April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor Group  Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun on April 12 (local time) visited the New York Auto Show to oversee the auto group’s unveiling of new cars. 

Chung visited the annual auto show on the press preview days, ahead of the exhibition that kicks off on April 14 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. 

He looked around the display of the auto group’s three brands Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Genesis. He also attended the unveiling event of the facelift 2018 version of the Sonata sedan, where he pinned high hopes on its sales, according to local media reports. The heir-apparent also viewed the booth of other carmakers, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Ford. 

At the auto show, Hyundai unveiled the GV80 fuel cell SUV concept, its first SUV for the luxury Genesis brand. 

Earlier this week, Chung visited the Hyundai Motor America headquarters in Los Angeles and the automaker’s plant in Alabama to review the all-important US market. Following the US trip, he plans to visit China to attend the Shanghai Auto Show that kicks off on April 21. 

Hyundai Motor Group -- which includes Hyundai Motor Kia Motors -- plans to introduce three new China-only models for the first time at the biennial exhibition. Hyundai’s new sport utility vehicle and Kia Motors’ compact sedan and a crossover will make their world debut.

Hyundai hopes the introduction of new cars will revive its unprecedented sales sump amid intensifying anti-Korean sentiment over Seoul’s decision to deploy a US anti-missile system. 

Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 72,032 vehicles in China in March, a 52.2 percent decrease from a year ago. Separately, Hyundai saw its sales fall 44.3 percent, while Kia suffered a 68 percent decline.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)