Hyundai clocks 365 days and 4,000 laps at Nürburgring Test Centre

Hyundai Motor is celebrating the first anniversary of the opening of its Nürburgring test centre. Having tested more than 20 models over 4,000 laps during the last 12 months, the new facility has already made a significant contribution to the quality and performance of Hyundai vehicles.

Hyundai’s ‘Accelerated Durability Test’ simulates a normal vehicle’s lifecycle in just four to six weeks, covering 110 laps of the demanding circuit per week. Six professional test drivers repeatedly push each car close to the limit on the 20.8 km track, assessing numerous key parameters, such as handling and suspension. In total, the intensive testing undertaken in the last year is equivalent to more than 1.4 million kilometres of normal road use.

Allan Rushforth, senior vice-president and COO at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented: “Our investment in the new test centre at the Nürburgring has already brought a valuable return for our business. Every lap of this challenging track helps to enhance the quality and performance of our cars, to the benefit of our customers. It’s a vital part of our infrastructure that will play a key role in helping to develop our vehicles and our brand in Europe.”

Test results from the Nürburgring are shared with Hyundai’s worldwide Research and Development (R&D) network, including the global R&D headquarters in Namyang, Korea and the European centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

The centre at the Nürburgring officially opened in September 2013, following a €6.6 million (Rs 51.3 crore) investment. The location of the 3.600 square metre building was chosen for its direct access to the famous race track –dubbed ‘The Green Hell’, due to its reputation as one of the toughest tracks in the world.