Hyundai invests $290 million to boost SUV production in the United States

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and local leaders joined Hyundai Motor Manufacturing (HMMA) President and CEO Ernie Kim last week to announce the company’s $290 million investment to boost sport utility vehicle production. HMMA has set aside $190 million to improve tooling and equipment in preparation for the construction of the all-new fifth-generation Santa Fe. The additional $100 million will be invested to support continuous manufacturing of the Tucson SUV and Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle, according to CEO Ernie Kim. Hyundai employs about 4,000 people in Montgomery, Alabama, where the company has been in business for 17 years. According to Montgomery Chamber Board Chairman LaBarron Boone, the Montgomery facility has undergone 16 expansions totalling $3.377 billion since HMMA established itself in the region.

The Santa Fe was first assembled by HMMA in 2006, and this will be the first full model modification since 2018. The all-new Santa Fe has a dramatic exterior design, an extended tailboard and cabin, a more refined interior with sustainable materials, and a number of high-tech amenities such as a 12.3-inch Panoramic Curved Display. The Santa Fe will join Hyundai’s Tucson SUV, the Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle, and both the electrified and petrol variants of the Genesis GV70 luxury SUV on HMMA’s assembly line when production begins later this year. HMMA is a Hyundai Motor Company autonomous manufacturing operation situated in Seoul, Korea.