For the entire world, South Korean manufacturers will produce more vehicles on the Old Continent.
The G70 Shooting Brake was the first model that the South Korean trio developed primarily for Europe. However, other cars were largely built on the Old Continent. Hot N models such as the Elantra N, Kona N and the i20 N were designed on Euro land for worldwide consumption. That’s not all. Genesis, Hyundai, Kia and Kia will be more dependent on their European divisions when developing new models.
This disclosure was made by the man who is responsible for R&D for three European brands. Tyrone Johnson spoke with Autocar and stated that “we’ve had so much success [in our European operations] that we have been given more to create our own.” The engineers worked on 30 projects in 2021. The Nurburgring will double the size of the test facility for the conglomerate to support this expansion.
Many European automakers have committed to ending the sale of combustion engine cars by 2030. However, Hyundai and Kia will not do so before 2035. This gives us hope that hot hatch enthusiasts still have years to purchase a hot hatch like a feisty or more mature i30 N. However, companies such as Hyundai and Kia may discontinue performance offerings due to Euro 7 emissions regulations.
High taxes are another problem. It is more difficult to get behind the wheel of a sports car. It’s becoming harder to justify purchasing a fun car, with gas prices rising in recent months. Tyrone Johnson was not referring only to performance models. He also meant vehicles in general.
Although the G70 Shooting Brake is pictured here, it wasn’t intended originally for South Korea. However, Hyundai’s luxury brand may have had a change of heart. The Genesis Europe boss Dominique Boesch said to Autocar that the G70 with long-roof could now be sold at home.
The trio has also been heavily investing in EVs, preparing the Ioniq7, EV9 and possibly a GV90. These three-row, electric SUVs will be available worldwide as spacious alternatives to the Ioniq 5, EV6 and GV60.