South Korean management reads Julius Caesar. As attack is the best defense, the Hyundai group plans to launch a major product push to combat the economic cooldown and Trump tariffs.
Most particularly in the lower regions of the electric category. What’s coming, as the fifth largest carmaker retools its strategy to stay competitive in a volatile global market?
According to internal planning documents obtained by The Korea Economic Daily and supported by regional reporting, Hyundai and Kia will introduce a combined 35 new and updated models in 2026.
The offensive includes several battery-electric vehicles aimed squarely at the entry-level market. Next year, the Hyundai Motor Group portfolio will see 42 launches across its Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands.
A rival for the Renault 5
Among the centerpiece products is a small electric hatchback from Hyundai, known internally as ‘BJ1,’ expected to launch in Europe in summer 2026. The BJ1 will probably be called Ioniq 2, but is rumoured to be bigger than the current Inster.
Despite its low-cost format, the 2 will not be a conversion of an existing internal combustion model – say, the i20 of which a battery-powered version is also in the making for emerging markets. It must slot nicely within the lineup of current Ioniq models.
As a bespoke EV, the entry-level car will serve as Hyundai’s answer to the Renault 5, Volkswagen ID.2, Peugeot e-208, and… the EV2 from sister brand Kia. Production will begin at Hyundai’s İzmit plant in Turkey, where the automaker builds i10, i20, and Bayon models.
It’s no coincidence that the Izmit facility also assembles the already mentioned Kia EV2, which was unveiled as a concept at the beginning of the year and will most likely share its tech with the Ioniq 2. It plans to offer LFP and NMC battery options with estimated WLTP ranges between 300 and 400 kilometers.
Turkey is a favorable trading partner to the EU. So, the move is part of Hyundai’s broader plan to build a sustainable, regionally targeted EV production system. This will minimize reliance on exports amid rising tariffs, including the 25% US import duty implemented under the Trump administration.
Local ambitions
Kia plans to launch the EV2 in early 2026 and will introduce its own electric model for developing countries shortly after, based on the India-focused Syros SUV (related to the Hyundai Inster).
As part of its local ambitions, Hyundai is also ramping up activity in India, targeting Tata Motors’ dominance in the domestic EV market. It aims to launch the Creta EV in early 2025, followed by the HE1i—a compact electric SUV underpinned by the affordable E-GMP (K) platform—in late 2026.
Genesis, the group’s premium brand, is not left behind in the push for electrification. It will launch the all-electric GV90 SUV in mid-2026 and add hybrid variants of the GV80, GV80 Coupe, and G80. Additionally, an extended-range electric GV70 will offer over 900 kilometers of range.
Despite a 22% decline in EV sales in 2025, Hyundai remains bullish, aiming for 21 EV models and 2 million units sold annually by 2030. Kia has revised its EV targets downward to 1.26 million units, but still plans a 15-model EV lineup by the decade’s end.
Hyundai isn’t the only car manufacturer choosing model expansion to cope with the current crisis. Likewise, Mercedes has announced the launch of 21 new cars in the forthcoming two years, its biggest model push ever.
