The Hyundai Motor Company makes Hyundai vehicles. While most of the automobiles are made in South Korea, they are also built in the US.
Hyundai is a global company that manufactures all kinds of vehicles. Hyundai Motor Company has plants all across the globe. The company is positioning itself to be a leader in environmentally responsible cars.
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Hyundai History
Hyundai was started in 1947 as an engineering and construction concern. The Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company lived up to its name. The English meaning of Hyundai is “modern times.”
The new company helped to modernize South Korea by building a large part of the country’s transportation infrastructure. Today, it continues its modernizing legacy by working to create environmentally responsible vehicles.
Unfortunately, the Korean War forced the founder, Chung Ju-yung, to scrap his original plans for the construction and engineering business, and pivot, taking a position in the Korean Ministry of Transportation.
He sprang back into the business world with Hyundai Motor Company, founded in 1967. Its inaugural car, the Cortina, was built a year later in collaboration with the Ford Motor Company. It was built in the newly constructed Hyundai assembly plant in Ulsan, South Korea.
The Ulsan plant is the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing location today. The plant can produce 1.6 million vehicles annually.
Shortly after making its first car with Ford, Hyundai hired the former Managing Director of Austin Morris at British Leyland. With a team of six European chief engineers, they got to work.
By 1974, Hyundai had rolled out its first car solely on its own, the Pony. The Pony was more informally known as the people’s car. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and was Hyundai Motor Company’s crown jewel for years.
By the late 1970s, Hyundai had begun exporting its vehicles. And in the 1980s the company expanded its exports, moving into major markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
Hyundai began working on electric and hybrid cars in the 1990s. The first electric vehicle by Hyundai was a prototype created in 1991.
The focus for Hyundai in the first decade of the new millennium has been on both refining the quality of Hyundai vehicles and focusing on creating and manufacturing environmentally responsible cars. The company’s present overarching goal is to be a leader in pollution-free vehicles.
Where Are Hyundai Vehicles Made?
Hyundai vehicles are manufactured across the globe. Understandably, South Korea has the most plants with manufacturing facilities in three locations: Ulsan, Asan, and Jeonju.
Around the world, vehicles are also made in
- Brazil
- China
- Czech Republic
- India
- Russia (Manufacturing has been suspended in the St. Petersburg facility, Hyundai’s only plant in Russia, due to the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute)
- Turkey
- United States
Who Owns Hyundai?
The Hyundai Motor Group owns the car company. The group is publicly traded. The Hyundai Motor Group also has holdings in the Genesis brand luxury car, robotics, infotainment, construction, steel, and finance.
Hyundai Motor Group employs about 250,000 people worldwide.
Hyundai’s Country of Origin
The company began in South Korea when the entrepreneur Chung Ju-yung founded it. Hyundai remains headquartered in South Korea today.
What Company Makes Hyundai Vehicles?
The Hyundai Motor Company produces its Hyundai branded vehicles. The company has ten manufacturing plants around the world.
What Company Makes Hyundai Engines?
Hyundai and Kia make the engines for their cars. However, there is some crossover between the two companies. For example, the Kappa G3LA/G3LC and Kappa G4LD engines are used in both Hyundai and Kia vehicle models.
Are Hyundai and Kia the Same?
The short answer is no, but they are related. Hyundai bought out Kia in 1998 and now owns about a third of the company. Today, Hyundai and Kia are more or less sister companies.
The two car makers often use the same vehicle powertrains and platforms for their different car models.
Hyundai generally offers a more luxe and visually refined design. Kia’s design aesthetic is decidedly on the sporty side. That said, Kia has a broader range of vehicles, including a minivan, from which customers can choose.
In contrast to Kia, Hyundai offers the luxury brand Genesis to its customers.
Is There a Hyundai Manufacturer in the USA?
Yes, Hyundai vehicles are made in Montgomery, Alabama. The Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant opened in May 2005. At full power, the plant can release 399,500 vehicles a year.
It also produces engines for Hyundai and the nearby Kia plant in Georgia. The Montgomery facility and its suppliers have brought more than 14,000 jobs to the region.
In May 2022, Hyundai announced plans to build a new electric vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States, possibly in Georgia. The company also has design offices in California and Michigan.
Are Hyundai Good Cars?
RepairPal gives Hyundais a rating of 4 out of 5 for reliability. This makes Hyundai fourth out of the 32 brands they rated. RepairPal lists the average cost of repairing a Hyundai as $468 annually. They also found that Hyundais were taken into repair shops infrequently, less than once a year.
If a Hyundai does go in for repairs, there is a 10% chance that “severe” servicing will be needed, according to RepairPal.
Hyundai models have recently received awards from J.D. Power in the following categories:
- Quality
- Dependability
- Performance
And Consumer Reports says almost all of Hyundai’s vehicles receive an average or better rating for reliability. The exceptions to those ratings are the Santa Fe and the Kona Electric models.
Hyundai Motor Company has 15 models of vehicles in production currently. They range from sedans and SUVs to performance and electric vehicles. The availability of various models can vary from country to country. In the US, the availability varies from state to state.
