By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(November 2, 2014) There is no doubt that the largest failing of Hyundai vehicles has been ride and handling. Say what you will about the bang you get for your buck in terms of styling, features, etc., the fact is that most Hyundais ride and handle like cheap knockoffs.

For years it was commonplace to attend the launch of a new Hyundai vehicle, meet the current head of vehicle dynamics, highlight the various problems with the way the car drove, and wait until the next launch to do it again. It got to the point that I began to wonder when, if ever, Hyundai would wake up to the fact that its vehicles didn’t match up.



This continued until the launch of the 2015 Genesis Sedan. Early in its development, Hyundai boasted about its commitment to testing its vehicles at Germany’s famed Nurburgring. Not only did Hyundai put up an $8.4 million, it hired a professional test driver to help with the testing and development. And now, one year after the test center opened its doors, Hyundai has released a few facts about what goes on at the Nurburgring.

More than 20 models have covered in excess of 49,000 miles and 4,000 laps in the past year. Hyundai claims its Accelerated Durability Test can simulate a vehicle’s lifecycle in four to six weeks, and covers 110 laps per week. Six professional test drivers push each vehicle to 90% of its limit, and test results are shared with Hyundai’s R&D centers around the world.

Perhaps one of the things that was shared with these units was just how much knowledge is necessary to build a car that can turn quick laps of the ‘Ring, and still be pleasant to drive. Whatever the case, it didn’t take long for Hyundai to tap Lotus engineer Matthew Becker for the job of making the Genesis Sedan both quick and supple.

It seems like there’s a bit more to it than just testing new vehicles in Germany.

The Virtual Driver