Hyundai Motor Company has announced plans to build a $50 million automotive proving ground in California City, California. The facility will be the test site for next-generation vehicles from Hyundai and Kia.
Groundbreaking on the 4300-acre facility, located 100 miles north of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert, will take place later this year. The project is scheduled for completion in 2004 and will feature the construction of a 6.4-mile oval track, a Vehicle Dynamics Area (VDA), a vehicle-handling course inside the oval track, a paved hill road, and several special surface roads. A 30,000-square-foot complex for offices and indoor testing will also be constructed.
The Hyundai/Kia Proving Ground is the most recent U.S. investment by Hyundai, demonstrating the company's firm commitment to this country. Recent U.S. investments include the newly opened $24 million Hyundai/Kia Design Center in Irvine, California, and the $1 billion manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama -- Hyundai's first U.S. manufacturing facility."
The United States offers many appealing opportunities for Hyundai Motor Company, and we continue to invest to ensure our future here," said Dr. Young Woo Kim, Senior Executive Vice President, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. "The proving ground is an example of our commitment to developing vehicles that meet the unique demands of the American driver."