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Change of heart
After a tour of Hyundai's domain in Korea, Vernon B. Sarne has seen the light
Photography by Angelo Perez
If somebody had asked me earlier this year—when I was still shopping for a new car—if I'd consider buying a Korean car—a Hyundai, to be specific—I would have easily said no. I have to admit that in spite of my pronouncements of objectivity toward all automotive brands, it was a different thing altogether when it was my own money I'd plunk down on a car purchase.
In my test reviews of Hyundai's vehicles in the past, I would always rave about the surprising quality and the resulting value for money. And I meant it. Still, in my heart of hearts, if pressed to actually buy one, I would have probably flinched. I guess it had everything to do with my subconscious. Even after Hyundai had greatly improved its quality and reliability, and become the sixth largest automaker in the world, there was that stigma I couldn't quite separate from any Korean car brand.
Unfair, I know, especially as it concerned a motoring journalist who was supposed to be neutral. But that was just the way it was.
And then came the invitation from Hyundai Asia Resources, the exclusive distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, to visit South Korea in time for the motor company's 40th anniversary celebrations. It wasn't really work, they said. There was no new vehicle to be unveiled, no significant announcement to be made. They just wanted me to get familiar with Korea, its people, its culture and basically everything else that had given shape to the Hyundai brand.
I can't say I knew a lot about South Korea prior to the trip, outside perhaps of Samsung, kimchi and the cheesy soap operas Filipinos seem to regard with much reverence. I also knew that it was the peaceful side of Korea—the northerners seemingly believing it's their preordained destiny to push the nuclear button to blow us all to kingdom come. Oh, and of course, I was also aware that there had been an influx of Koreans to the Philippines, taking the form of foreign students and intrepid entrepreneurs.
Other than that, I had this misinformed notion that Korea was a nation of second-rate industrial manufacturers who were way ahead of the Chinese but still lagged behind the Japanese. And it was this impression that subconsciously ruined Hyundai for me.
Was I glad I joined the six-day trip.
I didn't know what to expect when the plane landed. My expectations were quite high. Having previously visited high-tech Japan five times, I was somehow convinced I'd be disappointed with South Korea in general and Hyundai in particular (a tour of their Ulsan manufacturing plant being part of the itinerary).
My first impressions were this: The place is first-world modern and the people old-world polite. The facilities at the airport, even the toilets, seemed fully automated. Just like Japan, I suppose. I took a pee and half-expected a robotic arm to emerge from the wall and hand me a wipe. The Koreans, however, don't have the gentleness of the Japanese, but they're pleasant just the same. The nooks and corners looked clean, and there was an atmosphere of peace and safety. It certainly didn't feel reckless to leave my iPod on a restaurant table while I went to the washroom. Nobody here seemed to be out to put one over you. Trustworthy people, I thought.
Fe Agudo, managing director of Hyundai Asia Resources, couldn't stop extolling Korea's progress and values, but as far as I was concerned, she was merely pointing out the obvious. It is impossible to visit this country—especially if you live in the Philippines—and not marvel in awe.
We visited the Changdeokgung Palace in a large park in South Korea. Built by the Joseon Dynasty, it is one of the main tourist attractions in the country and was also a filming location for the TV series Dae Jang Geum, known in the Philippines as Jewel in the Palace. The Koreans clearly value their cultural roots and have not lost sense of their national identity.
Between gastronomic indulgences that invariably included bulgogi (thinly sliced beef) and soju (clear, sweet liquor), Hyundai also put on quite a show of force and wealth. First, they checked us into Rolling Hills, a luxurious hotel the carmaker actually owned and made available only to important employees and guests. Next they made us ride a high-speed bullet train that Hyundai Heavy Industries had assembled. Then they brought us to the HHI shipyard where tankers and carriers were being put together. Apparently, cars are just a mole of Hyundai's many businesses. Hyundai—it turns out—is actually the world's biggest shipbuilder.
Finally, Hyundai brought us to their squeaky clean and technologically supreme Ulsan car assembly plant. It was even better than the facilities I had seen in Japan. I had this funny image of a Hyundai plant in my mind where the workers were all smeared in grime and the assembly line was dripping with rust. After that brief plant tour, I became an instant Hyundai believer. Gone were the biases I didn't want to admit I harbored.
So would I really consider buying a Hyundai now? In all honesty, yes.
In fact, the sales director of a prominent German car distributor asked me—a few weeks after my Korea trip—to recommend a good family van for his father. I told him to tell his old man to get a Starex. I saw him again after two months. He thanked me for the good tip, and said his father was very happy with his new van.
See? I'm now not only willing to buy a Hyundai—I'm actually even willing to put my credibility on the line for the brand.
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Top Gear Philippines - September 2007
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