The Hyundai Motor Group is set to turn around its sales performance next year by leading with new models for its key vehicles. Given that Hyundai Motor’s sales had stalled this year due to production disruptions and sluggish demand, the company plans to boost results by successively introducing fully redesigned models to major domestic and overseas markets.
According to industry sources on the 16th, Hyundai Motor is scheduled to release a fully redesigned Kona model and the Genesis GV70 hybrid vehicle in the domestic market in the first half of next year. In the second half, it will sequentially unveil a facelifted Sonata model, an electric Kona, and the Avante N. Kia plans to launch its Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) PV7 and facelifted K5 and Morning models in the first half. The facelifted K5 model, set for release in March, is expected to be the first Kia vehicle to be equipped with the next-generation infotainment system, Pleos Connect, following Hyundai Motor’s Grandeur and Avante.
The core of Kia’s second-half lineup next year will be the sixth-generation Sportage. Kia plans to begin domestic mass production in July, followed by sequential launches in Europe in October-November and in the United States in December. The fuel efficiency of the hybrid vehicle is expected to improve by 5-6% compared to the existing model.
In the United States, Hyundai Motor appears set to flood the market with five models in the first half alone: the Tucson hybrid, the new Avante, the Santa Fe Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), and the Genesis GV70 and G80 hybrids. The fully redesigned Kona model will join the lineup in the second half. Kia has no new cars scheduled for the U.S. market in the first half, so it is betting on the Sportage and the facelifted K5 model in the second half to make its move.
In Europe, Hyundai Motor plans to launch the Tucson plug-in hybrid and the GV70 hybrid in the first half, followed by the Bayon hybrid and the electric and hybrid versions of the Kona in the second half. Kia will deploy the Sportage and the facelifted Morning model in the second half.
In China, Hyundai Motor has decided to release four models in the first half: the Avante, the Ioniq 5 EREV, a small SUV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) electric car, and the facelifted Genesis G90. The company aims to recover sales by leveraging EREVs and small electric vehicles, which are in high demand locally. Kia will introduce the facelifted K5 model to China.
A recovery in sales volume is also expected due to the new car effect. Hyundai Motor lowered its annual sales target from 4,158,300 units to 4 million units, reflecting production disruptions caused by a strike at the end of last month. According to Hyundai Motor Securities, Hyundai Motor’s sales volume next year is projected to reach 4,415,000 units. Kia anticipates that its wholesale sales next year could exceed 3.4 million units, an increase of 3.3% from this year. Fully redesigned models of the Carnival and Santa Fe are scheduled to be released in 2028.
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