November 30, 2024

• 

(From left) Hankook ＆ Company Group Chairman Cho Hyun-bum, Taean County Mayor Ga Se-ro, South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum, lawmaker Sung Ill-jong of the People Power Party, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun pose in front of N Vision 74 concept car inside HMG Driving Experience Center during the opening ceremony held Wednesday. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that it has opened the country’s largest driving experience center in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, in an aim to lead the country’s automotive culture.

The HMG Driving Experience Center is located on 1.26 million square meters of land that was formerly used as Hankook Tire’s automotive proving ground Technoring. It is the largest proving ground in Asia.

The center also includes a second-story building to accommodate 15,000 visitors annually. Currently, imported carmakers like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz run their own driving experience programs, but only BMW owns its physical center in Incheon that opened in 2014 as the Asia’s first driving experience center.

The opening ceremony held on Wednesday was attended by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, Hankook & Company Chairman Cho Hyun-beom, South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum and other industry insiders.

The automaker plans to promote "excellent" performances of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis cars and allow more customers to experience the brand and the latest automotive technology.

HMG Driving Experience Center (HMG)

The center has a total of eight courses, comprised of wet and dry ground, speedway, gymkhana and slalom course, drift, kick plate, and an off-road course.

The automaker said the courses will offer different levels of driving education programs based on the visitor's level of driving and also a taxi experience which the visitors can experience a ride with professional driver.

The center will also offer various convenient facilities, such as relaxation lounge, lesson rooms connected to the course’s starting point, an exhibition hall for the latest and concept cars, a simulator experience zone, a dining area and a brand shop.

The center opens to the public on Sept. 16.

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