Hyundai cars are one of the more popular compact and mid-size cars in the U.S. They are reliable and affordable and come in a variety of appealing models. From the Sonata to the Tucson, to the ever-popular Accent, Hyundais are part of our vehicle landscape. But you may be curious, who makes Hyundai cars?- South Korea
- The United States
- India
- China
- Turkey
- Czech
- Russia
- Brasil
We'll look more closely at which cars are manufactured in which areas and answer a few of your other questions about the Hyundai brand of vehicle, its reliability, and overall costs.
Where Are the Various Hyundai Models Manufactured?
Hyundai is the largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea. It was established in 1967 and is now one of the top-producing vehicle brands. In 2010 it sold close to 3 million cars in 186 countries. In almost every country where they've started operations, vehicle sales are strong and commanding large shares of the market. Also, their presence in those countries has brought a whole host of new support businesses to bolster those economies.
South Korea
The company has three plants in South Korea, located in Ulsan, Asan, and Jeonju. In addition, it has three research and development facilities in the country. The Ulsan manufacturing plant is the largest and even has its own port for importing and exporting. It can produce 5600 vehicles daily.
Ulsan manufactures the Getz, Accent, Elantra, Coupe, Santa Fe, Trajet, Matrix, H-1, H-100 and Terracan.
The Asain plant manufactures Sonatas and XG's.
The Jeonju plant manufactures buses and other specialty vehicles.
The United States
In the U.S., Hyundais are manufactured in Montgomery, Alabama. The plant which opened in 2005 was the first facility dedicated to manufacturing Hyundais in the U.S. The plant employs over 3000 people, and an additional 72 supplier industries have sprung up in the area as a result of the automobile manufacturer. Currently, this plant manufactures the Sonata and Elantra sedans. If you're ever driving south on Interstate 65, it's easy to see the massive plant on the east side of the freeway.
India
Hyundai is the 2nd largest manufacturer of small automobiles in India. There are thirteen different models on the road there, including the Verna, the Creta, and the Xcent. The Hyundai Eon is probably the most popular vehicle in India as it's the most affordable and appealing to first-time car buyers. In India, Hyundai sold over a half a million cars in 2018 and dominated with close to 20% of the vehicle market share.
China
In China, Hyundai entered the market by going into partnership with the Beijing Automotive Group. There are four models made at this facility that are solely for the Chinese market. These are the BT01, the Lingxiang, a localized Sonota NF, and a localized version of the Elantra. They also work on buses and other specialty vehicles in China.
Turkey
The plant in Turkey is the base for most of Hyundai's European sales; however, as of January 2020, the plant is suspending car production at this plant due to falling revenues. Competition with other Turkish vehicles and a falling economy has impacted the Korean automaker.
Czech Republic
The Hyundai Motor Company's plant in the Czech Republic opened in 2006. It the most substantial foreign investment ever for that country and the primary plant manufacturing for the European Union. This plant produces about 300,000 vehicles per year. This plant produces the i30 line, which has seven variations, two variations of the Tucson, and also the Kona Electric.
Russia
As in the Czech Republic, the Hyundai plant is the first full-cycle plant of a foreign automobile maker in Russia. It was opened in 2010 and produces just over 100,000 cars per year. As in the U.S., several support industries have opened near the plant bringing further foreign investment into the country. This country manufactures the Accent, Elantra, Santa Fe, and Sonata.
Brazil
One of the growing plants in the Hyundai line-up, the Brazilian manufacturing team is ramping up production from 180,000 vehicles to 220,000 vehicles per year. The cars made at this plant are three versions of the HB20 and the Creta SUV. Hyundai is doing quite well in this South American market, taking about 10% of the market share in automobile sales.
Are Hyundais Reliable? [And How Long Do They Generally Last?]
In a nutshell, yes, Hyundais are reliable. According to WhatCar Reliability Survey, the Hyundai as a brand scored 95.7% in overall satisfaction. IIHS chose thirteen of the 2019 models as Top Safety Picks. And Kelly Blue Books rated the brand as the lowest cost to own. In 2010, Consumer Reports ranked Hyundai as the number four automaker. With so many kudos from top industry analysts, the Hyundai is a safe choice for an all-around driving vehicle.
Are Hyundais Expensive to Fix?
According to Priceonomics.com, the Hyundai starts as the least expensive model to maintain, costing only $4k for all maintenance in the first 25k miles. Over time, and up to 150k miles, it falls to the sixth place spot with an average cost of $15k for maintenance.
As for repair costs, Hyundais cost, on average, anywhere from $250-$400 per year for maintenance.
Are Hyundais and Kias Made By the Same Company?
Yes, and no. Initially, they were independent car manufacturers in South Korea. However, in 2007, Kia filed bankruptcy, and Hyundai bought part of the company to keep it going. They are operated independently, though, and have their own design, branding, marketing, and manufacturing facilities. At some plants the there may be a Kia model manufactured alongside the Hyundai models.
It's pretty awesome to see how global a company like Hyundai is. With different cars for different markets and different business plans and production for each company, it's like a four-wheeled jigsaw puzzle of innovation. If you enjoyed this post on the Hyundai automobile, please check out these other posts here at VEHQ.com below: