Spearheading R&D at the biggest automotive brand in South Korea, Biermann was also in charge of both mechanical and structural changes made at partner brand

Kia

and subsidiary brand Genesis.

What did Albert Biermann work on at Hyundai?

While Biermann is now officially retired from his position in R&D, will reportedly remain involved as Executive Technical Advisor based in Europe according to a press release from

Hyundai

. Of his most notable accomplishments was the N performance sub-brand, which was responsible for launching the

Veloster N

, the

Elantra N

, and the

Kona N

Biermann also worked to develop the Kia Stinger and the Genesis G70, as well as the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) platform, the brand’s first electric-only dedicated platform that has been used in the electric vehicles like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

MORE: How a Hyundai 2 Door Coupe Saved the Car Brand's Reputation in the U.S.

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Hyundai’s flailing reputation

Hyundai Motor Company’s brand reputation has been in flux since it was founded in 1967. While not a unique problem in such a rapidly-changing industry, a few failed rebounds were starting to cost the brand big time. Both in Global and U.S. markets, Hyundai was consistently missing the mark on what consumers wanted.

Situated so close to the biggest automotive market in the world, China, Hyundai also was struggling to compete with Chinese automakers. As much as it tried to adapt, Hyundai was missing shifts in what consumers wanted and was aiming higher price-wise than its brand image could justify.

Investing in R&D became the key to adapting to shifting consumer tastes, and now-retired Albert Biermann spearheaded that growth upon joining Hyundai in 2015.

Transforming Hyundai into a performance brand

While Hyundai wasn’t known for its performance, Biermann was, and it was under his leadership that Hyundai launched

Road & Track’s 2020 Performance Car of the Year

, the Hyundai Veloster.

The Hyundai hatchback beat out legendary racers and legacy brands alike, coming in ahead of the Porsche 911, the Toyota Supra, the Chevrolet Corvette, and even Biermann’s former brand BMW’s M2 Competition. At just over $30,000, the Veloster N was a wildly affordable car that outclassed and outdrove some of the sportiest cars on the market.

Biermann also helped launch the Elantra N and the Kona N to similarly rave reviews. Since joining the team at Hyundai, Biermann transformed a brand with a shaky reputation into a serious performance brand, and he seemed to cherish his time at Hyundai just as well.

“Korea will remain as my second home, and all of my colleagues at Hyundai Motor Group will always be considered part of my family,” said Biermann. “I would like to recognize that our success has always been based on the strong collective spirit of the many talented people at Hyundai and I will value our unique achievements wherever I live”

Do performance cars cost more to insure?

While cars like Hyundai’s N series are both flashy and affordable, some buyers might worry that the high-performance vehicles will cost them on their

car insurance

plan.

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MORE:

How Is Hyundai Beating the Auto Sales Slump?

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