“This is a historic moment, not only for Hyundai, but for Russia, as we are the first foreign automaker to operate a full-cycle manufacturing plant here. We are now truly part of Russia and we will focus on supplying customers with the best products at the best time,” said Gui-Il Chun, General Director of HMMR, the fully-owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company.
More than 1,300 workers will take part in the manufacturing process, many of whom were trained at Hyundai factories in Korea and the Czech Republic. Late last year, the company announced it expects to create as many as 5.300 jobs at the Saint Petersburg factory. HMMR has equipped the facility with modern assembly technologies that provide a high level of automation. This year, only 105,000 units are expected to be made, but the plant’s annual capacity stands at 150,000 vehicles.
Hyundai Motor already has five other overseas manufacturing facilities, in China, India, the United States, Turkey and the Czech Republic. But the carmaker has begun construction of a new Chinese plant late last year and wants to start making its cars in Brazil as well.
The Solaris sedan, which is built in Russia, is based on the current Accent and comes with a choice of two engines, a 1.6-liter and a 1.4-liter, both DOHC inline four-cylinder multiport fuel-injection units with CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing).
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