We had lunch with Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, President of the R&D and Corporate Product Planning and Strategy Divisions of Hyundai-Kia Motors, yesterday after testing the new rear-wheel-drive Genesis sedan at Hyundai’s cutting-edge research lab and test tracks in Namyang, Korea. Dr. Lee started working for Hyundai in 1984, long before the business began selling cars in the United States (the Hyundai Excel, that gem of a subcompact, debuted here in 1986).
The Genesis is a significant accomplishment for this carmaker, which was founded only forty years ago as a satellite assembly facility for Ford’s U.K. branch to assemble Ford Cortinas for the Korean market. Dr. Lee emphasized this when he emphasized the company’s history. Aside from those kit cars, Hyundai’s first vehicle was the 1975 Pony, which was in fact created by Giugiaro. Throughout the 1980s, Hyundai obtained licenses to produce vehicles using Mitsubishi’s designs. Hyundai didn’t create its own engines until the 1991 release of the Alpha four-cylinder. That engine, which is currently utilized in the Accent, was proudly created by Dr. Lee.
Since producing its first engine seventeen years ago, the business has progressed to producing a wide range of four- and six-cylinder passenger car engines as well as a brand-new, ultra-modern V-8, the Tau, which is an option for the new Genesis luxury sedan. “Dr. Lee recalls that all began in 1990 when Toyota introduced Lexus. Although we were only observers, we wondered, “Why couldn’t we do it, too?” Our daydream at the time appeared absurd, but thanks to perseverance and hard effort, it has become a reality. We had no technology prior to 1991, when we created our first engine, and were entirely dependent on Mitsubishi. We had a huge confidence boost thanks to The Alpha, and we are now capable of doing anything. We could construct a $2000 people’s automobile or a supercar with 600 horsepower. But the vehicle you drove today—the Genesis—is the one we have always wanted to make.”
The soft-spoken Dr. Lee spoke on Hyundai’s technological achievements and expansion while overseeing a magnificent lunch at Rolling Hills, Hyundai’s opulent new hotel close to its Namyang facilities. Hyundai now provides technology for the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter Theta engines for both Mitsubishi and Chrysler, reversing the connection it once had with Mitsubishi. In 2007, 1.9 million of them were constructed. Lee recalled that “Dr. Dieter Zetsche [leader of Mercedes-Benz] said that he would like to partner with Hyundai for four-cylinder engines” at this year’s Beijing auto show.
I’m not sure we want to share our technology, Dr. Lee replied after giving this issue some thought.
Richer than the cream of mushroom soup on the table was the irony. Here was the man who created a straightforward four-cylinder engine to free his business from dependence on one of Japan’s secondary automakers, and he was now able to consider offers for an engine-sharing contract from the most prominent manufacturer in the world. How swiftly the automotive industry is changing. And how fast you come to see that Hyundai is a serious competitor.
In This Article...
End Engine Building Alliance between Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai
There is no longer a Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai engine partnership. Numerous four-cylinder engines that are utilized all over the world to power vehicles including the Dodge Caliber, Mitsubishi Lancer, and the outgoing Kia Sportage were produced by the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA).
According to the GEMA website, more than one million units were once produced annually. Chrysler has already revealed that Mitsubishi and Hyundai sold their stakes to the company at the end of August. Fiat will soon meet Chrysler’s demand for compact engines.
The company will still continue to produce cutting-edge engines for Chrysler, according to Chrysler: “Going forward, GEMA and its staff will continue to do so.”
State-of-the-art? Although there are 1.8L, 2.0L, 2.4L, and 2.4L turbo engines, we’re not sure we’d go that far to define all of them. Even so, we doubt the involved manufacturers will particularly miss their collaboration.
Engine Alliance Global
In order to build a range of shared engines, Chrysler, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai Motor Company formed the Global Engine Alliance LLC joint venture.
After five years of collaborative research and development, Chrysler acquired Mitsubishi and Hyundai’s shares in September 2009, converting its Dundee, Michigan facility into a fully owned subsidiary of what was then known as Chrysler Group LLC.
Engines from Hyundai and Kia models are utilized.
Yes, a lot of the engines used in Hyundai models are also used in Kia cars, and the reverse is also true. Several instances include:
- The Hyundai Kona, Hyundai i20, Kia Ceed, and Kia Stonic all have Kappa G3LA/G3LC engines.
- The Hyundai i30, Kia Ceed, and Hyundai Elantra all feature the Kappa G4LD engine.
- The Kia Rio, Kia Ceed, and Hyundai i20 all have Gamma G4FA engines.
- The Kia Ceed, Kia Rio, and Hyundai Accent all employ the Gamma MPI/GDI/T-GDI.
