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre, said: "The investment at Square Campus is a clear sign of our commitment to the region and reflects the importance of Europe in our long-term growth strategy. The extensive new capabilities at HMETC give us more independence and flexibility, while creating exciting new opportunities for collaboration between our brands. Fundamentally, Square Campus will also support us as we continue to grow our market share in Europe, developing new vehicles and technologies designed around the needs of our customers.”