I was ready to enjoy it. Only if a playground were provided...
If you drive at 260 km/h on the highway, a police patrol car will immediately follow. If you weave across lanes and slalom on ordinary roads, you will be reported for reckless driving.
But people tired of using cars solely as transportation want to have such experiences. What those people need is exactly a "playground."
Last weekend, at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) Vehicle Safety Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, an event called "2025 Hyundai Mobility Playground" was held. As if someone had eavesdropped on the voices of people who want to enjoy cars for purposes beyond transportation, Hyundai Motor's domestic business division prepared an exciting playground.
The event was also called "2025 Hyundai Mobility Playground." It was literally a playground.
Lee Cheol-min, executive director and head of domestic marketing at Hyundai Motor's domestic business division, said, "Korea's auto industry has seen dazzling growth, but the car culture has yet to develop a distinct character. We are starting this event to help create a car culture befitting Korea's auto industry."
The event, held over the two days of the 25th and 26th, was significant in that it announced a new beginning for car playgrounds.
Of course, you cannot be satisfied after the first try. Organizers still do not know well what kinds of "play" car enthusiasts prefer. So for now, they filled the two-day event with well-known programs.
There was something discovered here. Participants played with the passion of children at a neighborhood playground. At a neighborhood playground you can do things you can't do in the living room. There are no parental scoldings. Friends to play with are crowded together.
The wide open space of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) Vehicle Safety Research Institute where the "2025 Hyundai Mobility Playground" was held was exactly the neighborhood playground for car enthusiasts.
Because it was the first event, they invited about 600 people who were relatively easy to attract: car influencers and their subscribers, car club members, and automotive journalists.
There were programs such as "gymkhana," which lets participants comprehensively experience vehicle performance and driving situations from acceleration performance to sudden cornering through various environments, and a "taxi" program where professional drivers drove Hyundai's high-performance vehicles such as the Avante N, Ioniq 5 N, and Ioniq 6 N while participants rode along.
Riding along in the Ioniq 6 N and experiencing high-speed driving at 260 km/h was exhilarating. The high-speed driving lane, resembling a giant velodrome, is a facility created to experience ultra-high-speed driving. Such speeds would be disastrous on public roads, but qualified professional instructors gift participants in the "taxi" program a "dream."
The "trunk Tetris" challenge, in which participants compete to load the most boxes of various sizes into the Santa Fe's cargo space without damage, recalled package delivery work. Two people start the challenge at the same time, so they carry boxes until they are out of breath. It does not end with simply carrying quickly. You must fill the Santa Fe's cargo space without gaps to stack more boxes.
At the "pit stop challenge," where participants quickly change wheels like in an actual pit stop, the sound of electric wrenches spinning is loud. You loosen the nuts, but the tire is surprisingly heavy. The surprised exertion can be heard around as an "oiyku."
The "surround view escape king" program, which times how quickly participants can turn the car and exit using the surround view function within a set space, drew enthusiastic participation from female drivers. Because they drive with the front windshield of the new Palisade covered, they must use the surround view skillfully. Because it is a large SUV and cannot be adjusted freely, the sound of hitting traffic cones is loud, but the more that happens, the more laughter blooms around.
There was also a "My Hyundai Contest" where influencers' subscribers displayed their distinctive Hyundais and chose the best vehicle, and a talk show. Hyundai Motor provided "before services" such as basic performance checks, maintenance consultations, oil checks, and tire pressure and wear inspections to enhance satisfaction among Hyundai customers who attended the event. The "Hyundai Certified Used Cars" booth also offered consultations for customers seeking used car advice.
Voices of participants who had a fun day were full of energy. They all said in unison, "I was satisfied because I could see and experience various Hyundai and Genesis vehicles I was curious about in addition to the car I usually drive," and "It was a meaningful time to communicate with people who love cars on common topics and enjoy various hands-on programs."
A Hyundai Motor official said, "It is meaningful to provide a place where customers who love cars can directly experience and communicate," and added, "We plan to continuously expand mobility experience events that customers can enjoy with us."
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