"Following GV80, Avante and Sorento in a Row"... Hyundai Kia Motors to Release New Cars One After Another from Early Year

Starting Next Month, Volume-Level New Models Like G80, Avante, and Sorento Begin Full-Scale Production

Genesis GV80 (Photo by Genesis)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Hyundai Kia Motors' domestic factories have been busy since the beginning of the year. Following the launch of the Genesis brand's first sports utility vehicle (SUV), the 'GV80', which marked the start of the 2020 new car rush, three volume-class new models will be produced in earnest starting next month.

According to the industry on the 26th, Hyundai Motor will begin mass production of the 3rd generation new Genesis G80 at the Ulsan Plant 5 from February. Following that, Kia Motors' Hwaseong Plant 1 will start producing the fully redesigned (full change) Sorento model. When the 7th generation new Avante is added to the line from March, a total of three fully redesigned models will be produced side by side in the first quarter.

All these models are traditional steady sellers of their respective brands and are highly anticipated as this year's ambitious releases. First, the G80 will be fully redesigned for the first time in seven years since the launch of the 'Genesis DH' in 2013. Until 2018, the G80 alone accounted for more than half of the total sales of the Genesis brand, securing a solid position within the brand. Compared to the mid-size sedan G70 or the G90, which mainly targets corporate demand, the G80 has a broader customer base, and this new model launch is expected to be a momentum for increasing Genesis sales. The Genesis G80 is expected to start with 2,500 units in February and produce around 5,000 units monthly, including domestic sales and North American exports.

Hyundai Motor also expects strong performance from the new G80 and has set the sales target for the Genesis brand at 116,000 units this year. This is the first time the brand has set a goal to surpass 100,000 units in annual sales since its launch. In addition to the GV80 and the 2nd generation G80, a new SUV model 'GV70' is also in the pipeline this year.

Hyundai and Kia will also start production of major new models one after another. The new Sorento, fully redesigned for the first time in five years, promises significant changes in design, platform, and powertrain. In particular, it is expected to increase the body size significantly compared to the existing model to meet the trend of preference for larger vehicles. Kia plans to produce about 10,000 units of the 4th generation Sorento, including the newly introduced hybrid model, every month.

The Avante, which underwent a partial facelift in September 2018, will release a new model in just about 1 year and 3 months. Since the previous facelift received mixed reviews regarding exterior design, the company is quickly implementing a full redesign. The new Avante will be produced at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan Plant 3 with 3,900 units in March, and from April, production is planned to exceed 7,000 units monthly.

A Hyundai Motor official said, "With the successful market entry of the GV80 and the launch of new models for key vehicles such as the Avante and Tucson, the product mix will continue to improve. Especially, since the Avante and Tucson accounted for about 25% of global sales last year, the full redesign this year will strengthen the sales momentum."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.