Hyundai Motor Philippines caps off a sensational 1st year

A humble beginning was assuredly not on the playbook when Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) commenced operations in June 1, 2022.

The resurgent Korean brand certainly hit the ground running, commencing operations with no less than 38 dealers located across the country and a formidable lineup composed of the popular Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs, the head-turning new Staria van, and the all-new Creta subcompact crossover.   

The company also introduced its corporate tagline of “Innovate Everyday,” which aims to inspire Filipinos through its range of vehicles developed with eco-friendly and human-oriented technologies. HMPH made known its mission to play a role that extends beyond being a car manufacturer and more towards a customer’s lifetime companion in a united world for sustainability.

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This may sound like corporate PR speak, but Hyundai put its money where its mouth is by unveiling (or previewing) not one but two bonafide sustainable full electric vehicles within just seven months of each other—the IONIQ 5 at the 8^th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) in September 2022 and the IONIQ 6 at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) in April 2023.

The appearance of Hyundai Motor Philippines at PIMS last September actually marked two important milestones—the public debut of the new company and the game-changing entry of the brand into the Philippine industry’s premiere organization, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. or CAMPI. The membership at the prestigious CAMPI underscores HMPH’s goals to become an even bigger and more important player in the Philippine automotive industry.    

The debut at PIMS also marked the official announcement of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 test drive promo for the new Creta. Driven by Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) and extended to its global markets, the contest was borne out of its Goal of the Century (GOTC) pledge, which takes inspiration from how the sport of football becomes a catalyst that ignites team spirit and togetherness among its players and fans.

The momentous debut at PIMS was quickly followed up by another auspicious appearance at the 10^th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit just a month later in October. It was at PEVS when Hyundai showcased its cutting-edge Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology when the IONIQ 5 powered a café’s electricity needs using its onboard lithium-ion batteries.

And just a month later in November, Hyundai was unveiling one of its more compelling new models yet—the futuristic Stargazer. Sharing design cues from its equally forward-looking sibling, the Staria, the Stargazer was poised to be—and still being—a disruptor in the popular compact 7-seater MPV segment.

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And then another month later, Hyundai threw a delightful Yuletide bash with a Night of Lights Festival at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. Night of Lights was an audio-visual Christmas drive-through attraction, which started on December 1, 2022 and ran until January 8, 2023. It showcased seven immersive Disney-themed zones, all of which were powered by Hyundai. Visitors interacted with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Disney princesses, as well as characters from Frozen, Encanto and Pixar’s Cars and Toy Story, among many others. On top of that, visitors also got to experience Hyundai’s latest lineup of cars with their family or friends.

But that wasn’t all the Christmas cheer that Hyundai spread around. HMPH took part in Daiichi Community’s Inspire 2.0 and Shoebox Project to bring joy to students, as part of the brand’s commitment to its corporate mission of ‘Progress for Humanity.’ 

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Shortly after New Year, Hyundai reached out to the Philippine National Police and pledged its after-sales support for PNP’s fleet of Hyundai vehicles. On February, HMPH created a major buzz in the metaverse with the opening of the Hyundai Mobility Adventure (HMA). HMA was developed in 2021 as a new-age online customer experience (CX) platform to introduce the brand’s latest products, initiatives and future mobility solutions to millennials and Gen Zs. Later that month, HMA then went live at the Glorietta Activity Center with interactive activities and a display of Hyundai’s full model lineup. HMA will again grace the physical world in March at SM Aura.

Also in March and running into April for the summer and Holy Week road trips was the Hyundai Before Service nationwide 23-point free vehicle checkup, not just for the latest Hyundai vehicles, but even for older models. The Hyundai Before Service campaign wrapped up with, well, H-WRAP, which stands for Holy Week Roadside Assistance Program. Ten strategically located Hyundai dealers from Luzon and Mindanao were on standby to serve Hyundai motorists who might need roadside assistance.

The annual Seoul Mobility Show happened in April, and HMPH brought Philippine media to witness the state-of-the-art Hyundai vehicles on display as well as the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Asan and world-class design studio in Goyang.     

April was also when Hyundai Technician Skills Championship happened. Dave Chou from Hyundai Las Pinas was the overall winner. Chou has been a Hyundai technician for seven years and it was his first time to join the competition. 

The month of May saw Hyundai offer the IONIQ experience at the Auto Focus Test Drive Festival at the SM MOA Concert Grounds. Aside from the sensational IONIQ 5, showgoers also got to test drive the Creta, Tucson and Stargazer.

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June, which marked the first full year of HMPH operations, saw the brand hitting the malls again with a screening of Across the Spider-Verse at IMAX Theater in SM Megamall Fashion Hall. The multi-model display at Fashion Hall showcased the full Hyundai lineup with the newly launched IONIQ 6 effortlessly stealing the show.

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All told, it has been an unbelievably busy and fast-paced first year for Hyundai Motor Philippines—a year marked by growth (up to 45 Hyundai dealers from 38 in the beginning), new car launches (the ground-breaking new IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 as well as the Stargazer and Palisade), and a relentless drive towards a bigger market share and the wider availability of world-class mobility solutions.    

HMPH President Dongwook Lee couldn’t have expressed it better, when he spoke at the opening of PIMS 2022 during the public launch of the brand: “Our vision is ‘Progress for Humanity’ because we are dedicated to understanding what people want in life. For us it’s not about going from A to B, it’s about creating time for the moments that truly matter. This is what we hope for our Filipino customers to experience when they own a Hyundai.”

And Mr. Lee, together with the whole HMPH team, delivered. Here’s looking forward to the coming years of Hyundai mobility in the Philippines.

Photos from Hyundai Motor Philippines