Amid the slowdowns in the global economy and car sales, Hyundai Motor Group vowed to beef up its dealer network to 6,320 dealers in more than 200 countries as to achieve its sales goal of 8.2 million cars this year.

“Our goal does not lie in becoming the largest carmaker in the world, but being the most-loved car brand among customers,” company vice chairman Chung Eui-sun said at the 2015 Global New Dealers’ Convention held at its Seoul headquarters. 

Hyundai invited 235 new dealers from 37 countries to strengthen the global sales network and to share mid- to long-term strategies to improve sales. The number invited is the largest in Hyundai’s history and shows the company’s zeal to overcome the dip in sales, insiders said.

Company chairman Chung Mong-koo earlier this year set sales targets of 5.05 million units for Hyundai Motor and 3.15 million for its sister brand Kia Motors, but sales in the first half of the year dropped 2.4 percent on-year, heralding rather dim prospects.

As part of the convention held from Tuesday through Friday, Hyundai introduced blockbuster cars such as the New Tucson, the Creta and the Tuscon iX fuel cell vehicle.

The company also revealed future marketing strategies including making the most of the race car series World Rally Championship, the development of the high-performance brand N, and the adoption of new platforms and channels such as digital showrooms to meet the latest trends. Digital showrooms, for example, will open in London, Riyadh and Madrid in the near future, with further global expansion down the road, the company said. Hyundai Motor as of 2014 had a 6,181-dealer network with 1,041 in North America, 863 in China and 1,670 in Europe.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)