Hyundai's Shanghai studio to tap local smart mobility innovation

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group has opened a user experience research center in Shanghai, aiming to gain deeper insights into Chinese consumers and transform local innovations into global mobility solutions.

The newly established UX Studio Shanghai marks a further step in the group's "In China, For China, To Global" strategy, as global automakers seek to strengthen their localization efforts amid the rapid development of intelligent and electrified vehicles in China.

The Shanghai facility joins Hyundai Motor Group's global UX research network, which also includes UX centers in South Korean, Germany and the United States.

The network is designed to support the company's transition toward software-defined vehicles, where vehicles are increasingly becoming intelligent platforms that integrate mobility, digital services and personalized experiences.

"UX Studio Shanghai will serve as an advanced research base to better understand Chinese consumer needs while bringing insights from the Chinese market into our global research and development system," said Huh Jae-ho, senior vice-president and China chief technology officer at Hyundai Motor Group.

The opening of the studio comes as China has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic markets for smart mobility innovation.

Chinese consumers have rapidly embraced new automotive technologies, including intelligent cockpit systems, multi-screen interaction, voice control and connected vehicle ecosystems, creating new demands for vehicle design and user experiences.

Hyundai Motor Group said UX Studio Shanghai will provide a platform for customers to participate in vehicle development processes, from early concept design to production validation.

"At UX Studio Shanghai, we will actively practice our co-creation philosophy with customers," said Lee Jong-won, senior vice-president and head of the Feature & CCS Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Group.

"Customers will participate directly in the development process, contributing ideas on areas including vehicle space design and functional features."

Unlike traditional product localization approaches that mainly focus on adapting existing global models for local markets, the Shanghai studio is designed to support deeper localization based on Chinese consumer behavior, lifestyles and mobility scenarios.

The studio will conduct research into a variety of user groups, including young urban commuters, families with multiple children and female drivers, exploring how changing lifestyles influence future mobility needs.

Hyundai Motor Group said Shanghai was selected as the location for the new UX center due to its role as an innovation hub and its diverse consumer environment.

As one of China's largest metropolitan areas, Shanghai offers a wide range of mobility scenarios, from dense urban commuting to family travel and emerging digital lifestyles.

The city's strong technology ecosystem and connections with the broader Yangtze River Delta region also provide opportunities for cooperation with local companies and academic institutions.

The studio has established partnerships with academic institutions, including the School of Management at Fudan University, to study social changes and their impact on future mobility.

Through these collaborations, researchers will examine real-world usage scenarios and explore how intelligent vehicles can better serve consumers' daily lives.

Hyundai Motor Group said insights generated from Shanghai will not remain limited to the Chinese market, but will be integrated into the company's global research and development system.

The company aims to create a two-way innovation cycle: global technologies and resources supporting local innovation, while China-developed ideas contributing to future products and services worldwide.