The Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967 in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea’s biggest automotive manufacturer, selling a total of 3,912,042 vehicles in 2021.
Hyundai is also the parent company of Kia, as well as owning the Genesis and Ioniq vehicle brands.
The company is popular for its reliable SUVs and its powerful hot hatches, like the i20 N. But that’s not all – recently Hyundai has been exciting car enthusiasts with a range of daring new concepts that are as beautiful as they are powerful.
For instance, take the N Vision 74 – a futuristic, hydrogen-powered hybrid prototype car that showcases the forward-thinking direction of the company. From Hyundai’s viewpoint, hydrogen could still hold a key to the future of sustainable driving.
For a large automotive manufacturer like Hyundai, international operations are a must. But where exactly does Hyundai build its vehicles? Let’s find out!
Where Hyundai cars are made
Hyundai vehicles are currently built in South Korea, the United States, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, China and Vietnam. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
Hyundai designs and manufactures its cars in a number of domestic and international facilities. In total, there are 12 Hyundai production facilities in ten different countries across the world.
Hyundai’s plant in North America is located in Montgomery, Alabama. This facility reportedly cost Hyundai $1.4 billion dollars to build in 2005. It is capable of producing a huge 300,000 vehicles per year when operating at full capacity.
Recently, Hyundai announced plans to bring forward the opening of its electric vehicle plant in Bryan County, Georgia. It’s now expected to open in 2023. Once this plant becomes fully operational, Hyundai will be able to produce 300,000 EVs per year!
But which of Hyundai’s vehicles are produced in the US? Let’s find out.
Which Hyundai cars are made in the US?
Hyundai vehicles produced in the US include the Sonata, Santa Fe, Elantra, Tucson and the Santa Cruz. The company also plans to build its electric vehicles in a new plant in Georgia, opening in 2023.
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (or HMMA) is currently Hyundai’s only manufacturing plant located in the United States. The plant officially opened its doors in May of 2005 and continues to be a great source of investment and employment for the Montgomery area.
Of course, Hyundai vehicles produced at HMMA are not only destined to be sold within the United States. Hyundai models produced here can end up anywhere in the world depending on the global supply and demand of Hyundai vehicles.
How to tell where your Hyundai was made
The most accurate way of identifying where your Hyundai vehicle was made is to check the first two or three letters of your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The first three digits of a VIN number are known as a World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). For most production vehicles, this allows you to trace the car back to its country of origin.
You can find your Hyundai VIN number on the title or registration documents for your car. It can also be found on the cowl panel, the front wall of the engine room or on a metal plate in the inner driver’s door pillar.
| WIM Number | Country of Origin |
| 5NP | United States |
| 5NM | United States |
| 5NT | United States |
| 5XY | United States |
| 2HM | Canada |
| KMF | Korea |
| KMH | Korea |
| KMJ | Korea |
| KM8 | Korea |
| KND | Korea |
| LBE | China |
| MAL | India |
| MX3 | Kazakhstan |
| NLH | Turkey |
| NLJ | Turkey |
| PL8 | Malaysia |
| PP3 | Malaysia |
| TMA | Czech Republic |
| TMC | Czech Republic |
| XWE | Russia |
| Z94 | Russia |
| 3H3 | Mexico |
| 3KP | Mexico |
| 8LG | Ecuador |
| 9BH | Brazil |
| 95P | Brazil |
| AC5 | South Africa |
If you’re interested in decoding your VIN number to find out more about the spec of your Hyundai vehicle, there are plenty of VIN decoder services online. They’re mostly free and very easy to use.
FAQs
Which company owns Hyundai?
The Hyundai Motor Company is owned by the Hyundai Motor Group. The Group is widely regarded as the third largest corporation (or ‘chaebol’) in South Korea, falling behind Samsung Group and SK Group.
The Hyundai Motor Group is involved in a number of industries: automotive manufacturing, steel, construction and even robotics engineering!
Does Hyundai make its own engines?
Yes – both Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia manufacture their own engines for use in their vehicles. Hyundai engines are currently assembled in Korea, the United States, the Czech Republic and India.
What is the best-selling Hyundai?
According to Hyundai, the worldwide best-selling Hyundai vehicle in 2022 so far is the Kona (OS) crossover SUV. There is a battery-electric version of the Kona available, but it is yet to match the sales figures of its gasoline-powered counterpart.
Conclusion
The Hyundai Pony was the first mass-produced car in South Korean history. From humble beginnings in the 1940s to becoming South Korea’s biggest automotive manufacturer, Hyundai has solidified its position as a major player in the worldwide vehicle market.
We hope that this article helped you to see where Hyundai assembles its vehicles, and how you can find out where your very own model was built.
Do you own a Hyundai? How is it treating you? Let us know below!
We own a Sante Fe and love it. Had it five years and it still as good as first bought.