Hyundai Motor says it will introduce 20 new vehicles in China over the next five years, stepping up a renewed effort to regain relevance in the world’s biggest car market after a prolonged slide in market share.
Speaking around the Beijing auto show, the South Korean group, which with Kia ranks among the largest global carmakers by sales, positioned the plan as a reset for a business squeezed by fast-rising domestic electric-vehicle brands and rapidly shifting consumer expectations.
At the show, Hyundai unveiled a China-focused battery-electric model, the IONIQ V, featuring technology linked to Momenta, a Chinese developer of automated driving systems. The company also said a further SUV is due in the first half of next year, signalling that locally tuned models will arrive in quick succession.
The roll-out will be delivered with joint-venture partner Beijing Automotive Group and was described by Hyundai as its most ambitious product expansion in China. The approach leans heavily on localisation, from software to supply chain, as foreign brands try to match the pace and pricing power of home-grown rivals.
Hyundai reiterated an annual sales goal of 500,000 vehicles in China, a level that would more than double its current volumes. Hitting that figure would require not only new nameplates, but stronger appeal in connected features, driver assistance and battery performance, areas where Chinese makers have moved quickly.
To support the push, Hyundai said it will deepen cooperation with Momenta and expand work with battery giant CATL. The tie-ups echo a wider shift among international car brands in China, which are increasingly partnering with local technology and battery leaders to shorten development cycles and better fit Chinese regulations and tastes.
Staff Writer
Reporting from the front lines of the automotive industry, delivering expert analysis and the technical updates that drive the South African motor sector forward.
