Montgomery, Ala., – On April 30, 2012, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) celebrated the 100,000th guest to tour the facility. Van Loomis, 82, of Citronelle, Ala., was honored as HMMA’s 100,000th tour guest while he visited Montgomery along with his wife and others from Citronelle Memorial Baptist Church.

Loomis was recognized by HMMA President and CEO Y.D. Lim and HMMA Vice Presidents H.I. Chung, Rick Neal, and Ashley Frye. He was awarded with a commemorative hat, a Hyundai Equus di-cast model, and a $500 gift card.

Loomis said the honor of being HMMA’s 100,000th  tour guest came as quite a surprise. “This was the last thing from my mind,” he said. “I told myself, ‘Wow, this can’t be happening!’ But it did. I never win anything, not even a cake walk, but today is special.”

HMMA began giving tours in February 2005. The first official plant tour was given to then-Governor Bob Riley. Eight months later, in October 2005, tours were opened to the public.

For information on HMMA’s tour program, or to reserve a tour, call 334-387-8019 or visit www.hmmausa.com.

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Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., is an independent manufacturing operation of Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, Korea. HMMA currently produces the 2013 Sonata and Elantra sedans. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 900 Hyundai dealerships across North America.

Montgomery, Ala., April 30, 2012 – Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC (HMMA) today announced plans to add a third shift of production at its Montgomery facility. HMMA will add 877 positions to support the addition of the third shift bringing the total number of jobs created at the plant to more than 3,000. HMMA’s 2012 production capacity will increase by approximately 20,000 units.

“The continued success of Hyundai’s Sonata and Elantra in North America is a direct reflection of the dedication to quality and craftsmanship by every HMMA team member,” said Young Deuk Lim, HMMA president and chief executive officer. “This commitment is the key reason Hyundai Motor Company chose to continue to invest in the people of Alabama and increase vehicle production in Montgomery.”

The transition to three shifts will begin in September 2012. Job applications and pre-employment training will begin this summer. The hiring process will be facilitated by Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT). The increased volume at HMMA will also create more jobs at nearby suppliers.

HMMA began producing the newly redesigned Sonata in December 2009, and the sedan has consistently been Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle. The Alabama-built Sonata represents 33 percent of Hyundai’s U.S. sales. The newly redesigned Elantra has been assembled at HMMA since October 2010 and, together with production from Korea, represents 31 percent of Hyundai’s U.S. sales. Canadian sales of the Sonata and Elantra account for more than 14 percent of HMMA’s annual production.

Hyundai Motor America sales were up 20 percent during 2011. The announcement of additional U.S. production capacity comes as Hyundai’s U.S. sales broke an all-time sales record in March 2012. Through March 2012, sales of the Sonata and Elantra sedans have already seen year-over-year sales increase of six percent and eight percent, respectively, which is above the record levels set during 2011.

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Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., is an independent manufacturing operation of Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, Korea. HMMA currently produces the 2013 Sonata and Elantra sedans. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 900 Hyundai dealerships across North America.

DETROIT, Jan. 9, 2012 – The 2012 Hyundai Elantra took top honors in the most exclusive award in North America when it was named 2012 North American Car of the Year today.

A jury of 50 independent North American automotive journalists evaluated each of the new cars introduced last year and chose the 2012 Hyundai Elantra as the winner. The award was announced at a news conference at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which marks Hyundai’s second win. The Hyundai Genesis was named North American Car of the Year in 2009.

“Elantra speaks to the success of our recipe of bold design and great fuel economy,” said John Krafcik, president and chief executive officer, Hyundai Motor America. “In a year with some truly breakthrough competitors, we are honored that the jury recognizes Elantra’s far-reaching impact on the industry.”

The jurors considered more than 50 new vehicles, before selecting the top three cars and top three trucks. The Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus were the other car finalists.

