Ambitious plan announced by Hyundai this week: the automaker will aim to introduce no fewer than eight new SUV models – either heavily redesigned or fully new – to the North American market by 2020.
The first of these is already known: the 2018 Hyundai Kona subcompact crossover will arrive on the market in March 2018. One of the others to come, Hyundai promises, will be even smaller than that (think A-segment). At the other end of the lineup, we can expect to see new generations of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Santa Fe XL make their debuts.
The plan calls as well for the development of a new fuel-cell SUV (replacing the current Tucson FCEV), an all-new battery-powered electric SUV and a diesel-powered SUV. These will join the carmaker's lineup alongside Hyundai gasoline-powered vehicles that run on the new generation of Smart Stream motors and transmissions. No other company will offer such a wide variety of available powertrains in its range of utility models.
"The Kona is only the beginning of our product revolution for Hyundai. These vehicles are aimed squarely at the sales leaders in each segment and will emphasize Hyundai's continued focus on sustainability and efficiency without compromising performance."
- Mike O'Brien, vice president, product, corporate and digital planning, Hyundai Motor America
