The Hyundai Casper was officially launched on the 29th.
The Casper is the first car produced by Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), a win-win job jointly created by Gwangju City and Hyundai Motor Company. In order to solve the chronic problem of high cost and low efficiency in the domestic automobile manufacturing industry, the entire process from contract to vehicle delivery is conducted online for the first time in Korea.
Hyundai Motor opened the Casper online presentation ‘Casper Premier’ on the same day and started selling it. The total of 23,766 pre-contracts closed the day before recorded double the production target for this year (12,000 units).
Casper recorded 18,940 units on the 14th, the first day of the contract, setting the record for the most among Hyundai Motor’s internal combustion engine vehicles, beating the previous best-selling model Grandeur (17,294 units).
The Casper is Hyundai’s first online direct-to-customer (D2C) vehicle in Korea. Check the website for each trim (grade) price, specifications, and information on optional items, and select the individual specification name to view the description of the specification along with images and videos. You can check the interior and exterior designs of vehicles to which each specification is applied in 3D at a glance, and you can also receive specification recommendation services according to age and gender using big data from the factory.
Contracts can be signed electronically using a joint certificate with KakaoTalk, and can be canceled or changed directly through the webpage after the contract. In addition to checking the delivery status, the vehicle can be received at a location designated by the customer or at 200 designated Blue Hands nationwide operated as an official delivery center.
29 permanent exhibition halls nationwide will also open sequentially. You can experience a test drive at Casper Studios in Seongsu and Haeundae, and exhibition halls are also operated at large marts including ‘Terra Rosa’, a coffee shop, and Homeplus.
In addition, it operates the ‘Socar Car Sharing Test Drive’ service, which allows you to test drive the car-sharing platform Socar and Casper 24 hours a day. By adding a purchase function to Hyundai Motor’s Instagram channel (about_Hyundai), and linking with the record culture-based design group ‘Compact Record Bar’ and the online fashion select shop ’29CM’ to produce and sell limited edition goods in collaboration with various brands, It also carries out various marketing activities.
Won-ha Yoo, head of Hyundai Motor’s domestic business division (Vice President), said, “As we adopted the D2C sales method, we have developed all programs and systems centered on customers so that customers can easily understand product information and online purchase methods. We will provide the best experience and service from vehicle search to purchase so that you can experience it as a vehicle.”
Meanwhile, Casper maximized interior space utilization by applying a full-folding seat in which the driver’s seat is fully folded forward for the first time in the world. Casper applied folding, sliding, and reclining functions to all seats in the first and second rows. Through this, it is possible to not only load various sizes of goods, but also to utilize the space according to individual tastes, such as leisure and outdoor activities such as car parks.
In addition, Casper offers intelligent safety technologies such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (Vehicle/Pedestrian/Bicycle), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Keeping Assist (LFA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), High Beam Assist (HBA), and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (LKA). Safety and convenience were secured by applying the vehicle departure notification, etc. as standard for the first time in a compact model. In addition, 7 airbags, including the front seat center side airbag, were applied as standard, and the high rigidity and lightweight body structure was secured to ensure safety beyond the car class. In addition, Casper is equipped with specifications such as Hyundai CarPay and server-based voice recognition vehicle control.
The Casper base model is equipped with 1.0 MPI, securing a maximum output of 76 horsepower, a maximum torque of 9.7 kg f·m, and a combined fuel efficiency of 14.3 km/ℓ. Casper Active, which is operated as an option, is composed of a 1.0 turbo engine and a dynamic exterior design, and has a maximum output of 100 horsepower, a maximum torque of 17.5 kg f m, and a combined fuel efficiency of 12.8 km/ℓ. The selling price for the basic model is 13.85 million won for Smart, 15.90 million won for Modern, and 18.7 million won for Inspiration.
By Park Tae-joon, staff reporter gaius@etnews.com
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