Suwon Hi-Tech Center opens in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province
'Logistics robots cut transfer time by more than threefold'
'We will manage customers across their entire vehicle ownership lifecycle'
Jang Jae-hoon, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, has identified "service experience" as the core competitive edge for the future mobility era. The remarks signal a strategy to build an advantage through differentiated customer experience as Chinese import vehicles rapidly gain market share in South Korea.
Jang made the comments to reporters Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Suwon Hi-Tech Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. "This area has many import car dealers, so we have given a great deal of thought to how we can differentiate the customer experience and what kind of post-sale usage and service experience we can offer," he said.
He added that the center reflects a focus on advanced technical capabilities in line with the shift toward electrification and software-defined vehicles. "We prepared response manuals and everything else at a completely different level so customers would have no inconvenience with maintenance," Jang said. "We also wanted to create a model that global dealers, not just domestic ones, could visit, experience and replicate."
The Suwon Hi-Tech Center is a specialized high-complexity maintenance facility Hyundai Motor built by relocating its existing center from Yeongtong-gu, Suwon to Giheung-gu, Yongin. The facility is equipped with a smart mobility-based automated service environment and capabilities for advanced vehicle maintenance and quality analysis. Hyundai Motor plans to operate it not merely as a repair shop but as a hub for service innovation in response to the changing future mobility landscape.
Jang said the company will continue to pursue digital transformation and technological advancement across its service centers. "Our directly operated service centers have been continuously upgrading their facilities, and the direction going forward is to connect scale, concentration, high technology and digitalization," he said. "We are also linking remote technical support through data — not just domestically, but overseas as well."
![Jang Jae-hoon, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, tours the Suwon Hi-Tech Center. [Hyundai Motor Group]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/30/news-p.v1.20260630.3336fc6ee8184fc1bc2a15f01ce18a5b_P1.jpg)
The Suwon Hi-Tech Center has also introduced a logistics automation system using autonomous mobile robots (AMR), automated guided vehicles (AGV) and autonomous case-handling robots (ACR). The system is designed to reduce technicians' travel time on the floor and improve maintenance efficiency.
"My understanding is that logistics transfer time has been cut by more than threefold," Jang said. "Skilled technicians handle the actual maintenance work, and the facility is designed so that automation raises overall work efficiency."
Hyundai Motor is also strengthening its "full lifecycle customer management" strategy, which extends beyond new-car sales to cover certified pre-owned and general used vehicles. "Customers buy anywhere from their first car to their sixth, and managing that entire journey is what the full lifecycle strategy is about," Jang said. "The most important thing is bringing all of the customer experience data together into one." He added that the company would build a more granular customer management system going beyond conventional customer relationship management.
On the recent weakness in domestic sales, Jang expressed confidence that strong new models and service quality would be sufficient to respond. "Looking at the Grandeur this year and the upcoming Avante, I think the product cycle is in good shape," he said. "The new-model effect will be more than enough for the next several years."
He said service remains the area where Hyundai Motor holds the clearest advantage over import brands. "We will keep raising service quality and customer responsiveness to build a differentiated competitive edge," Jang said.
Lee Gyu-bok, president of Hyundai Glovis, who also attended the event, said the company intends to expand the AMR technology deployed at the Suwon Hi-Tech Center to other service and maintenance centers as well as logistics warehouses. "We are providing a diverse robot portfolio tailored to customer needs, backed by our software capabilities," he said. The center uses AMR software technology to deliver parts and supplies to engineers on the maintenance floor.
eyre@heraldcorp.com