This is the 19th year of the awards, which were inspired by the prestigious European “Car of the Year.” The jury is administered by an organizing committee and funded exclusively with dues paid by the jurors. Jurors judge the cars on a number of factors including innovation, impact on the industry, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.

HYUNDAI “FLUIDIC SCULPTURE” DESIGN
Elantra exemplifies Hyundai’s emotional “Fluidic Sculpture” design principles. “Fluidic Sculpture” considers the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion. Elantra is an evolution of the design qualities found in Sonata.

Along Elantra’s sides are Sonata’s flowing lines, with the addition of a strong undercut feature line starting at the front door. These lines, along with muscular wheel arches and a sleek roofline, create a memorable and spacious package. Flowing lines also lead to an aerodynamic body. The drag coefficient for the Elantra is an exceptionally low 0.28 that compares favorably to the Chevrolet Volt (0.29).

Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille and detailed swept-back headlights give Elantra a compact athletic face. The assertive stance is complimented by 15-, 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels and athletic proportions. Available fog lights and side repeater mirrors complete the distinct design. Elantra was designed at Hyundai’s North American Design Center in Irvine, Calif.

40 MPG POWERTRAIN
Elantra’s standard fuel economy is EPA-rated at 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, amd 33 mpg combined, with the six-speed automatic transmission or manual transmission. These figures give Elantra a highway-only driving range of up to 500 miles. Elantra’s strong EPA ratings are backed up by the highest owner satisfaction with real-world fuel economy in the compact class, according to data from J.D. Power and Associates.

Under the hood, the Elantra is powered by an all-new 1.8-liter Nu four-cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque (145 horsepower and 130 lb-ft of torque for Elantra PZEV). Thanks to advanced clean engine technology, most Elantras sold in California, Oregon and several Northeast states are certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) by the EPA. The PZEV Elantra is as clean as many hybrid electric vehicles. The PZEV Elantra helps Hyundai meet its environmental commitments. Outside of these “green” states, the Elantra is available as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).

Mark on the Market
Most importantly, Elantra is driving traffic to Hyundai showrooms. Elantra’s record 186,361 sales helped Hyundai achieve its record sales of 645,691 units in the U.S. in 2011. Hyundai Motor America posted a 20 percent increase over 2011 total sales.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.
For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com
Journalists are invited to visit our news media web site: www.hyundainews.com

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HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA DONATES BICYCLES AND TOYS
TO MARINE CORPS TOYS FOR TOTS CAMPAIGN

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) team members joined forces to donate more than 270 bicycles and several boxes of toys for needy children in the River Region. The toys were donated to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. In addition, Team members collected nearly $2,000 to be used for the purchase of additional gifts for local children.

“The HMMA Diversity Action Team and Management Team would like to express our appreciation to each Team Member for their selfless contributions to the local community and for supporting our local Marine Corps Reserve unit. In this 6th year participating in the Toys for Tots program, HMMA Team Members have once again gone “above and beyond the call of duty” by donating a phenomenal number of bicycles and toys,” said Kevin Graham, who co-chaired the toy drive with Kimberly Abrams. “It is clear that HMMA Team Members recognize the importance, and take joy, of giving back to the community; for that our sincerest gratitude is extended. Thank you for caring and giving. HMMA would like to wish you a very safe and happy holiday season.”

U.S. Marine Corps representatives were pleased to see ten Toys for Tots boxes overflowing with toys, games, stuffed animals, dolls and many more for needy children in Montgomery and the River Region.

HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA AND SUPPLIERS GENERATE TOTAL IMPACT OF $3.8 BILLION TO ALABAMA’S ECONOMY AND MORE THAN 34,000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS STATEWIDE IN 2010

MONTGOMERY, Ala., October 19 ¾ Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (“HMMA”) today announced the findings of an economic impact study quantifying the automaker’s impact on the economy of the State of Alabama in 2010.  Conducted by M. Keivan Deravi, Ph.D., special assistant to the Chancellor and professor of economics atAuburnUniversityatMontgomery, the study finds that HMMA and its suppliers generated a total impact of $3.8 billion toAlabama’s economy in 2010, accounting for 2 percent of the state’s Real Gross Domestic Product.  Additionally, HMMA and its suppliers were responsible for more than 34,000 full-time equivalent jobs statewide in 2010, according to the study.

