[이코노믹리뷰=최동훈 기자] Hyundai Motor Company plans to release the next-generation electric car Ioniq 5 first in Europe and then sequentially in Korea and the United States.
On the 26th, Hyundai Motor Company announced that it plans to release Ioniq 5 in various places in order from the end of March, holding a conference call for business performance in the fourth quarter of 2020 at its headquarters in Seoul.
Ioniq 5 is the first electric vehicle developed based on Hyundai Motor’s electric vehicle platform E-GMP. It is known in the form of a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) with the size of the mid-sized sports utility vehicle (SUV) Tucson, which is Hyundai Motor’s internal combustion locomotive model, and the small SUV Kona. It is reported that the mileage is 500km, which is more than 100km longer than the electric car model currently on sale, and has a wider interior space compared to the car class.
It is analyzed that Hyundai Motor Company has introduced very strict eco-friendly car regulations, and made it the first release region of Ioniq 5 to preemptively target the European market, which has a high preference for small and medium-sized vehicles. Accordingly, it is expected that Korean consumers will be able to meet Ioniq 5 from the end of March to the beginning of April.
In addition, Hyundai Motor Company plans to release the mid-sized electric sedan Mistra EV within this year as a product to target the Chinese electric vehicle market. In addition, the Genesis brand’s electric car lineup is planning to launch two models, an electric car developed based on the semi-large sedan G80 and a small and medium-sized SUV model equipped with an electric car platform. Among them, the small and medium-sized electric SUV model is expected to be based on the Genesis electric vehicle concept car’Mint’ (project name JW), first unveiled at the LA Auto Show in 2019. Accordingly, there are four electric cars that Hyundai will launch around the world this year.
Hyundai Motor Company aims to achieve annual sales of 160,000 units by introducing various new electric vehicles this year. This is 60% more than last year’s 100,000 units. Hyundai Motor Company is planning to achieve European fuel efficiency regulations with two models, including the Ioniq 5 this year and the existing popular electric car model, Kona Electric. However, it did not say whether Kona Electric, which has recently been controversial over fire, will be discontinued in Korea.
In the second half of this year, Hyundai Motor Company is planning to release electrified models such as hybrid and plug-in hybrid of popular models such as Avante, Tucson, and Santa Fe in the US in the second half of the year.
Launched pickup truck’Santa Cruise’ in the second half of the year
Hyundai Motor Company also revealed the existence of the North American strategic model, the mid-sized pickup truck, Santa Cruz for the first time. It plans to launch the Santa Cruz in the US in the second half of this year. It is one of the models that Hyundai Motor Company has put forward as the flagship model to be introduced to target the United States this year.
The Santa Cruz is expected to be launched in the US as a truck of the car class classified as a compact pickup truck. Hyundai Motor Company did not disclose the specific specifications of the Santa Cruz on this day, but it is expected to compete with models such as Toyota Tacoma and Ford Maverick.
In addition to the Santa Cruz, Hyundai Motor Company is planning to sell Ioniq 5 and new hybrid cars by car class in the US this year. In addition, by releasing the Tucson within the first quarter of this year and the GV70 within this year, it is planning to boost sales in the US along with new cars such as the GV80 and G80 released at the end of last year. Hyundai Motor Company plans to produce in the US to actively supply Tucson among new local cars.
Hyundai Motor Company has set a sales target of 720,000 units in the US this year. This is a 13% increase over the previous year. In addition, it plans to increase its market share to 4.8%, a 0.4%p increase over the previous year.
“Hyundai Motor will actively launch new high-value-added cars such as new SUVs and new Genesis cars in the US,” said Ja-Yong Koo, managing director of Hyundai Motor Company.