Hyundai Motor to open new 'service center of the future'

YONGIN, Gyeonggi — Imagine a car undergoing a diagnostic test remotely, or robots delivering repair parts to mechanics as soon as the components arrive. Both technologies are a reality at Hyundai Motor’s first next-generation service center, which the automaker established to redefine automotive after-sales services in the era of software-defined vehicles.

“An automotive service center is no longer just a functional facility tucked away in a corner of the city,” said Chang Jae-hoon, Hyundai Motor Group’s executive vice president, during the center’s opening ceremony in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday.

“We want [the center] to become a landmark that represents the city and sets a new standard for future mobility services.”

“Just as people seek out the best hospitals when they are ill, we intend to make [the center] a hub that delivers the world’s best diagnostics and maintenance services for Hyundai and Genesis customers,” he added.

The Suwon High-Tech Center represents Hyundai Motor’s vision of a “service center of the future,” where workers can remotely diagnose vehicles and receive repair parts from robots that deliver them immediately upon arrival. 

The center will officially begin operations on Wednesday.

Before the car even enters the center, the company’s remote diagnosis service platform will analyze its data and recommend the most effective repair method. Upon the vehicle’s arrival, an automated car lift system will transport it to the appropriate service bay. Meanwhile, robots — including autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles and autonomous case-handling robots — will deliver repair parts to technicians.

The center also features a new data and noise, vibration and harshness analysis lab, equipped with diagnostic systems that analyze noise, video data and controller communications to identify defects that are otherwise difficult to diagnose.

Additionally, the joint quality analysis lab will share diagnostic results with Hyundai’s research and development center and relevant headquarters divisions in real time to investigate vehicle quality issues.

Although the facility is located in Yongin, its name includes “Suwon” because it replaces the service center that previously operated in Suwon’s Yeongtong District, also in Gyeonggi.

The center now occupies a building with two basement levels and five above-ground floors for a total floor area of 51,497 square meters (554,309 square feet), making it the largest repair center in southern Gyeonggi.

The circular tower features a facade fitted with louvers that regulate the amount of incoming and reflected light, giving the building a distinctive 3-D appearance.

The facility’s interior is designed to allow customers to observe every stage of the service process — from vehicle check-in to repair completion — while still maintaining space efficiency.

Charging facilities for battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are also available outside.

Another key feat of the center is reduced waiting times for customers.

The Suwon High-Tech Center operates on an appointment-only basis and has established a dedicated system under which a single engineer is responsible for a car’s entire service process, from consultation to delivery.

Hyundai Motor said that it plans to develop the Suwon High-Tech Center and its 21 other high-tech centers nationwide into specialized hubs for advanced vehicle maintenance as it prepares for the era of software-defined vehicles and electrification.

“The Suwon High-Tech Center is the first service center to establish a smart mobility-based automated maintenance environment,” a Hyundai Motor representative said. “It will serve not only as a repair facility but also as a hub for service innovation that responds to the changing mobility landscape.”

BY KO SUK-HYUN [[email protected]]