JAKARTA - Hyundai Motor officially launched the Ioniq electric vehicle brand in China and introduced two new concept cars, namely the Ioniq Venus sedan and the Earth SUV. This step was taken as Hyundai seeks to strengthen its position in the Chinese market.
Citing Yonhap, Friday, April 10, the launch of the brand was held in Beijing on Friday ahead of the Auto China 2026 automotive exhibition which will take place later this month.
According to Hyundai, the two concept cars mark the company's new direction in China while providing an insight into the future design of the Ioniq line, which is specially prepared for the local market.
Hyundai is also preparing a new naming system for its next Ioniq models in China. The company will use the name of the planet for future models. The scheme is said to reflect a customer-centric service concept, with vehicles designed to meet user needs.
"Starting with the two concept cars we introduced today, we will continue to present products that reflect our deep understanding of Chinese customers and our sincere commitment to this market," said Beijing Hyundai Motor President Li Fenggang. Beijing Hyundai Motor is a joint venture between Hyundai and China's Beijing BAIC Motor.
The launch also comes amid Hyundai's efforts to turn things around in China. Hyundai's sales in the country reached 1.14 million units in 2016, but have continued to decline since 2017 after a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea.
The impact is visible in factory operations. Hyundai, which previously had six factories in China, now operates only three factories, two in Beijing and one in Sichuan. The other three factories were closed or sold after sales weakened.
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