When was the last time you saw in person how a roll of sheet metal turned into a brand new car? For me, it was only a 1-1/2 weeks ago! I was invited to the media launch of a new car (my first one) and to tour the plant. It was such a thrilling experience to meet the new 2015 Sonata by Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama and to see how it’s made from start to finish at the local manufacturing plant.
Thanks to Hyundai USA for covering all travel and lodging costs associated with this event. All opinions are my own.
Montgomery, Alabama and the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Media Launch
Whoo-ie – Alabama is crazy hot and sticky humid! When I stepped out of the air-conditioned car, my glasses immediately fogged up. After some flight delays, I arrived at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama. You could tell the hotel was glad to host this media event.
Friday morning we all headed to breakfast, got paired up, and jumped on the bus to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA). The new 2015 Hyundai Sonata has a whole slew of bells and whistles and comes at varying price points and trim packages to meet each consumer’s needs.
Seeing the 2015 Sonata From Start to Finish
Our tram tour of the plant started in the stamp and welding shop. The motto for the plant was clearly hung for all to see, “the Hyundai way is the Quality way.” You’ll be happy to know that plant tours are open to the public to visitors are encouraged to come see this in person, especially school groups.
Here, monstrous rolls of metal (called blanks and are thinner than a dime) were formed into parts making up the car body using 5400 tons of pressure. These were them welded and sent off to the paint shop. We didn’t get to tour the paint shop as we could bring in dusties and lints that would damage the paint finish.
Next on our route was the general assembly area. This is where we go to see several of the Hyundai employees happily working away. I say “happily” as they all greeted us with smiles, waves, and even some poses. It was really intriguing to hear how important good working conditions are to Hyundai. Stations are situated in a way that puts less physical burden on the employees, cell phone use is restricted to break times for safety (breaks are every 2 hours), and jobs are rotated to keep things fresh.
Doors are removed for easy access and to prevent damage to the car or the workers. All the cars moves on a huge conveyer belt as they go from station to station. Robotic trays follow guides along the floor to bring audio and other parts to assembly workers so they know exactly which components go where.
Robotic arms work along with the employees to put the “guts” into the car. Basically, the robots do all the heavy lifting while the workers use their skill to connect everything and finish the job. Engines are totally assembled by hand though. It’s a seamless partnership that completes about 1000 cars per day and over 300,000 per year. That’s a lot of Hyundai Elantras and Hyundai Sonatas!
From Plant to Highway
From there, each pair drove a 2015 Hyundai Sonata right off the assembly line and headed to our media drive course. What a thrill! I was still overwhelmed and let my partner do the honors. Next time I’m taking the wheel first though 🙂
So how did our drive go? You’ll have to read my next post about the drive with the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0T and the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport.
45 comments
What a cool field trip! I would love that.
That sounds like an interesting adventure. I would love to see this.
That is a nice looking car,Interesting that you got to visit there i am sure my boys would be over the moon if they had a chance to visit.
Ok, that is beyond cool that you were able to tour the plant! I love seeing behind the scenes of things like this.
That is pretty cool! We visited the Harley Davidson plant in PA once for the tour. They make it look so simple!
I would love to visit a car factory! The car is absolutely beautiful!!
That looks like such an awesome trip! I love fun opportunities like that.
What an awesome field trip. Hyundai’s are such affordable cards and have come along way. I wonder if they have tours like that here in MI with all the car manufacturers we have up here.
This looks so FUN! I can’t wait to hear more about the car!
This is cool that you were able to tour the plant! The car looks awesome too.
We pass this all the time when we head to our Florida home. I need to stop in and do a tour. they are great looking cars.
That is a gorgeous vehicle!!! It must be very interesting meeting with them and learning all the tech stuff behind it!
My first car was a Hyundai Accent. I love the brand and how long it lasted me!
I drove my Hyundai for five years and put a lot of miles on it. I loved it and could not have asked for a better car.
It is so neat that you got a tour and a media driving session. The Sonata looks like a really nice car.
How fun to tour the Hyundai manufacturing plant. Looks like a great car.
Sounds like you had a great time! I was hoping to go, but it didn’t work out in the long run. So glad to see you enjoyed your trip. 🙂
that looks like fun. the cleanest whitest factory I’ve ever seen too
This is so neat! I always wondered what it looked like inside of a factory. Pretty cool experience. Looks so clean!
I am so upset that I couldn’t make it this year. I love Hyundai and I was really impressed with this vehicle. It is so cool that you could just drive it off of the assembly line.
What a neat place to visit. I really like Hyundai. They build their cars to last!
What a fun experience! That car is gorgeous. I can’t wait to read more.
I would love to go on a tour like that. I find stuff like that so fascinating, how things are made.
I LOVE the look of the new Sonata! Looks like a fun tour of the plant too!
What a cool blogger event! I would love to see how cars were made. I’ve always found it incredible how cars are built. It takes so many people, working together, to create a machine that is safe, reliable and chic, to boot! It must have been an incredible experience.
What a fun adventure, not something that everyone can say they did! And I LOVE the look of the new Sonata!
Wow – I’m surprised they let you take photos inside the plant. I’m totally impressed by their transparency!
The car looks great! I would love to experience that for myself
First of all, that is a really sharp looking car! Secondly, wow! That would be so cool to go inside the plant and see how they are made!
Looks like a cool car, I know you had a blast!
That would be such a cool “field trip” to take! I think we often never realize what goes into the things we use every day, big or small, and it’s kind of neat to put into perspective how something is made and how many people work at getting us safely on the road each day.
What an amazing trip! You get to drive FUN cars and travel! Love the look of the Sonata
What an awesome tour! I would love to be on the assembly line floor!
I love the design of the front grill! What a great experience to get to tour the factory!
I lOVE, LOVED this car! Especially the Limited edition. It has a very luxurious feel.
What a cool experience! That is one slick looking car, too!
Wow, so cool! I would love to do something like this, especially since I’m currently in the market for a new car and want to upgrade to an SUV. The Santa Fe is on my list, but I like the Sonata sedan.
That’s a nice looking car! I think it would be super interesting to tour the plant and see how everything is put together.
What a cool trip! I’d love to see the inside of the factory!
Wow, I’d love to get a tour like that!
I bet it was awesome to get to go behind the scenes like that. I love the new Hyundai’s they look awesome 🙂
Holy cow! It’s amazing they can put them together that quick! Sounds like a really cool thing to watch.
This looks and sounds like it was an awesome field trip. I love that you were able to learn so much about their products and tell us about it too. Your pictures make me feel like we’re there with you.
My husband is interested in buying a Sonata. How cool to see the whole process!
What an interesting experience! I have heard great things about newer Hyundai, especially with the awesome warranty included.
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