Sri Lanka’s first locally assembled Hyundai Grand i10 1.2l Auto was unveiled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the Hyundai Showroom, Colombo City Centre recently.
This venture, a Technology partnership between Abans Auto and Hyundai Motor Company of Korea, has paved the way for the devolution of the latest engineering processes, world-class component manufacturing technologies and further technology partnerships with internationally acclaimed OEM vendors, signifying a revolution in Sri Lankan automotive engineering Hyundai was comprehensively involved in setting up the state-of-the-art vehicle assembly line (presently at its final stages of completion) in Seeduwa, where the Grand i10 was assembled.
Abans in partnership with Hyundai has established a state-of-the-art, high-efficiency Complete Knocked Down (CKD) vehicle assembly line in Seeduwa. The plant, designed by Korean engineers in collaboration with their counterparts in Sri Lanka, integrates specialized high-precision Korean equipment with all requisite testing facilities comparable to those at larger plants across the world.
Vehicles in the form of CKD units are built on a multi-stage assembly line, where over 2,000 components per car are assembled by Hyundai-trained technical staff, using high-precision tools and equipment.
During the initial test build and training phases, resident Hyundai Korea engineering and quality specialists ensured that strict engineering standards were instilled in the Sri Lankan technical teams.
The project to date has achieved a significant level of technology transfer and human capital development. Hyundai has paved the way for globally renowned component manufacturers to collaborate directly with local counterparts to locally produce components to Hyundai’s exacting standards.
The plant is designed to optimally produce over 3,000 units per year on a single shift. However, the output is scalable to meet growing market requirements. The plant is geared to manufacture a range of Hyundai passenger vehicles of varying sizes from Hatchbacks to large SUVs.
Santhush Woonjin Jeong and Minister of Industries, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and gave the invitees a first-hand experience of the all-new Hyundai Grand i10’s sleek design, innovative technology, advanced features and the capabilities of Sri Lanka youth.