Hyundai rolls out its Runway to the Future
LAST Thursday, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) – the official importer and distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles in the country – held its grand “Runway to the Future” event at the SMX, Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City. The event also served as a spectacular unveiling of four new Hyundai vehicles: the all-new Accent, the Grand Starex Urban; the Ioniq Hybrid; and the face-lifted Tucson.
The event had an air travelinspired theme because it embodied HARI’s vision for 2019 – that is, ‘to make the Hyundai brand soar even higher by giving the Filipino a more heightened driving experience.’
Members of the media, HARI’s bank partners, and members of HARI’s 42-strong dealer network were all present at the event to witness the Philippine debut of the four new vehicles.
“2018 brought extraordinary challenges in the marketplace, resulting from the tough economic environment that tested our capabilities,” pointed out HARI President and CEO, Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo during her speech at the event. Furthering that “As such, we have remained focused by laying down the groundwork to ensure an unhampered and successful takeoff of our business for the brand in 2019. And ‘Runway to the Future’ is our way of expressing our appreciation of the gallant men and women in the Hyundai dealership network, our esteemed friends from the media, and partners in the banking industry who inspired us in braving this year’s headwinds and turbulence in our industry.”
Hyundai wishes to set new records through its presentation of innovative mobility solutions, headlined by the all-new Accent, Grand Starex Urban, Ioniq Hybrid, and face-lifted Tucson in 2019.
Ever the crowd-favorite and also considered as the flagship vehicle of HARI, the Hyundai Grand Starex Urban is now here to pamper what HARI considers to be the most important market in the Philippines – the family. It sets the bar yet a notch higher in terms of driving and riding comfort, offers more refinement, quality materials and craftsmanship, and also exudes a modern-premium design.
Meanwhile, the Ioniq Hybrid is now here to compete in the hybrid-electric vehicle realm. With a body design that is inspired by the grace of flowing air, the Ioniq certainly calls for a second look at its futuristic features. But more importantly, it carries within it some state-of-the-art technology that maximizes fuel efficiency and largely reduces carbon emissions.
Furthermore, the refreshed Tucson now looks more handsome with its new design cues taken from Hyundai’s latest design DNA – already seen in the all-new Santa Fe and recently launched Kona. Beyond being a facelift, the model carries upgrades inside and out – something that certainly merits a new testdrive at the dealership.
Last but not the least was the all-new Accent—the star of the show—which stood as the glimmering centerpiece of the grand multi-reveal. It remains to champion the brand’s legendary CRDi engine fuel efficiency, amid a delightful amount of driving torque, and now with a sleeker, ‘more futuristic’ design and stronger body structure, for enhanced safety.
Runway to the Future was a quick glimpse into what Hyundai has in store for us this coming 2019, in the passenger car department. And based on what we’ve seen so far, it looks like exciting times are before us!