Hyundai models

Hyundai was founded in 1967 in Seoul as the carmaking arm of the Hyundai industrial group built by Chung Ju-yung. It started by assembling other companies' designs, then taught itself to engineer cars from scratch, and went from a national punchline for cheap, flimsy vehicles to a genuine global force in roughly one generation.

The turnaround came from taking quality and design seriously when nobody expected it to. Long warranties bought back trust, and models like the Sonata, Tucson, and Santa Fe steadily closed the gap on the Japanese brands. More recently Hyundai has been bolder than its rivals on electric cars, with the Ioniq line winning awards rather than just sales.

For buyers, Hyundai now competes head-on rather than just on price. It tends to offer more equipment for the money, sharper styling than the safe choices, and a lineup that runs from small hatchbacks to three-row SUVs and EVs. Together with sister brand Kia, it has become one of the largest carmakers in the world.