“Hyundai has dramatically improved the manufacturing sector of centralAlabama’s economy,” said Dr. Deravi, who has completed similar studies for all of the mega industrial projects recently located inAlabama, including two other automakers and Northrop Grumman.  “While the greater United States experienced a contraction of manufacturing jobs, HMMA contributed to a 21 percent growth rate in manufacturing employment in the Montgomery Metro Area between 2002, when Hyundai began construction of their plant, and 2006 after its first full year of hiring.”

Specific to public fiscal impact, the study estimates that HMMA and its suppliers yielded $61.3 million in total tax revenue toAlabamain 2010.  HMMA’s local tax impact was approximately $8.3 million, while HMMA and its suppliers generated an estimated $53 million of tax revenue for the state.

“When we recruited Hyundai, we knew their presence would be a game-changer for centralAlabamaand the River Region, but little did we realize how significant it would be,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange.  “Hyundai’s impact and that of their suppliers has far surpassed our expectations and we greatly appreciate the confidence they placed in us.”

“Hyundai’s culture and work ethic are an inspiration to us and we are honored to be the home of this world-class company, making world-class vehicles with a world-class workforce,” added Strange.

“Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama could not be more pleased with our contributions to Alabama’s economy and employment,” said Y.D. Lim, president and chief executive officer of HMMA.  “We are proud of our track record as an important and rapidly growingAlabamaemployer, and as a manufacturer of high value, high quality and high efficiency vehicles for American consumers.”

To review an Executive Summary of the 2010 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Economic Impact Study click here.

Students from the Montgomery Public School System returned to school campuses that were clean, neatly landscaped and clutter free thanks to the efforts of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.  Each year the Chamber works with the school system to tidy up local schools and get them ready for the upcoming school year.  Local businesses and organizations pull together volunteers that help by mowing grass, trimming trees, removing clutter, painting and more.

On Saturday, August 20, 2011, HMMA and its Team Members joined forces with the Chamber to prepare Pintlala Elementary school for the upcoming year.  Not only did the Team Members perform the expected clean up duties, they went the extra mile by cleaning up the school’s outdoor study areas and painting two colorful murals on the walls.  Despite the high temperatures, HMMA Team Members worked hard and had lots of fun until the job was done.

This was Hyundai’s second year participating in the clean-up project. Lending a hand to help the Montgomery Public School System proved to be a rewarding experience for all that participated.

MONTGOMERY, Ala., August 18, 2011 – Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC (HMMA) demonstrated its continued support for education and safe driving today by providing (6) 2012 Sonatas and (3) 2012 Elantras for use in driver’s education programs in three Alabama county high schools.  Bullock, Macon and Montgomery Counties High Schools received the vehicles at the Hyundai Alabama plant.  Over 1,600 students per year will benefit from the use of these vehicles in their driver’s safety programs.  The new sedans replace (9) 2006 Sonata sedans that were loaned to the high schools in 2006.

“We understand there is a great need for new vehicles in the public school safe driving programs and are pleased to continue to provide these vehicles to assist in Alabama’s drivers-ed programs,” said Y.D. Lim, President and Chief Executive Officer of HMMA.  “This donation is a part of our continuing efforts to support education in Alabama.”

 “School driver education programs are essential in developing today’s students into tomorrow’s safe, courteous and defensive drivers,” said Rick Neal, vice president Administration and General Counsel. “HMMA’s donation of these extremely safe, high quality, and fuel efficient vehicles will not only help to keep driver education programs operational at these high schools, but will keep the student’s as safe as they can be during the learning process, and will save the schools money in fuel costs and operational expenses.”

