Hyundai’s new model rampage: 11 new models in next 11 months as brand “resets” in Australia

Hyundai is set for a busy 12 months in Australia, with the top-three auto maker to launch 11 new vehicles over the next 12 moths as it bounces out of the coronavirus pandemic.

You read that right; 11 new vehicles in as many months, with the brand planning an onslaught of eight new vehicles and three face-lifted models between now and Q2 2020.

What’s more, they’ve been kind enough to (mostly) tell us exactly what to expect.

The roll-out begins now with the future-facing Nexo, the brand’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered SUV that is, for now, limited to a government trial in the ACT. When exactly that model will received a private-buyer roll-out is dependent, says Hyundai, on the introduction of viable hydrogen infrastructure, which is likely years away at this point.

The first customer-facing vehicles will arrive in Q4 this year, with the US-style Palisade SUV to be joined by the i30 Sedan and the brand’s flagship passenger car, the Sonata, before the year’s end. The latter is powered by a choice of 2.5 litre or 2.5-litre turbo engines, and will get the absolute pick of the Hyundai options list.

Also arriving before 2020 draws to a close will be the face-lifted Santa Fe and the refreshed i30 Hatch.

Interestingly, the i30 Hatch is a refreshed version of the vehicle currently roaming Australian roads, while the sedan, powered by a choice of 2.0-litre or 1.6-litre turbocharged engines, is an all-new vehicle that previews the future of the hatch.

But wait, there’s more. The first half of 2021 will see Hyundai launch a new Tucson, as well as three as-yet unnamed models, one of which with an eco focus, and two more with sportier intent. That same six-month window will see the Kona and Kona Electric updated in Australia.

“The continued roll-out of new product builds on the three key product pillars that will reset and grow our brand in the future,” says Hyundai’s product planner, Jonathan Lam.

Exhilarating performance that appeals to a broad market through N and N Line products, reinforcing our position as a leader in alternate fuel through Nexo and other dedicated eco-vehicle platforms, as well as a renewed focus on technologies, led by the rapid renewal of our SUV range.”