Inside Hyundai... Morning Miles with Manfred Harrer
Meet Manfred Harrer, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division – the engineer shaping the next generation of global vehicles for Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis, and for whom progress still begins behind the wheel.
The door of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N closes with a reassuring, engineered thump. In the crisp dawn air above Seoul, Manfred Harrer, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division, exhales, a slow plume rising against the waking city.
What many people don’t realize about Seoul, is that just minutes from the center you have incredible roads – and world-class coffee. It’s the perfect environment to think through technical challenges.
With a to-do list as expansive as his, efficiency matters.
It would be easy in my position to let driving slip down the list of priorities. But I take every chance to get behind the wheel, whether it’s first thing in the morning, during lunch, or on the weekend. Even a short drive can reveal a lot. Is the seating position right? Does the ride comfort meet our own exacting standards? Every detail matters.
Accelerating the Group’s Transition into the Electrification Era
That Harrer gravitates so quickly towards discussing first principles is no surprise. With a PhD in vehicle dynamics and more than 25 years of experience across chassis development, electronic systems, software integration and ADAS, this is his territory.
Yet he describes his current role – overseeing the Group’s global vehicle development efforts – as the most exciting of his career. Not simply because of scale, though he leads more than 12,000 engineers at the Group’s Namyang R&D Center not far from Seoul, but because of timing.
The industry is going through the biggest transformation ever. The shift from combustion to electrification, from hardware-defined to software-defined vehicles. And now AI, accelerating the development cycle and sharpening precision. The pace of progress will only accelerate.
Layer on the Group’s strategy of tailoring products to individual markets, alongside the development of new hybrid and hybrid-adjacent technologies, including Extended Range EVs (EREVs), and the scale of the challenge comes into focus.
Harrer, however, is no stranger to complexity. A telling smile suggests these demands represent opportunities, not obstacles; a chance to advance performance, quality and efficiency, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.
Few areas illustrate this better than Hyundai’s N division. Harrer recalls that only a few years ago the idea of an all-electric performance car seemed almost contradictory – until the arrival of the IONIQ 5 N.
With innovations such as the N e‑Shift simulated dual‑clutch gearbox, N Active Sound+ system and a playful handling balance enabled by N Torque Distribution, it demonstrated that electric propulsion could enhance, rather than dilute, driver involvement. For enthusiasts, it marked a genuine step change, with the IONIQ 5 N earning accolades including World Performance Car of the Year and Top Gear’s Car of the Year.
But N is not a brand inclined to rest on its laurels. The IONIQ 6 N builds on that foundation.
Between sips of coffee, Harrer outlines revisions to the car’s suspension settings, structural stiffness, steering, and all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. He also had the freedom to specify components that elevate the driving experience, regardless of cost, such as new stroke-sensing electronically controlled suspension (ECS) dampers that improve ride quality while delivering more predictable, responsive handling.
The result is a package with real breadth.
You should drive it. It’s as confidence inspiring on a circuit as it is on the open road.
Crucially, this philosophy isn’t reserved for halo models. As President and Head of R&D Division, Harrer not only sets the broad technical direction for the Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis brands, but also ensures dedicated working groups are given the freedom to chase fine detail improvements that meaningfully enhance driving dynamics. A comprehensive detail-driven approach.
A Global Engineering Vision Grounded in Detail
Walking through the café’s car park, leaves scattered underfoot, Harrer pauses to point out the defining details of the IONIQ 6 N: the swan-neck rear wing, the 20-inch alloy wheels with perforated, machined spokes, the subtle depth of the shimmering Performance Blue Pearl paint. Then the conversation widens again.
Performance EVs open up huge scope for innovation. We can place the battery strategically to lower the center of gravity, tune handling predictability through bespoke tires, and use advanced torque vectoring to sharpen agility. The potential is enormous.
Harrer’s enthusiasm is as infectious as it is revealing. It’s clear he can move seamlessly between discussing long-term strategy and granular engineering, between transformation at scale and the tactile pleasures of minute detail. In many ways, he reflects the same duality that defines the car before him.
Settling back into the driver’s seat, he pauses for a final thought.
There has never been a more exciting time to be an automotive engineer. AI is transforming development. Electrification is redefining performance. It’s remarkable.
He closes the door, once again with that measured thud.
But one thing remains constant. Driving pleasure matters most. And the best way to understand how we achieve it is simple – wake up early and get behind the wheel.
Watch the full interview:
Inside Hyundai... Morning Miles with Manfred Harrer
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