“We are very grateful and honored by the donation of these wonderful automobiles to our driver’s education program,” said MPS Superintendent Barbara W. Thompson. “The students not only get the benefit of these fantastic cars, but they know that people and companies in the community care about them. We appreciate Hyundai for not only this donation, but their commitment to education partnerships and support of our schools.”

“On behalf of the Bullock County School District, I want to express my appreciation to you and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama for your generous donation of a driver education vehicle,” said Keith Stewart, Superintendent of Bullock County Schools.  “Without your support, Bullock County High School would not have been able to offer driver education to its students.  Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has always been a valued supporter of the Bullock County School District and this gift is further evidence of that support.”

Neal added, “Hyundai is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the River Region, with a genuine interest in safety and education in Alabama.  And this is another example of our commitment to the schools and the students of these Alabama communities.”

Recipients of the vehicles for use in driver’s education courses will install a brake on the front passenger side for the course instructor.

ADVANCED STANDARD SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES

Both Sonata and Elantra were built from the ground up with safety in mind, with a hot stamped ultra-high-strength steel body structure, advanced airbag technology and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), delivering on Hyundai’s commitment to both active and passive safety technology leadership. Every 2012 Sonata and Elantra has lifesaving ESC as standard equipment. This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that ESC results in 35 percent fewer single-vehicle crashes and 30 percent fewer single-vehicle fatalities in passenger cars.

The Sonata and Elantra also feature a state-of-the-art braking package. The package includes four-wheel disc brakes and an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) including Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected, and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to automatically adjust the braking force to front and rear axles based on the vehicle loading conditions.
Sonata and Elantra feature six airbags—including dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags—along with active front-seat head restraints. Other passive safety features include shingle-style rear-seat head restraints for improved visibility, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, front-seat seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters.  These safety features make the vehicles perfectly suited for students who are just learning how to drive.

One Millionth Sonata Rolls Off Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Assembly Line

On July 29, 2011, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) marked its 1,000,000th Alabama-built Sonata — a 2012 limited edition 2.0 turbo with a radiant silver paint finish. Team Members at the Montgomery, Ala. assembly plant cheered as President and CEO Young Deuk Lim drove the Sonata off the quality inspection line with Vice President Production Ashley Frye and Robert Coleman, HMMA’s Team Member of the year in the passenger seats.

“I am so proud of everything our Team Members have accomplished in the past six years, eclipsing 1,000,000 total vehicles manufactured in November 2009, producing more than 300,000 vehicles in 2010 and now our 1,000,000th Sonata,” said President Lim. “This milestone provides us an opportunity celebrate our many achievements and take pride in knowing our Hyundai spirit is alive and ready to reach any goal we set for ourselves.”

HMMA has benefitted from the enormous popularity of the Sonata in the U.S. marketplace. Its perennial role as Hyundai’s top seller has contributed to the plant operating beyond its original capacity of 300,000 units for nearly two years.

The plant has produced three different vehicles since 2006, the Sonata, Santa Fe and Elantra. Mass production of the Sonata began at the site on April 5, 2005. The plant built the Santa Fe from
April 2006 until August 2010. The Elantra sedan joined the Sonata in November 2010.

More than 2,500 Team Members are employed at the plant. Since production began in 2005, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has built more than 1.4 million vehicles.

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On Saturday, April 16, 2011, 41 HMMA Team Members, family members and friends gathered at Riverwalk Amphitheater for the 2011 Walk of Life.

The event, sponsored by the Joy to Life Foundation, helps provide free mammograms for medically underserved women in 28 counties in Alabama. This was the sixth consecutive year that HMMA has sponsored the Walk of Life.

A 2011 Sonata led the walkers through downtown Montgomery, and a 2011 Elantra was raffled off to one lucky participant!

Thanks to each member of the HMMA team who supported the Joy to Life Foundation and represented Hyundai in the 2011 Walk of Life!