Hyundai Motor Group has inaugurated ‘UX Studio Shanghai’, a dedicated user experience (UX) research hub aimed at strengthening its presence in China’s rapidly evolving smart mobility market. Located in Shanghai’s Jing’an district, the new facility is designed to deepen the company’s understanding of Chinese consumer preferences while integrating local insights into its global research and development efforts.
The opening of the studio marks a significant step in Hyundai Motor Group’s “In China, For China, To Global” strategy, reinforcing its commitment to developing products and mobility experiences tailored to local customer needs that can also influence its global innovation roadmap.
According to Jae Ho Huh, Senior Vice President and China Chief Technology Officer at Hyundai Motor Group, the Shanghai UX Studio will serve as an advanced research centre dedicated to understanding Chinese consumers more accurately and translating those insights into the company’s worldwide R&D initiatives, helping realise the Group’s long-term localisation strategy.
As the automotive industry transitions towards the era of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), Hyundai Motor Group said vehicles are evolving beyond traditional transportation into intelligent, connected mobility spaces. In response, the company is accelerating its transformation from a vehicle manufacturer to a mobility solutions provider focused on delivering seamless customer experiences throughout the ownership journey.
The UX Studio Shanghai forms part of Hyundai Motor Group’s expanding global UX research network, joining existing facilities in Seoul, Frankfurt and Irvine. The Shanghai hub will play a pivotal role in collaborating directly with Chinese consumers to co-create future mobility solutions and incorporate real-world user feedback into vehicle and service development.
Jongwon Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the Feature & CCS Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Group, said the new centre will actively promote the company’s co-creation philosophy by enabling customers to participate throughout the product development process—from initial concept and feature planning to production—covering areas such as cabin design, user interfaces and functionality to deliver higher-quality mobility experiences.
Through the launch of UX Studio Shanghai, Hyundai Motor Group aims to strengthen its customer-centric innovation capabilities while leveraging China’s dynamic automotive ecosystem to shape the next generation of connected and intelligent mobility solutions for global markets.