- The Kia Sorento, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Stinger all use Theta MFI/GDI Turbo engines.
- The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento both use the D4HB engine.
- The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Stinger both use the Lambda MPI/DGI/T-GDI.
Chrysler purchases Mitsubishi and Hyundai’s GEMA stakes.
The Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA), which brought together Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai to produce four-cylinder engines, has come to an end after five years. As a result of purchasing the stakes that Mitsubishi and Hyundai had in the organization, Chrysler now fully owns both the Alliance and its main engine-building facility in Dundee, Michigan. According to Mike Palese, a spokesman for Chrysler, the Dundee factory will
The Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA), which brought together Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai to produce four-cylinder engines, has come to an end after five years. As a result of purchasing the stakes that Mitsubishi and Hyundai had in the organization, Chrysler now fully owns both the Alliance and its main engine-building facility in Dundee, Michigan.
The 1.8, 2.0, and 2.4 liter engines that the Dundee factory builds for the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger and Caliber, Jeep Compass, and Patriot will continue to be produced there, according to Mike Palese, a spokesman for Chrysler. Chrysler hasn’t disclosed any other plans for the site, but given that Fiat now has a 20% stake in the Pentastar, we wonder whether it could switch over to building Fiat engines.
According to the Associated Press, each corporation can keep the technology it contributed to the alliance. The Galant, Lancer, and Outlander from Mitsubishi, the Sonata, Santa Fe, and Genesis coupe from Hyundai, and the Optima, Sportage, and Sorento from Kia all utilised the fundamental four-cylinder engine technology. Hyundai produced its engines in South Korea, while Mitsubishi made its versions in Japan.
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Hyundai’s engines are they Japanese?
In truth, the Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean-made car that is gaining enormous success and gaining more recognition outside in the automotive sector.
Is a Hyundai engine used by Kia?
Is Hyundai receiving an engine from Kia? The engines are provided by the Hyundai Motor Group, which is the parent company of Kia Motors.
Ford uses Mitsubishi engines, right?
In accordance with the agreement, Mitsubishi must sell Ford up to 75,000 2.3-liter turbo engines each of the three years. According to the spokeswoman, the agreement concluded talks that had begun in the summer of 1981.
Where are Hyundai motors produced?
Birmingham, Alabama – The 5 millionth Alabama-made engine was produced by Hyundai today, marking a significant achievement for the company’s Montgomery auto plant.
Less than 12 years have passed since the facility first built a Lambda six-cylinder engine in May 2005.
Hyundai claims that its engine shops, which have been serving two auto factories since 2010—Hyundai’s auto assembly lines in Montgomery and those run by partner Kia in Georgia—had reached this milestone faster than any other engine assembly operation in the Southeast.
“Five million engines could be arranged in a straight line from Montgomery to California.”
Workers from the engine shop and executives from Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) came together for a luncheon to celebrate the accomplishment.
According to Chris Susock, vice president of production at HMMA, “We would not have been able to celebrate this milestone if it weren’t for the great support of all our engine manufacturing and maintenance team members.” They have a history of working together to complete tasks while giving the highest priority to safety, effectiveness, and the greatest quality for their clients.
The Alabama Department of Commerce’s Greg Canfield commended Hyundai on the achievement.
According to Secretary Canfield, Hyundai is a vital component of Alabama’s auto industry, which continues to produce astounding numbers of engines and vehicles year. We are proud of Hyundai’s employees and the plant’s management for their dedication to producing high-quality, high-performance engines and automobiles for clients all around the world.
The Theta 2.0- and 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engines, as well as the Nu 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, are now produced by HMMA’s two engine shops. They can produce more than 700,000 engines annually and have a total workforce of more than 700 people.
Hyundai plays a significant role in the state of Alabama’s car industry, which continues to manufacture a staggering amount of engines and vehicles annually.
More than 1.75 million engines were produced in the state’s engine factories last year, including Toyota’s engine factory in Huntsville and Honda’s auto facility in Talladega County.
And just a month ago, Toyota celebrated the completion of its 5 millionth engine, marking another significant achievement.
Added Pete Branham, senior manager of HMMA’s engine production: “To ensure that every engine achieves the greatest standards of quality, our team members give their all to it. The foundation for the long-term success of HMMA and the Hyundai brand in the North American market has been laid by their reputation for excellence.”
To commemorate the occasion, Hyundai played around with the numbers:
- 5 million engines might be arranged in a straight line from California to Montgomery.
- 750,000 tons, or the equivalent of 150,000 elephants, would be generated by five million engines.
- More engines have been produced by HMMA than there are automobiles with Alabama registrations.
- If each of the 5 million HMMA engines went 150,000 miles, 750 billion miles would be covered, or more than 3,000 journeys to Mars.