Hyundai Motor Company reached a major milestone by producing its 100 millionth vehicle 57 years after the company was founded in 1967. Only a handful of carmakers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, and Ford, have produced over 100 million vehicles.
Hyundai announced on Sept. 30 that it had crossed the 100 million unit production mark. “Hyundai achieved this milestone faster than major carmakers, such as Toyota, which took 60 years, and Honda and Volkswagen, which each took 68 years,” said a Hyundai Motor official.
Hyundai produced its first vehicle, the Hyundai Cortina at the Ulsan plant in 1968. The carmaker grew rapidly, crossing the 1 million unit mark in 1986, 10 million units in 1996, and 50 million units in 2013. In 1975, the company introduced the Pony, the first model Hyundai developed independently, and began exporting the vehicle in 1976.
Over the years, Hyundai expanded its overseas production bases to countries such as Türkiye, the United States, India, and the Czech Republic. The company’s export volume surged, crossing 80 million units in 2019 and 90 million units in 2022. Currently, Hyundai’s annual overseas production capacity stands at 5 million vehicles. With the upcoming launch of the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia, a dedicated electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Ulsan, and the new plant in India, the company’s annual production capacity is expected to increase by an additional 1 million vehicles.
The company’s best-selling model to date is the Avante, with 15.37 million units sold since it was first launched, followed by the Accent (10.25 million units), Sonata (9.48 million units), Tucson (9.36 million units), and Santa Fe (5.95 million units).
“Hyundai will take another leap forward to set another 100 million unit production record as a mobility game changer,” said Hyundai Motor Company CEO Chang Jae-hoon in a statement.