Hyundai Motor Company has completed expansion of its Turkey plant, Hyundai Assan Otomotiv Sanayi (HAOS), doubling its annual capacity to 200,000 units with an investment of $634 million. With an additional $43 million added by the end of this year, the total investment will reach $677 million, creating more than 2,700 new jobs in Turkey.
The production of New Generation i10 starts today at HAOS with a ceremony attended by Republic of Turkey Minister of Economy Zafer Caglayan, Korean Ambassador of Turkey Sang-Kyu Lee, and Hyundai Motor Company Vice Chairman Euisun Chung, as well as executives, HAOS employees and media.
“HAOS will be the sole production centre of the New Generation i10, which has a strategic importance for European markets. We will continue investing more at HAOS to produce world-class quality vehicles,” said Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, during his speech at the ceremony.
The New Generation i10 debuted at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt this month showing features of its dynamic and spacious design and outstanding performance. New Generation i10 is designed, engineered and assembled in Europe to satisfy the needs of Europe’s demanding drivers.
The 16-month expansion of Hyundai Motor’s HAOS plant will contribute to the auto industry of Turkey by adding new jobs to the local economy. HAOS has become Hyundai Motor’s small car production base for Europe by adding New Generation i10 to existing i20 production.
Established in 1997, HAOS, in Izmit, is Hyundai Motor’s longest-operating manufacturing facility among seven factories outside of Korea. Originally capable of producing 60,000 units per year, the plant added 40,000 units of capacity in 2006. HAOS began producing i20 in 2010 to cover the rapidly growing demand of European customers. Now, with an annual capacity of 200,000 units, HAOS is a base of regional strategic importance for Hyundai Motor.
