The Hyundai Aero is a medium-duty midicoach made by the truck and bus division of Hyundai and introduced in 1994. It was used mainly as a midcoach and a small intercity bus, and it could be bought either complete or as a bus chassis for a bodybuilder. It is recognised by an “Aero Town” badge at the front, with the ordinary Hyundai badge usually on the rear.
Hyundai Aero at a glance
| Maker | Hyundai truck and bus division |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1994 |
| Type | medium-duty midicoach |
| Bodies | standard body, long body |
| Sold as | complete bus or bus chassis |
| Badging | “Aero Town” at the front, Hyundai badge at the rear |
| Main rivals | Daewoo BH090 Royal Star, Daewoo BS090 Royal Midi |
| Related model | Asia/Kia Cosmos AM818 |
| End of production | January 2024 |
| Reason for withdrawal | Korean rule requiring low-floor city buses from January 2023 |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Hyundai Aero Town, which is the only source used here for this bus.
History of the Hyundai Aero
The Aero Town was introduced in 1994 as a midibus and small intercity coach. It shared its role with the Daewoo BH090 Royal Star and BS090 Royal Midi, and it was related to the Asia/Kia Cosmos AM818, a bus that has since gone out of production. Buyers could have it as a finished vehicle or as a chassis, which coachbuilders fitted with their own bodies – a common arrangement in markets where local bodywork was cheaper than an imported complete bus.
From 19 January 2023 low-floor buses became mandatory for urban service in Korea, which ended the career of the high-floor city bus. Hyundai confirmed that all of its urban high-floor buses would be discontinued from January 2024, and the model’s information was taken off the high-floor section of the company website on 3 January 2024. The Aero Town went with them.
Design and features
- Two wheelbases: a short standard body and a longer long body for more seats.
- Chassis option: the bus could be supplied without a body for local coachbuilders.
- Own badge: “Aero Town” at the front, the Hyundai badge at the rear.
- Long service: nearly thirty years on the market, from 1994 to 2024.
Hyundai Aero versions
- Aero Town standard body: short-wheelbase midibus.
- Aero Town long body: long-wheelbase midibus with more passenger room.
The Aero sat below the larger Universe coach in Hyundai’s bus range, and its smaller stablemate was the County. More Hyundai models are in the Hyundai collection.
Sources
- Hyundai Aero Town, English Wikipedia: introduction, body variants, chassis sales, end of production
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