Hyundai Motor, Kia open UX research studio in Shanghai

Hyundai Motor and Kia's UX Studio Shanghai in China / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

Hyundai Motor and Kia said Thursday they opened a new user experience research center in Shanghai to study Chinese consumer trends and apply them to future vehicle development.

The facility, called UX Studio Shanghai, relocated from the automakers' previous site in Shanghai's Huangpu district to a standalone building in the busy Jing'an district, making it more accessible to visitors.

The companies said China's advanced digital ecosystem and high consumer receptiveness to new technology, including multiscreen interfaces, voice-based services and connected in-car systems, make it a key market for studying future mobility trends.

Researchers at the site will study Chinese consumers' lifestyles and travel habits to shape what the companies call AI-Defined Vehicles — a concept in which artificial intelligence (AI) continuously learns from and optimizes a vehicle's functions, performance and user experience. The companies said they also plan to work with local academic institutions, including Fudan University's School of Management, to study how social and cultural trends shape mobility experiences.

The three-story building includes an "Open Lab," where visitors can experience prototype technology and give feedback on ongoing research projects, and an "Advanced Lab," where prerecruited participants work with researchers on simulator-based studies of human-machine interfaces and advanced driver-assistance systems, before the road-testing stage.

Spokespersons for Hyundai Motor and Kia said the studio would let the companies incorporate insights from Chinese customers early in the product development process. The companies operate similar UX studios in Seoul, Frankfurt in Germany and Irvine in California.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.