Hyundai ix35 Attracts First Ever SUV Environmental Accolades

SYDNEY – Sept 16, 2010: For the first time, German-based organisation TÜV NORD has awarded environmental credential accolades to an SUV. The Hyundai Motor Company has been commended with a series of international certificates in recognition of the advanced environmental design and manufacturing processes underpinning the development of the all-new ix35 compact SUV.

German-based organisation TÜV NORD presented Hyundai with LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and DfE (Design for Environment) certificates after stringent inspection of the Hyundai Motor Company’s design operations and manufacturing facility at Žilina in Slovakia. It is the first time that an SUV has been awarded such certification, The LCA (ISO 14040) examines the environmental impact of both the car and its overall manufacturing process throughout the course of its lifetime, taking into account choice of materials, engine exhaust emissions and measures taken to help reduce fuel consumption.

Evaluating a car’s environmental credentials integrated into its design and development, the DfE (ISO 14062) certificate was awarded for, among other initiatives, Hyundai’s decision to use water-soluble painting processes to reduce hydrocarbon emissions.

As a precursor to earning the DfE certificate, the group’s Žilina factory was certified in 2007 as an ‘environmentally-friendly’ facility, earning an ISO 14001 international certificate of environmental management. The Žilina plant employs cutting-edge technology to ensure production and waste-management processes have minimal impact on the environment.

“Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a global leader in the field of environmental technologies. These accolades from TÜV NORD are testament to this vision, and an outstanding achievement for the company,” said Hyundai Motor Company Australia’s Marketing Director Oliver Mann. “Awards such as these further demonstrate

Hyundai Motor Company can offer the best in terms of safety, efficiency and environmental performance.”

The Hyundai ix35 is one of only a handful of cars to have achieved both DfE and LCA certification in recent years.