Hyundai sells Solati vans as ambulances

Hyundai Motor will export 625 of its Solati vans to Kazakhstan, where they will be used as ambulances.

The automaker said in a statement Wednesday that it signed an agreement with Kazakhstan’s Welfare Ministry to supply 625 of its light commercial four-door vans as ambulances through 2020.

Hyundai Motor previously supplied 29 Solatis to the country in August this year, and Kazakhstan decided to request more based on the performance of the vehicles it had already delivered.

The Korean automaker plans to supply the remaining 596 vans through the second half of this year and the first half of next year. When the deal is complete, Hyundai said that Solatis will make up 42 percent of the 1,500 ambulances in the country.

The automaker said the latest agreement will help Hyundai Motor raise its brand awareness and stimulate car sales in the Kazakhstani market.

The Solati, with its wide interior and range of convenient features, can be outfitted with lifesaving devices to transport patients and is already widely used as camper vans and school buses.

Hyundai Motor added it will additionally supply 48 Solatis to the presidential office of Kazakhstan in December.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]